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Pennsylvania · checked September 2026
How Pennsylvania helps pay for long-term care, who to call when you need help or something's wrong, and how to check a facility before you sign.
The first question
We couldn't confirm it on an official page.Call your local aging office below and ask; it's the first thing they'll know.
Pennsylvania's Medicaid rules for long-term care, and the programs that pay for care outside a nursing home.
Ask the state Medicaid office
Ask the state Medicaid office (DHS) for the current income limit.
$2,000
DHS lists $2,000 for one person ($3,000 for two) for Non-Money Payment Medical Assistance, and $2,400 for one person ($3,200 for two) for Medically Needy Only coverage. The page does not say which limit applies to a given long-term care applicant or give a year.
We couldn't confirm whether this state uses a Miller trust or a spend-down. Ask the Medicaid office or an elder law attorney.
Apply for Medical Assistance (Pennsylvania Medicaid)
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (County Assistance Offices)
Pennsylvania's Medicaid managed care program for adults 21+ who have both Medicare and Medicaid or who need nursing-home-level care, whether at home or in a nursing home. DHS says personal care homes and assisted living residences are typically not covered by Medicaid, though some residents get home and community services there. Call the Independent Enrollment Broker at 1-877-550-4227 to apply for home and community services.
Waitlist: No waitlist is mentioned on the DHS CHC page.
For people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live safely in the community in a LIFE provider's service area. A LIFE center provides medical care, adult day, nursing, therapy, medications, meals and transportation all in one program.
A state Department of Aging program, not Medicaid, that places adults 18+ who cannot live alone but do not need 24-hour nursing care in a certified private home with up to three residents. The provider helps with meals, personal care, medications and rides to appointments. Apply through your Area Agency on Aging.
Waitlist: Available in 31 counties.
PACE provides all medical and long-term care for people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live in the community. Programs in Pennsylvania:
Free, and on your side. Start with the aging office if you don't know where to begin.
The state's aging office and its local agencies explain your options, screen for programs and help with applications.
A free, independent advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. Call about any problem with care, rights, billing or a discharge.
You don't need proof to report. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
24/7
Unbiased Medicare help from counselors who don't sell anything: plans, bills, appeals, and programs that lower costs.
Help spotting and reporting Medicare fraud, billing errors and scams.
In Pennsylvania, assisted living is licensed as: Personal Care Home (PCH) and Assisted Living Residence (ALR), two separate license types. Read inspection reports before you sign anything.
Confirm a community's license here, and ask the agency how to see its inspection reports.
File a complaint
Medicare rates every nursing home on staffing, inspections and quality, with full inspection reports.
State veterans homes are often far cheaper than private care for eligible veterans and, in many states, their spouses.
Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Hollidaysburg
skilled nursing, memory care, domiciliary, assisted living
Erie
skilled nursing, memory care, domiciliary, assisted living
Spring City
skilled nursing, memory care, domiciliary, assisted living
Free legal help for older adults on issues like benefits, housing, powers of attorney and elder abuse.
Can a family member be paid to provide care?
DHS lists Services My Way (self-directed supports) among long-term care programs. Ask whether a family member can be paid through it.
Through your Area Agency on Aging, a care manager assesses the home and makes a care plan. The program offers respite and can reimburse caregiving costs and supplies up to $600 a month, plus up to $5,000 lifetime for home modifications or assistive devices.
State-funded in-home help for Pennsylvanians 60+ with no income limit: care management, personal care, in-home meals and adult day services, with a sliding-scale co-pay. Apply through your Area Agency on Aging.
State-run low-cost prescription programs for Pennsylvanians 65+. This is not the federal PACE care model (that is called LIFE in PA). Based on the prior year's income, PACE: up to $14,500 single / $17,700 married; PACENET: up to $33,500 single / $41,500 married.
Yearly rebate of up to $1,000 (up to $1,500 with supplements) on property taxes or rent for Pennsylvanians 65+, widows and widowers 50+, and people with disabilities 18+, with household income of $48,110 or less. 2025 claims are due by December 31, 2026.
Small, separate manufactured homes placed temporarily on a family member's property so an older parent can live close by; low-income residents pay no more than 30% of income.
Statewide helpline that connects older adults, people with disabilities and families to local services.
DHS may recover from a person's estate what Medicaid paid for nursing home and home-based long-term care received at age 55 or older. Hardship waivers exist.
$2,000 for a single person. DHS lists $2,000 for one person ($3,000 for two) for Non-Money Payment Medical Assistance, and $2,400 for one person ($3,200 for two) for Medically Needy Only coverage. The page does not say which limit applies to a given long-term care applicant or give a year.
The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: 717-783-8975. It's free and independent.
Researched from 39 sources, official pages first. Last checked .