Connecticut planning should never start from a generic "income-cap state" assumption. DSS sets a $1,600 asset limit for a single LTSS applicant, but it also allows someone over a Medicaid income limit to qualify through spend-down once excess income or assets are applied to qualifying medical expenses. The first planning step is figuring out which route actually applies: nursing-facility Medicaid, the CHCPE Medicaid waiver, another waiver program, or a non-Medicaid state-funded service.
For a married couple, Connecticut's 2026 community-spouse resource range runs from $32,532 to $162,660, effective January 1, 2026. The same 2026 update confirms that the primary residence isn't counted as a resource while a spouse continues to live there. None of these protections eliminate the need for a full inventory — title records, accounts, income sources, debts, and the exact date continuous institutionalization began all have to be documented.