West Virginia Medicare Savings Program Asset Limits: What Counts and What Doesn't
2026 Resource Limits
All three MSP tiers in West Virginia — QMB, SLMB, and QI — share the same resource limits:
- Individual: $9,950
- Couple: $14,910
These are the federal standard figures for 2026, confirmed by SSA POMS HI 00815.023 and CMS directives. West Virginia follows the federal baseline for MSP resource thresholds.
The Outdated Numbers You'll Find Online
Some West Virginia Department of Human Services web pages and older Income Maintenance Manual entries still show resource limits of $4,000 for an individual and $6,000 for a couple. Those figures are wrong — they haven't been accurate for years.
The discrepancy exists because state web content hasn't been updated to match federal increases. Families who see those old numbers often assume they're disqualified when they actually have plenty of room under the real limits.
If a caseworker cites the $4,000/$6,000 figures, reference the current federal POMS standards. The federal numbers supersede legacy state publications.
What Caseworkers Count
Countable resources include:
- Checking accounts
- Savings accounts
- Certificates of deposit (CDs)
- Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
- Non-exempt real property (land or buildings you don't live in)
- Cash surrender value of life insurance policies (only if the total face value exceeds $1,500 per person)
West Virginia verifies assets electronically through the Asset Verification System (AVS) at application and at each annual renewal. The system cross-checks bank accounts and financial institutions, so the information caseworkers see matches what institutions report.
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What's Excluded
These resources are completely exempt from the MSP resource test:
Your home — the primary residence is excluded as long as equity doesn't exceed $752,000 (2026 federal baseline). For most West Virginia families, this isn't close to an issue.
One vehicle — fully excluded regardless of value, as long as it's used for transportation by anyone in the household.
Burial plots and spaces — exempt for the applicant and immediate family members.
Irrevocable prepaid burial contracts — fully excluded with no dollar cap. Revocable burial funds are exempt up to $1,500 per person.
Life insurance — policies with a total face value of $1,500 or less per person are excluded entirely. If total face value exceeds $1,500, the net cash surrender value counts as a resource.
Inaccessible assets — property in probate, joint accounts where the other owner refuses to allow liquidation, and assets tied up in litigation are all excluded until the legal barriers resolve.
How Couples Are Counted
If both spouses live together, caseworkers combine all resources from both spouses and compare against the couple limit ($14,910), even if only one spouse has Medicare or is applying. This applies regardless of whose name is on which account.
If spouses are legally separated or living apart with no shared financial household, the applicant is evaluated individually against the single limit ($9,950).
Lump Sums and Irregular Income
One-time windfalls — an inheritance, a tax refund, an insurance payout — are treated as income in the month you receive them. Starting the following month, any amount you still hold becomes a countable resource. If a lump sum temporarily pushes your resources over the limit, it may only affect one month's eligibility.
If you receive a lump sum, report the change to DoHS within 10 calendar days. The Asset Verification System checks resources at application and annual redetermination.
For detailed worksheets that walk through the resource calculation with West Virginia–specific examples, see the West Virginia Medicare Savings Programs guide.
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