Quick answer: Illinois planning starts with conflicting state figures: asset limits of $2,000 (HFS) or $17,500 (Department on Aging), and a community-spouse allowance of $143,172 or $162,660. A plan also has to cover the 60-month look-back, trusts, probate-only estate recovery and Partnership insurance.
Anyone planning around Illinois Medicaid has to grapple with two unresolved resource conflicts right from the start. HFS's general benefits page lists countable-asset limits of $2,000 for a single applicant and $3,000 for a married applicant household, while the Department on Aging's 2026 long-term-care materials list $17,500 instead.
The confusion doesn't stop there. HFS's January 2026 provider notice lists a $143,172 community spouse resource allowance (CSRA), but the Department on Aging's flyer lists $162,660 for the same figure. Neither number should be treated as final for planning purposes without confirming it against a caseworker or IDHS WAG 25-03-02 first.
Beyond the resource-figure conflicts, a solid Illinois plan also has to account for the 60-month transfer review, trust strategies, the state's probate-only estate recovery approach, and how a Partnership long-term-care insurance policy might factor into the overall picture.
Illinois figures
- CSRA — HFS figure
- $143,172
- CSRA — Department on Aging figure
- $162,660
Sources and official resources
Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.