Yes — Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) is the primary way most families in Virginia pay for a long nursing-home stay. Medicare only covers short, skilled rehabilitation stays, and private long-term-care insurance is uncommon, so when a stay becomes long-term, Medicaid is usually where families turn. But Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) is means-tested, and the rules blend federal law with Virginia-specific details. This is the map, not legal advice — confirm every current figure with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS).
Does Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) cover nursing-home care?
Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) covers medically necessary nursing-facility care for people who meet both a financial test and a functional (level-of-care) test — meaning the person genuinely needs the level of help a nursing home provides. A separate nurse assessment usually confirms that need. Once approved, the resident contributes most of their monthly income toward the cost (the "patient pay amount" or "share of cost"), and Medicaid covers the rest at facilities that accept it.
Income and asset limits in Virginia (2026)
- Income limit: $2,982 per month for a single applicant.
- Asset limit: $2,000 for a single applicant.
- Personal Needs Allowance: $40 per month — the lowest of any state we have checked, and worth knowing before you promise a parent spending money for haircuts, phone and clothing.
- Exempt assets stay outside the count: the primary home within the state equity limit, one vehicle, household goods and personal belongings, and certain prepaid burial arrangements.
Over the income limit? Virginia uses spend-down, not a trust
Virginia applies an income limit of $2,982 a month, but — unlike Florida, Texas or Ohio — it does not resolve excess income through a Qualified Income Trust. Income above the limit is handled through the medically needy pathway, where you qualify by spending the excess on medical expenses and documenting it.
The medically needy threshold depends on where you live, and the spread is wide enough to change your planning (figures effective 1 July 2026): $421.94 a month for an individual in Group I, $485.58 in Group II and $631.26 in Group III. Ask your local Department of Social Services which group your city or county falls into before you count on a figure.
If someone advises you to pay for a Miller Trust for a Virginia application, check before you do. The mechanism that applies here is the spend-down.
There is one more gate: Virginia requires a documented Nursing Home Level of Care assessment, and all income beyond the personal needs allowance and Medicare premiums goes to the facility as patient liability.
For a married couple, the community spouse keeps between $32,532 and $162,660, plus a monthly maintenance needs allowance starting at $2,705. Confirm current figures with the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), which administers Cardinal Care.
The five-year look-back
When you apply, Medicaid reviews asset transfers made in the 60 months beforehand. Gifting money or property — or selling it for less than fair value — to qualify faster can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay. This is the single most common and most expensive mistake families make. Before moving, retitling, or gifting anything, it is worth a conversation with an elder-law attorney or an accredited Medicaid planner, especially for larger estates.
Protecting a spouse
If one spouse needs care and the other stays at home, federal spousal-impoverishment rules protect the at-home spouse. The Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) lets them keep a protected share of the couple’s combined assets, and the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) can shift income to them if theirs is low. No one should have to "go broke" to get a spouse the care they need — these protections exist precisely to prevent that.
Sorting out eligibility is a job for a caseworker or elder-law attorney — but finding a quality facility that accepts Medicaid while that’s underway is where we can help; See how Curalune Care Help works
Estate recovery
After a Medicaid recipient dies, states are required to seek repayment from the estate for long-term-care costs paid — the Virginia Medicaid Estate Recovery Program. In practice this most often affects the home. There are exceptions and hardship waivers (for a surviving spouse, a disabled child, or a caregiver child who lived in the home), so this is another area to raise with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) or an attorney rather than assume the worst.
Staying home instead: the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus program
Nursing-home Medicaid is not the only option. Virginia also offers home- and community-based services through the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus program, which can fund in-home aides, adult day care and assisted-living support for people who qualify for a nursing-home level of care but want to stay in the community. Waiver slots can be limited, so it is worth asking about waitlists early.
Ready-to-send message
Hello,
we’re starting a Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid) long-term-care application for a parent entering a nursing home in Virginia.
Want a clear shortlist before you start calling?
If you don't know which nursing homes to contact first, Curalune Care Help can prepare an ordered shortlist of 3 to 5 suitable options — with contacts, useful links and a ready-to-send message you can put to all of them at once.
The service helps you organise the search. $89, one-off. If you don't receive at least 3 homes matching the area and criteria you gave us, we refund you in full. It does not replace the home's own assessment and does not guarantee admission, price or bed availability.
Important limit
Curalune offers practical help with the search and orientation. Admission, pricing, bed availability and the final assessment always rest with the nursing homes and the competent authorities (your state Medicaid agency, the state survey agency and Medicare).