Did I Read That Right -- A Medicaid Recipient Is Allowed Only $45 for Personal Care?

An 87-year-old woman with dementia is in a Medicaid-approved nursing home in Ohio, which allows only $45 a month for personal care. This barely covers hair care. If she needs clothing replaced, does she have to skip hair care? Or hope for gifts? 

Yes, that’s what it means – skip the hair care or hope for gifts. This “personal needs allowance” varies somewhat from state to state, and in many states it has not been raised in decades. Ohio seems a bit ungenerous. In Massachusetts, where I practice, the Medicaid agency is especially generous, letting covered nursing home residents keep $72.80 of their monthly income.  

For more on how Medicaid treats income, click here.