Long-Term Care Funding in Delaware
Delaware channels most long-term-care Medicaid services through Diamond State Health Plan Plus, or DSHP-Plus — a mandatory managed-care program for older adults and people with physical disabilities. The Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA) sets the state's 2026 figures at a $2,485 monthly income standard for an individual and a statewide transfer-penalty divisor of $13,378.33 per month.
The bigger recent development is on the legal-tools side: as of December 4, 2025, Delaware finally has a genuine statutory transfer-on-death deed. Its lifetime provisions are notably protective — the law says using the deed doesn't affect the owner's or beneficiary's public-assistance eligibility while the owner is still alive — but that protection during life doesn't erase the need to think through what happens to the property after death.
Why Delaware is different
- Brand-new statutory TOD deed — effective for deeds where the owner dies on or after December 4, 2025, the deed is revocable, nontestamentary, and doesn't jeopardize public-assistance eligibility during the owner's lifetime.
- Mandatory managed care through DSHP-Plus — nearly all HCBS waiver programs for older adults and people with physical disabilities (other than the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services waiver) were folded into DSHP-Plus effective April 1, 2012.
- Miller Trust option for income above the cap — Delaware's income-qualifying trust can exclude income over the Medicaid limit when properly structured and administered.
- Estate recovery ties to Delaware's probate code — the state defines the recoverable estate by reference to Title 12, Chapter 19 of the Delaware Code, its probate law, rather than spelling out every non-probate asset type by name.
- A TOD deed can still face a claim after death — Delaware's TOD statute lets the estate pursue an allowed claim against TOD property if the probate estate falls short, and gives the estate eight months after death to start that proceeding.
Delaware at a glance
Which situation matches yours?
| If this is your situation | Start here |
|---|---|
| Care Needed NowA hospital discharge or facility decision is imminent, or home care has already started. | Delaware Medicaid Look-Back PeriodDelaware VA Aid & Attendance |
| Care Within 1-3 YearsA recent diagnosis or fall has made the timeline real even though care isn't needed today. | Delaware VA Aid & AttendanceDelaware Long-Term Care Planning |
| Planning AheadNo crisis yet — just the recognition that long-term care is a matter of when, not if. | Delaware Long-Term Care InsuranceDelaware Long-Term Care Planning |
| Veteran or surviving spouse of wartime serviceAdds a federal pension benefit on top of whatever the Situation and State rows point to. | Delaware VA Aid & Attendance |
| Owns significant home equityThe home is usually exempt during life but affects estate recovery and private-pay runway. | Delaware Transfer-on-Death DeedDelaware Medicaid Long-Term Care |
| Already has LTC insurance or a hybrid policyExisting coverage is usually the first dollar spent, with other pillars becoming supplemental afterward. | Delaware Long-Term Care InsuranceDelaware Medicaid Long-Term Care |
The 10 funding pillars in Delaware
Every pillar below has its own dedicated Delaware page with the current rules, dollar figures, and what to do next.
Delaware Medicaid Long-Term Care
How DMMA delivers nursing-facility and community long-term services through Delaware Medicaid and DSHP-Plus.
Financial EligibilityDelaware Medicaid Asset Limits
Delaware's 2026 resource, income, home-equity, and community-spouse standards for long-term care.
Look-Back & PenaltiesDelaware Medicaid Look-Back Period
Delaware applies a 60-month transfer review and a 2026 penalty divisor of $13,378.33 per month.
Asset Protection ToolDelaware Transfer-on-Death Deed
Delaware's new statutory TOD deed is revocable and preserves public-assistance eligibility during life, but it is not a substitute for recovery analysis.
Estate RecoveryDelaware Medicaid Estate Recovery
Delaware defines the recoverable estate by reference to its probate law and publishes specific recovery exceptions and hardship-waiver standards.
Nursing Home CoverageDelaware Nursing Home Medicaid
Delaware's Nursing Facility Program requires medical and financial eligibility, with a $75 monthly personal-needs allowance.
Home & Community CareDelaware Home Care Medicaid
DSHP-Plus is Delaware's mandatory managed long-term-services program for older adults and people with physical disabilities, alongside the DDDS Lifespan Waiver.
Planning AheadDelaware Long-Term Care Planning
Delaware planning combines a 250%-of-SSI income cap, Miller Trust option, five-year transfer review, probate recovery, and a family-support statute.
VA BenefitsDelaware VA Aid & Attendance
Federal Aid and Attendance can sit beside Delaware Medicaid; the state has one 144-bed Veterans Home and a disabled-veterans school-tax credit.
LTC InsuranceDelaware Long-Term Care Insurance (*)
The Delaware Department of Insurance regulates LTC insurance, and its current published carrier list includes Partnership plans for sale.
Participates in the State Long-Term Care Partnership Program.
See what LTC insurance could mean for your Delaware plan
A policy in place before care is needed can change every one of these pillars in your favor. Get a free, no-obligation quote.
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