Quick Take
- Traditional Medicaid does NOT cover the room and board of an Assisted Living community in Georgia
- Georgia has two Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs that CAN help pay for care services in Assisted Living: CCSP and SOURCE
- Financial eligibility generally requires income under 300% of SSI (approximately $2,829 per month per person in 2024) and assets under $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple
- Applications go through your regional Area Agency on Aging and typically take 3 to 9 months, with waiting lists common
- Free application help is available at no cost through the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging
Georgia Medicaid and Assisted Living: What Families Need to Know
Somewhere in the middle of researching senior care, most families run into the same question: does Medicaid pay for Assisted Living in Georgia?
The direct answer is complicated. Traditional Medicaid does not cover the room and board of an Assisted Living community. However, Georgia has two Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs, CCSP and SOURCE, that can help pay for the care services delivered inside Assisted Living for adults who meet income, asset, and medical criteria.
That is the short answer. The fuller one is more useful, because the programs are meaningful once you understand them, and the application process is manageable if you know the steps and where to get help.
Why Traditional Medicaid Does Not Cover Assisted Living
Medicaid was designed as a health insurance program for low-income Americans, and its traditional coverage focuses on medical services (doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions) rather than long-term custodial care.
For long-term care, Medicaid traditionally pays for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) care for adults who need 24-hour medical supervision and who meet income and asset requirements. Assisted Living, which provides personal care rather than nursing care, is not part of traditional Medicaid coverage.
This is where waiver programs come in.
Georgia's Two Medicaid Waiver Programs for Assisted Living
To fill the gap between “no Medicaid coverage” and “nursing home only,” Georgia (like most states) offers Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. These waivers allow Medicaid to cover care in less restrictive settings, including Assisted Living communities, for adults who would otherwise qualify for nursing home care but prefer to remain in a community-based setting.
Georgia has two HCBS waiver programs relevant to Assisted Living families.
CCSP (Community Care Services Program)
CCSP is Georgia’s primary HCBS waiver for older adults and adults with disabilities. It provides services in the home OR in Assisted Living communities that are licensed to accept CCSP participants. Services covered under CCSP can include:
- Personal support (help with bathing, dressing, and other Activities of Daily Living)
- Adult day health services – Home-delivered meals
- Home modification (for participants staying in their own homes)
- Personal emergency response systems
- Respite care
- Skilled nursing services when needed
CCSP is administered locally by Georgia’s Area Agencies on Aging. For families in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, and surrounding counties, that agency is the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging.
SOURCE (Service Options Using Resources in Community Environments)
SOURCE is similar to CCSP but uses a primary care case management model. Participants must be enrolled with a SOURCE primary care physician who coordinates their care across services.
Services covered under SOURCE include most of the same categories as CCSP: personal support, adult day health, home-delivered meals, and additional case management. The main distinction is the enrollment pathway. Where CCSP starts with the Area Agency on Aging, SOURCE typically starts through a primary care physician who participates in the program or through the Georgia Department of Community Health.
Who Qualifies
1. Financial Eligibility
For 2024, Georgia’s Medicaid financial limits for long-term care applicants generally follow these thresholds. Verify current figures with the state before applying, since income and asset limits can update annually.
Income limit: 300% of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) federal benefit rate. For 2024, that is approximately $2,829 per month for an individual. Income above this threshold may still qualify with the use of a Qualified Income Trust (also called a “Miller Trust”).
Asset limit: $2,000 in countable assets for an individual, $3,000 for a couple.
Certain assets are NOT counted toward the limit:
- The primary residence (as long as a spouse or dependent lives there, or the applicant intends to return)
- One vehicle
- Prepaid burial arrangements
- Personal effects and household goods
For married couples, spousal impoverishment protections allow the non-applicant spouse to retain a portion of the couple’s income and assets so they can continue to live independently.
2. Functional Eligibility
3. Medicaid Eligibility
The Application Process, Step by Step
Applying for CCSP or SOURCE typically follows these five steps.
Step 1: Initial contact and screening. Call your regional Area Agency on Aging. For Barrow and Clarke County families, that is the NEGRC AAA at 706-583-2546. A screener will ask basic questions about the older adult’s care needs and finances to determine which program to pursue.
Step 2: Financial and functional assessments. The state schedules two separate assessments. A financial assessment reviews income, assets, and Medicaid eligibility. A functional assessment (called a Level of Care assessment) determines whether the applicant meets nursing home level of care criteria.
Step 3: Medicaid application (if not already enrolled). If the applicant is not already receiving Medicaid, they must apply separately. This is done through the Georgia Gateway system or in person at a Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office.
Step 4: Placement on the waiver waiting list. Both CCSP and SOURCE have waiting lists, though the wait varies by region and current program capacity. Emergency situations may qualify for expedited review.
Step 5: Enrollment and care planning. Once approved and off the waiting list, a case manager works with the family to develop a care plan and coordinate services. If the family plans to use the waiver in an Assisted Living community, the community must be licensed to accept CCSP or SOURCE participants (not all Assisted Living communities in Georgia are).
Realistic Timeline Expectations
From first phone call to enrollment, most families should plan for 3 to 9 months. Some families move faster (when the applicant already has active Medicaid and eligibility is straightforward), and some slower (when asset planning, look-back review, or waiting lists extend the process). If your parent needs care sooner than the waiver can be approved, families often bridge the gap through:
- Short-term private pay for Assisted Living while the application is pending
- Family caregiver support and home health services during the waiting period
- Respite care in an Assisted Living community for weeks at a time
- Skilled Nursing Facility care if medical criteria warrant
Combining Medicaid Waivers with Other Funding
Medicaid waivers usually cover the CARE services delivered in Assisted Living, but they do not always cover the ROOM AND BOARD portion of the monthly fee. The community’s monthly rate is often a combination:
- Room and board: Paid by the resident from Social Security, pension, or family
- Care services: Paid by the CCSP or SOURCE waiver
For families where the resident’s income covers room and board but private pay of the full monthly rate would exhaust savings within a year or two, the waiver programs can extend financial stability significantly.
The 5-Year Medicaid Look-Back Period
One of the most important things to understand about Medicaid long-term care eligibility is the 5-year look-back period. When someone applies for Medicaid long-term care benefits, the state reviews all financial transactions from the previous 60 months (5 years). Any assets that were transferred, gifted, or sold below fair market value during that window can result in a penalty period during which the applicant is not eligible for benefits.
This includes:
- Gifts to children or grandchildren
- Transfers of property below market value
- Setting up certain trusts
- Any pattern of asset movement that appears designed to qualify for Medicaid
For families planning ahead, working with an elder law attorney BEFORE making financial decisions can preserve eligibility while protecting family assets legally. Waiting until after transfers have happened often eliminates the best planning options.
Where to Get Free, Personalized Help
Georgia has several free resources dedicated to helping families navigate Medicaid long-term care programs.
Northeast Georgia Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging provides free application assistance for CCSP and SOURCE for families in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, and neighboring counties. This is the first phone call most families should make.
GeorgiaCares, the state’s SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program), provides free Medicaid counseling for families trying to understand how the programs work and how they interact with Medicare.
Georgia Department of Community Health is the state agency that administers Medicaid. Their site has current eligibility rules, program details, and application forms.
Georgia Gateway is the online portal for applying for Medicaid and other state benefits.
When to Engage an Elder Law Attorney
For most families, the free resources above provide enough guidance to apply for CCSP or SOURCE successfully. A paid elder law attorney adds real value in these specific situations:
- The family has significant assets and wants to explore legal Medicaid planning strategies
- The parent has already made large gifts or asset transfers within the past 5 years
- One spouse still lives in the family home and needs asset protection
- A parent has cognitive decline and legal documents (Power of Attorney, Advance Directive) are not already in place
- The family is considering a Qualified Income Trust or other advanced planning tool
Elder law attorneys specialize in Medicaid planning, asset protection, and coordinating benefits across programs. The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys has a searchable directory of attorneys in Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Next Steps for Your Family
Contact your regional Area Agency on Aging** to begin the CCSP or SOURCE application process. For families in Barrow, Clarke, and surrounding counties, that is the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging at 706-583-2546.
Consider a consultation with an elder law attorney if your family has significant assets, complex family situations, or needs planning before an application makes sense.
Request pricing for Assisted Living at any of The Landing Senior Living communities in Northeast Georgia: The Landing of Bogart, The Landing of Winder, or The Landing of Monroe (opening Summer 2027). Our team can help you understand our current CCSP and SOURCE participation status.
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