A workable Delaware plan starts with the state's 2026 income-cap structure: Long Term Care Programs use 250% of the SSI rate as the income standard, which comes to $2,485 a month for an individual and $3,727.50 for a couple before the available-income disregard is applied. Resource limits haven't moved — still $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple — so both sides of the ledger need review before anyone files an application.
For income that runs over the cap, Delaware offers a Miller Trust — its version of a qualified income trust. DMMA's guidance explains that income placed into a properly structured and administered Miller Trust can be excluded when calculating eligibility for someone who would otherwise exceed the Medicaid income limit. It's worth stressing that setting up the trust doesn't sidestep the separate patient-pay, resource, transfer, or recovery analysis — the trust document and how it's administered both need careful review before it's funded.