--- title: "Long-Term Care Funding in Ohio | Funding LTC Marketplace" url: https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/ description: "How Ohio's TOD affidavit, $7,787 penalty divisor, and MyCare rollout shape long-term care funding decisions." author: George A. Mellendorf, CLTC, LTCP (Central States Insurance Services, Inc.) publisher: Funding LTC Marketplace note: Educational content; not legal, tax or financial advice. Markdown copy of the HTML page at the URL above. --- State Funding Guide # Long-Term Care Funding in Ohio Ohio families planning for long-term care are working with a state system that has its own vocabulary and its own moving parts. Instead of a transfer-on-death deed, Ohio residents use a Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit to move real estate outside probate, and the state's Medicaid program leans on an income-cap structure rather than an open-ended spend-down. Ohio's Department of Medicaid confirms the current transfer-penalty divisor at $7,787 per month, a figure every look-back conversation should start from (Ohio Department of Medicaid). The state is also in the middle of a managed-care overhaul. Next Generation MyCare launched in its original 29 counties on January 1, 2026, and is expanding statewide between April and August 2026, which means county-by-county plan details are worth double-checking before anyone assumes their old list of options still applies (Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline). ## Why Ohio is different - **An income-cap eligibility model.** Ohio applicants above the state's Special Income Level typically need a Qualified Income Trust rather than relying on an unlimited spend-down, a structural difference from spend-down states. - **A named legal instrument, not a generic deed.** Ohio's Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit must be verified and recorded in the county where the property sits — it is not interchangeable with a TOD deed from another state. - **Estate recovery reaches beyond probate.** Ohio law lets recovery follow property that passes by survivorship, life estate, living trust, or similar arrangement, not just assets that go through probate court. - **PASSPORT anchors home-based care for older adults.** The waiver is open to residents age 60 and up who meet Ohio's Medicaid, level-of-care, residence, and care-plan conditions. - **A managed-care system in transition.** The 2026 statewide MyCare expansion means county and plan assignments are actively changing, so verifying current status matters more than usual this year. ## Ohio at a glance - Individual asset limit: $2,000 - Couple asset limit: $3,000 - Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): $32,532–$162,660 - Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (through June 30, 2026): $2,643.75 - Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (from July 1, 2026): $2,705.00 - Transfer-penalty divisor: $7,787/month (effective September 1, 2024) ## Which situation matches yours? | If this is your situation | Start here | |---|---| | Care Needed NowA hospital discharge, imminent facility placement, or home care that has already begun. | [Ohio Medicaid Look-Back Period](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-look-back-period/)[Ohio VA Aid & Attendance](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/va-aid-attendance/) | | Care Within 1-3 YearsA recent diagnosis, fall, or memory change has made the timeline feel real, even without an immediate need. | [Ohio VA Aid & Attendance](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/va-aid-attendance/)[Ohio Long-Term Care Planning](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/long-term-care-planning/) | | Planning AheadNo crisis yet, just the recognition that long-term care is a matter of when, not if. | Ohio Long-Term Care Insurance[Ohio Long-Term Care Planning](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/long-term-care-planning/) | | Veteran or Surviving SpouseWartime service adds a federal pension benefit on top of whatever else applies. | [Ohio VA Aid & Attendance](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/va-aid-attendance/) | | Owns Significant Home EquityThe home is usually exempt during life but matters for estate recovery and how long private pay can stretch. | [Ohio Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/transfer-on-death-affidavit/)[Ohio Medicaid Long-Term Care](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-long-term-care/) | | Already Has LTC InsuranceAn existing policy is typically the first source of payment, with other pillars stepping in once benefits run out or a gap appears. | Ohio Long-Term Care Insurance[Ohio Medicaid Long-Term Care](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-long-term-care/) | ## The 10 funding pillars in Ohio Every pillar below has its own dedicated Ohio page with the current rules, dollar figures, and what to do next. - [Ohio Medicaid Long-Term Care](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-long-term-care/) (Medicaid Program): How Ohio delivers long-term services and supports through nursing-facility Medicaid, HCBS waivers, and a changing MyCare Ohio managed-care system. - [Ohio Medicaid Asset Limits](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-asset-limits/) (Financial Eligibility): Ohio's 2026 long-term-care Medicaid resource limits, home-equity ceiling, spousal protections, and income-cap planning rules. - [Ohio Medicaid Look-Back Period](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-look-back-period/) (Look-Back & Penalties): Ohio reviews certain long-term-care Medicaid transfers for 60 months and uses a confirmed $7,787 monthly penalty divisor. - [Ohio Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/transfer-on-death-affidavit/) (Asset Protection Tool): Ohio's Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit can pass real estate outside probate, but it does not by itself avoid Medicaid estate recovery. - [Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/medicaid-estate-recovery/) (Estate Recovery): Ohio's expanded estate-recovery law can reach specified non-probate property, subject to family protections and a hardship-waiver process. - [Ohio Nursing Home Medicaid](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/nursing-home-medicaid/) (Nursing Home Coverage): Ohio nursing-facility Medicaid uses a patient-liability calculation, including a $75 monthly personal-needs allowance in 2026. - [Ohio Home Care Medicaid](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/home-care-medicaid/) (Home & Community Care): PASSPORT and the Ohio Home Care Waiver offer different Medicaid-funded paths for people who need care outside an institution. - [Ohio Long-Term Care Planning](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/long-term-care-planning/) (Planning Ahead): Ohio planning must account for its income-cap model, Qualified Income Trusts, transfer rules, expanded estate recovery, and Partnership policies. - [Ohio VA Aid & Attendance](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/va-aid-attendance/) (VA Benefits): How VA Aid & Attendance intersects with Ohio Medicaid, Ohio Veterans Homes, and an unsettled disabled-veteran homestead-exemption figure. - [Ohio Long-Term Care Insurance](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/ohio/long-term-care-insurance/) (LTC Insurance): Ohio's active Long-Term Care Partnership Program can disregard qualifying policy benefits dollar for dollar at eligibility and estate recovery. Participates in the State Long-Term Care Partnership Program. ## Sources and official resources - [Ohio Administrative Code: Rule 5160-3-02.3, Nursing Facilities](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-5160-3-02.3) - [Ohio Department of Insurance: Understanding the Basics of Long-Term Care Insurance](https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/insurance.ohio.gov/tipsheets/long-term%20care/long_term_care_basics_2019.pdf) - [Ohio Administrative Code: Rule 3901-4-02, Long-Term Care Partnership Program](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-3901-4-02) - [CMS: 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards](https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib04272026.pdf) - [U.S. Code: 42 U.S.C. § 1396p (liens, estate recovery, transfers of assets, Partnership disregard)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1396p) Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.