Pooled Trusts Can Help New Yorkers Qualify for Community Medicaid

New York Medicaid Eligibility 2025: Income and Asset Requirements

Community Medicaid, also known as Medicaid home care, determines an individual’s eligibility based on monthly income and amount of assets in his or her individual name. In 2025, a single person’s monthly income cannot exceed $1,800 per month (plus an additional $20 for being aged, blind or disabled) and his or her total assets cannot exceed $32,396. For those who are married, assets may be transferred into a spouse’s name to meet the asset limit.

What is a Pooled Trust for Medicaid?

If an individual’s monthly income exceeds $1,820, the additional income can be held in a pooled trust. This is a type of supplemental needs trust that is used to shelter the excess income of a Medicaid recipient so it can be used to pay the expenses beyond those covered by Medicaid. It is important to note that while any unused income will accumulate from month to month, any funds remaining at the time of the Medicaid applicant’s death will be paid to Medicaid.

If an individual on Community Medicaid does not establish a pooled trust, then income above $1,820 will be contributed to Medicaid on a monthly basis and will not be used for household expenses.

How Does a Medicaid Pooled Trust Work?

A pooled trust allows a Medicaid applicant to send a check to the pooled trust fund on a monthly basis for that amount which exceeds the allowable income limit. An applicant submits household bills equal to the amount sent to the trust fund. The trust deducts a small monthly fee for servicing these payments and then, on behalf of the applicant, pays those household bills. This can include rent, mortgage, food, clothing, real estate taxes, certain home repairs, and other day-to-day expenses. This process allows the applicant to continue relying on his or her monthly income to pay bills, and at the same time, reduce income to the amount which is permitted under the Medicaid rules.

Is a Pooled Income Trust Right For You?

Many spouses rely on one another’s monthly income to keep their household intact after they retire. Individuals and couples alike who are homeowners often work for decades to pay off their mortgages and secure a house of their own. Medicaid Homecare together with a pooled trust allows Medicaid applicants the opportunity to live out the rest of their lives in the home they worked so hard to create. If you or someone you love needs some help with daily activities, research and consultation with an elder law attorney can help determine if this program is feasible.

By Britt Burner

Britt Burner, Esq. is a Partner at Burner Prudenti Law, P.C. focusing her practice areas on Estate Planning and Elder Law.