Assisted Living in New Jersey

New Jersey's Medicaid programs for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled. They pay for doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, dental care, eyeglasses, and mental health care. They do not pay assisted living rent. People who also need help with daily tasks can get long-term care, including care in assisted living, through MLTSS, listed below.

The limits in the table are for New Jersey Care, the program with the highest limits for people living in the community. If you get SSI, you get these benefits automatically. For care after age 55, the state can file a claim against your estate after you die to recover what Medicaid paid.

New Jersey Medicaid's program for people who need nursing home level care. It pays for care in an assisted living residence, a comprehensive personal care home, or an assisted living program, as well as care at home or in a nursing home. A NJ FamilyCare health plan manages your care and your other Medicaid benefits.

MLTSS does not pay room and board in assisted living. You pay that from your income. In 2026 the state's standard room and board rate for MLTSS members in an assisted living residence or comprehensive personal care home is $996.40 a month, and you keep $147.65 a month for personal needs. The state uses these amounts to figure out how much of the rest of your income goes toward your care. Not every community accepts MLTSS, so ask each one.

In 2026 you can have monthly income up to $2,982 and assets up to $2,000. Your home and the car you use do not count. If your income is higher, you can still qualify by setting up a Qualified Income Trust, a special bank account that holds the income over the limit. If you are married and your spouse is not applying, part of your savings is set aside for your spouse. The state can file a claim against your estate after you die to recover what it paid.

New Jersey adds a monthly state supplement to SSI, and Social Security pays both parts in one check. The supplement is larger if you live in a licensed assisted living residence, a comprehensive personal care home (CPCH), or a licensed residential health care facility.

In 2026 the federal SSI payment is $994 a month. The table shows what New Jersey adds and the total you can get. Social Security subtracts your other countable income from the total. Anyone who gets SSI in New Jersey also gets NJ FamilyCare Medicaid automatically.

A state-funded program for people 60 and older who need nursing home level care but want to stay at home and are not on Medicaid. Every member gets a care manager who helps build a care plan. The plan can include home care, adult day care, home-delivered meals, respite for family caregivers, an emergency call button, home changes, medical equipment, and rides. You can choose to hire and direct your own aide.

Services are capped at $1,090 a month per person, plus care management. You may have to pay part of the cost, based on your income.

A program that provides all of your medical and long-term care through one team, based at a PACE center you visit during the week. It covers doctor and nursing care, prescriptions, adult day care, home care, meals, rides to the center and to appointments, and hospital and nursing home care if you need it. Medicare and Medicaid pay for PACE for people who have them. People without Medicaid can pay privately.

PACE is only offered in parts of New Jersey. Centers serve Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem, and Union counties, and parts of Burlington, Camden, and Hudson counties.

The federal health insurance program for people 65 and older. Part A covers hospital stays and a short period of skilled nursing care after a hospital stay. Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and medical equipment. Medicare does not pay for assisted living rent or for help with daily tasks like bathing and dressing. In 2026, Part B costs $202.90 a month with a $283 yearly deductible, and the Part A hospital deductible is $1,736.

Plans sold by private insurers that replace Original Medicare. They must cover everything Original Medicare covers, and many add drug, dental, vision, or hearing coverage. Plans, costs, and doctor networks vary by county.

Drug plans that add prescription coverage to Original Medicare. Each plan has its own list of covered drugs and its own premium. Most Medicare Advantage plans already include drug coverage.

A federal program, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, that pays most Part D premiums, deductibles, and drug copays. People who get Medicaid, SSI, or a Medicare Savings Program qualify automatically.

New Jersey programs that pay Medicare costs for people with limited income, even if they do not qualify for full Medicaid. The table shows the 2026 yearly income limits.

Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) pays Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) and Qualifying Individual (QI) pay the Part B premium, which is $202.90 a month in 2026. All three also pay any late enrollment penalty.

The same NJSave application also checks whether you qualify for Extra Help and for New Jersey's own drug programs, Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) and Senior Gold.

Monthly income for retired workers, based on what you earned during your working years. You can spend it on anything, including assisted living. You need at least 40 work credits, which is about 10 years of work. Benefits can start at 62, and the monthly check is larger if you wait until full retirement age or later.

A monthly federal payment for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled and have very little income and savings. Getting SSI usually qualifies you for Medicaid as well.