Elder Care Index Browse All States

Navigate the Complexities of Medicaid Elder Care

What Medicaid actually pays for in your state — waiver programs, spend-down rules, nursing home eligibility. Independent, data-first analysis.

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verified Updated for 2026 public Covering all 50 states + DC source CMS, NCOA, State agencies
Where to start

Pick the question you came with

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5
22
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ABCDF

Researching costs?

State-by-state median pricing for assisted living, nursing homes, memory care, and home aides — every state graded A–F.

See all 51 states ranked
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Independent → In-home → Assisted → Memory → Nursing → Hospice

Just starting out?

A plain-English walk-through of the 6 levels of senior care, what each one includes, and how families typically choose.

Read the primer
AL$4,995
NH$9,277

Comparing care types?

Side-by-side monthly cost — assisted living vs. nursing home. What's included, who pays, and when each one fits.

Compare options

Making sense of senior care coverage

We translate opaque state Medicaid policies into actionable, state-specific guides for families figuring out how to pay for care.

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Policy Clarity

Clear explanations of state-specific asset limits, look-back periods, home equity exemptions, and spend-down rules.

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HCBS Waiver Detail

Every senior HCBS waiver enumerated — eligibility, covered services, waitlists, self-direction options.

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Data-Driven Rankings

Every state graded across 5 pillars: Medicaid support, quality, staffing, access, and affordability.

RANKINGS

Top 5 States for Senior Medicaid

View full 2026 rankings arrow_forward
#1 A

District of Columbia

Strong HCBS access, medically-needy pathway

Care Index 56.5
#2 A

Minnesota

Leading in HCBS + medically-needy pathway

Care Index 55.7
#3 C

California

Medi-Cal + IHSS + medically-needy

Care Index 51.5
#4 C

New York

MLTC + medically-needy pathway

Care Index 50.3
#5 C

Maine

Medically-needy + HCBS-forward

Care Index 50.1

Editorial Highlights

View all
A-F
Letter grade per state
5
Pillar dimensions
3
Medicaid Report Card pillars per state
24+
CMS metrics ingested
Scoring framework computed from CMS Nursing Home Compare, state Medicaid agency data, Genworth 2024 Cost of Care Survey, and BLS healthcare wage data.

Institutional Trust, Built on Data

Our scoring methodology is developed by independent analysts with public-policy experience, and our data and rankings are never influenced by any commercial relationship. We verify every data point against its primary source.

verified
Verified sources only
We cite state Medicaid agencies, CMS, and federal regulations directly.
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Monthly updates
Medicaid figures change. We keep each state page current with the latest rules.
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Independent & data-first
Every state page is built from current CMS, Genworth, and state Medicaid data.
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Take the first step toward better care

Use our state-by-state guides to see exactly what Medicaid pays for in your parent's state — and what it doesn't.

Browse All 51 State Guides arrow_forward View Rankings