Nevada Medicaid Income and Resource Limits for Disabled Adults 2026

2026 Income Limits for Disabled Adult Medicaid in Nevada

Nevada's Medicaid program for disabled adults runs through the Medical Assistance to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled category, administered by the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. The income and resource thresholds determine whether someone qualifies — and they're tighter than most families expect.

For standard MAABD Medicaid (the pathway most SSI recipients use), the 2026 limits are:

• Individual monthly income limit: $994 (matches the SSI Federal Benefit Rate)
• Couple monthly income limit: $1,491
• Individual resource limit: $2,000 in countable assets
• Couple resource limit: $3,000

These are the same figures SSI uses, which makes sense — Nevada is an SSI Criteria State, so it mirrors SSI's financial standards for Medicaid eligibility. But there's a critical difference: SSI approval in Nevada does not automatically enroll you in Medicaid. You must file a separate application through the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services via the Access Nevada portal.

HCBS Waiver Income Limits Are Higher

For young adults applying for the HCBS IDD Waiver through ADSD, a different and more generous income rule applies. The waiver uses institutional deeming rather than community deeming, which means:

• Individual monthly income limit: $2,982 (300% of the Federal Benefit Rate in 2026)
• Individual resource limit: $2,000 (unchanged from standard Medicaid)

This higher income threshold exists because the waiver serves as an alternative to institutional placement — if someone would otherwise qualify for an Intermediate Care Facility, the state allows them to receive services in the community under the waiver's more generous income rules. Parental income is not counted for this determination.

What Counts as a Resource

Not everything a person owns counts against the $2,000 resource limit. The major exclusions:

• Primary home: excluded regardless of value, provided the individual lives there (or intends to return). Nevada applies a home equity limit of $752,000 for long-term care Medicaid eligibility.
• One vehicle: excluded
• Household goods and personal effects: excluded
• ABLE account: the first $100,000 in a Nevada ABLE account is completely excluded from the SSI and Medicaid resource calculation
• Burial funds: up to $1,500 in a designated burial fund
• Life insurance: policies with a combined face value of $1,500 or less

What does count: bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, and any additional vehicles beyond the first. A common trap for young adults turning 18 is accumulated birthday or graduation money sitting in a savings account — SSI measures countable resources at the first moment of each month, so resources above $2,000 at that point put the individual over the SSI resource limit for that month.

When Income Is Too High: The Miller Trust Option

If a disabled adult's countable unearned income exceeds the $2,982 HCBS waiver threshold, a Qualified Income Trust, commonly called a Miller Trust, can preserve eligibility under Nevada Medicaid rules.

The mechanics are technical: only the beneficiary's qualifying unearned income should be deposited, and trust funds may be used only for permitted expenses and allowances under Nevada Medicaid rules. Deposited income cannot simply accumulate; remaining funds at death are subject to Medicaid payback under the trust and applicable law.

A Miller Trust does not make income disappear. It routes qualifying unearned income through a legal structure under Nevada Medicaid rules. Because timing, deposits, and distributions are technical, confirm current requirements with DWSS or an attorney familiar with Nevada Medicaid trust rules.

The Separate Application Process

Because Nevada is one of the few SSI Criteria States, the application process for disabled adult Medicaid requires an extra step that families in most other states never encounter. At the same time as the adult SSI application (or while the SSI application is pending), the family must:

1. Go to the Access Nevada portal or visit a local DWSS office
2. Submit an application under the MAABD category
3. Provide documentation of the disability determination, income, and resources
4. Follow up actively — processing times vary, and a gap between SSI approval and Medicaid enrollment means the young adult has no healthcare coverage during that window

For families navigating this alongside the SSI age-18 redetermination, ADSD intake, and supported decision-making paperwork, the Nevada SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide sequences every application in the order they need to happen so nothing falls through the gap.

See more Nevada guides →