STATE PROFILE • Last updated: November 11, 2026
Iowa Elder Care & Medicaid
Iowa's Medicaid landscape for seniors features the HCBS Elderly Waiver, offering crucial home and community-based services to prevent nursing home placement, alongside strict income and asset limits.
leaderboard
RANKED #23
GRADE B
FEATURED
Medicaid Coverage Guide for Iowa
Full breakdown of IA Health Link (HCBS Elderly Waiver) for seniors: waiver programs, nursing home eligibility, income and asset limits, spend-down rules, and how to apply.
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Program
IA Health Link (HCBS Elderly Waiver)
Income cap
$2,982/mo
Medically-needy
No
Elder Care Index Report Card
5-pillar composite scoring vs other states
B
Grade
AFFORDABILITY
GRADE B · 79
QUALITY
GRADE C · 53
STAFFING
GRADE C · 36
ACCESS
GRADE B · 55
MEDICAID SUPPORT
GRADE F · 10
Composite score: 58.8 / 100 (50 = average state)
Methodology arrow_forward
Iowa At a Glance
Nursing Home Facilities
390
Senior Medicaid Waivers
1
National Rank
#23 / 51
Range #16–#26 when the pillar weights shift
Senior Care Costs in Iowa
local_hospital
Nursing Home
$9,195/mo
-16.7% vs national avg
- 390 nursing homes · 25,357 beds
- Avg CMS rating 3.08★ (87 rated 5★, 80 rated 1★)
- 3.83 nurse hrs/resident/day (0.73 RN)
Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare
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home_health
Home Health Aide
$26/hr
-3.7% vs national avg
- Median aide wage $16.95/hr
- ~23,830 aides employed statewide
Source: BLS OEWS
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