New York · Deposit calculation

How Much to Deposit Each Month

New York's 2026 community Medicaid income limit is $1,836/month for a household of one and $2,489/month for a household of two (effective 2026-01-01, per GIS 26 MA/03 (2026 Medicaid Levels, effective January 1, 2026)). The deposit is the difference between your total countable monthly income and that limit — everything above it is "surplus" and goes into the trust each month. This figure updates every year, so treat it as current as of this page's last review date below, not permanently fixed.

Last reviewed 2026-08-19.

The calculation

Add up every source of countable monthly income — Social Security, pension, annuity, and any other recurring payment. Compare that total to New York's current community Medicaid income limit above. Whatever sits above the limit is the surplus, and that amount is what gets deposited into the Pooled Income Trust each month. Whatever sits at or below the limit stays yours, the same way a Miller Trust only diverts the amount above a state's income cap rather than someone's entire paycheck.

For example: a single applicant with $2,400/month in Social Security and pension income is $564/month over the $1,836 limit — that $564 is what gets deposited into the trust each month, and the remaining $1,836 stays theirs.

A real complexity worth knowing about before you enroll

Federal law treats deposits into a pooled trust differently depending on the applicant's age. For applicants under 65, transfers into the trust are explicitly exempt from Medicaid's transfer-of-assets penalty. For applicants 65 and older — the age group most long-term-care Medicaid applicants fall into — that automatic exemption doesn't apply the same way, and how a specific deposit pattern is treated can depend on facts this guide can't generalize (how promptly funds are spent on your behalf, for instance). This is exactly the kind of question to ask your trust organization or an elder-law attorney directly before you enroll, not something to assume resolves in your favor by default.

What counts as income

Common countable sources: Social Security retirement or disability benefits, pension payments, annuity payments, and Required Minimum Distributions from retirement accounts. As with a Miller Trust, some benefits (VA aid and attendance, for example) are frequently treated differently in Medicaid budgeting — confirm with your trust organization or DSS caseworker which of your specific income sources actually count before you finalize a deposit amount.

Miller Trust Guide is an informational publisher, not a law firm — we do not draft trust instruments, compute individualized deposit amounts, or advise on individual situations. For advice on your specific situation, consult a licensed elder-law attorney in your state.