Plainly is a free tool. It is not part of any government agency.
Patient liability
Also called: Patient pay amount, Post-eligibility contribution
Last reviewed 2026-07-08
Patient liability is part of your income you must put toward nursing home costs. Medicaid covers the rest of your care once you pay that part.
The state figures this amount from your income, minus a small personal needs allowance and a few other deductions. The nursing facility or home care provider collects this amount directly from you. Medicaid then pays the remaining cost of your covered care for that month.
This word shows up in long term care Medicaid notices, next to a monthly dollar figure.
“An individual who is expected to contribute a portion of his or her income toward the costs of institutional care or home and community-based services is eligible on the first day of the applicable budget (spenddown) period if his or her spenddown liability is met after the first day of the budget period.”
Programs
This word shows up in real letters. Start with your letter
Related words
Spend-down
Spend down is a way to lower your countable income using medical bills. You subtract bills from your income until you reach a state's Medicaid limit.
Share of cost
Share of cost is money you pay toward medical bills each month, like a deductible. Medicaid starts paying once you reach that monthly amount.
HCBS waiver
An HCBS waiver lets Medicaid pay for care at home or in the community. This is an option instead of requiring someone to live in a nursing home.
Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA)
The Community Spouse Resource Allowance is savings a spouse at home may keep. This applies when the other spouse applies for nursing home Medicaid.
Related notices
Sources
- Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (e-CFR mirror)Retrieved 2026-07-08
Last reviewed 2026-07-08