Benefits for seniors in Texas

Medicaid for people 65 and over

Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) runs Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities (MEPD) for Texans 65 and over and adults with disabilities who are U.S. citizens or qualified non-citizens.

• Income (living at home): For programs that use SSI limits, income is at or below $994 a month for one person, or $1,491 for a couple. If you get SSI, you usually get Medicaid too.
• Savings and other assets: $2,000 for one person, or $3,000 for a couple. Your home and some other items are not counted, within limits.
• No spend-down for older adults: The MEPD rules do not list a "medically needy" or spend-down group for people 65 and over. If your income is too high for regular MEPD, ask about the long-term care limit below.
• What it covers: Doctor visits, medicine, hospital care, vision, hearing and mental health care, plus long-term care at home or in a nursing home.
• STAR+PLUS: Most adults on MEPD get care through a STAR+PLUS health plan you pick. Some stay in traditional Medicaid.

Long-term care Medicaid. Nursing home care and home care waivers use a higher income limit, called the special income limit: $2,982 a month for one person. If you live in a nursing home, you keep $75 a month for personal needs. If your spouse still lives at home, they can keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in assets, and may get a monthly allowance of up to $4,066.50. If your home equity is over $752,000, you may not qualify for long-term care.

Estate recovery. After death, the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) may ask the estate to repay certain long-term care received after age 55. Texas will not ask if a spouse is alive; if there is a child under 21 or a blind or disabled child; if the estate is $10,000 or less or the costs are $3,000 or less; if an unmarried adult child lived full-time in the home for at least a year; or if it would cause undue hardship. Heirs never pay from their own money.

Help paying Medicare costs

Texas has the standard Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and uses the federal limits. You must have Medicare Part A.

• QMB: Pays Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. Income up to $1,350 a month for one person, or $1,824 for a couple.
• SLMB: Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,616 a month for one person, or $2,184 for a couple.
• QI-1: Pays your Part B premium. Income up to $1,816 a month for one person, or $2,455 for a couple.

Asset test: Yes, under $9,950 for one person, or $14,910 for a couple.

State charts take off the first $20 of income first, so they look a little lower; they are the same limits. Apply even if you are a little over. A short form, H1200-EZ, is just for these programs.

If you get any MSP, you also get Extra Help with drug costs automatically.

Prescription drug help

Texas has no general drug help program for all seniors. The main help is the federal Extra Help program. It lowers Part D premiums and copays for people with income below 150% of the federal poverty level, about $23,940 a year for one person in 2026.

Two state programs help people with certain conditions:

• Kidney Health Care (KHC): For Texans with end-stage kidney disease and income under $60,000 a year. It can help pay for drugs, Medicare premiums and travel to dialysis or transplant care. Call 800-222-3986.
• Texas HIV Medication Program State Pharmacy Assistance Program (SPAP): Helps people living with HIV who have Medicare pay Part D costs. Call 800-255-1090.

Extra state payment with SSI

Texas does not add a state payment to SSI for people living in their own home. If you live at home, your SSI is the federal amount, up to $994 a month for one person.

Food help

SNAP food benefits in Texas are run by HHSC.

• Simpler rules for older adults: Households with a member 60 or older, or disabled, skip the gross income test and can deduct medical costs over a small amount and all shelter costs above half their income.
• Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP): If everyone in your home is 60 or older or gets disability payments, and no one has job earnings, you use a shorter form, are approved for three years, and have no renewal interview.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: The Texas Department of Agriculture gives vouchers for fresh fruits and vegetables at some farmers markets. It is not offered statewide. Federal rules limit it to people 60 and over with income up to 185% of the poverty level, about $29,526 a year for one person. Call 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325) to ask if it runs near you.
• Meals: Ask your Area Agency on Aging about home-delivered and group meals for people 60 and over: 800-252-9240.

Help staying at home

• STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS): Pays for services at home for people who would otherwise need nursing home care. You must meet the medical need rules and the special income limit.
• Interest list: STAR+PLUS HCBS has a waiting list, called an interest list, served first come, first served. Call 877-438-5658 to add your name. People with full Medicaid, such as through SSI, may skip it. Nursing home residents moving home can be released right away.
• PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly): For people 55 and over who need nursing home level care but can live safely at home with support. You must live in a PACE service area. The state handbook lists three PACE sites: El Paso, Amarillo and Lubbock.
• Where to start: Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in every county help you find and apply for long-term care: 855-YES-ADRC (855-937-2372).

Property tax and housing help

Contact your county appraisal district to apply. Use Form 50-114, the Residence Homestead Exemption Application.

• School tax exemption: Every homeowner gets $140,000 off the home's value for school taxes. If you are 65 or over, or disabled, you get another $60,000 off. You can get the 65 or disabled exemption, not both.
• School tax ceiling (freeze): Once you qualify at 65, your school taxes on your home cannot go above that year's amount while you live there, except for major improvements. You can move part of the ceiling to a new Texas home.
• Local exemptions: Cities, counties and junior college districts may give at least $3,000 more off for people 65 and over, and may freeze their taxes too.
• When to apply: In the year you turn 65; it covers that whole year. Late applications are taken for up to two years.
• Surviving spouse: If your spouse had the 65 or over exemption and you were 55 or older when they died, you may keep it.
• Tax deferral: At 65 or over, you can put off paying taxes on your home. Interest of 5% a year adds up, but no penalties.

Help with energy bills

The Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is Texas's version of LIHEAP, run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) through local agencies in all 254 counties.

• Who qualifies: Income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For 2026, that is $23,940 a year for one person or $32,460 for two.
• What it pays: Utility and fuel bills, crisis help if service is cut off, and heating or cooling repair.
• How much: Bill help and crisis help each pay up to $1,800 a year for homes with the lowest incomes, and up to $1,200 for homes near the top of the income limit.
• Priority: Older adults count as a vulnerable group. Homes with a vulnerable member, or with very high energy bills, get priority and have no limit on the number of payments.
• How to apply: Find your local agency at tdhca.texas.gov/help-for-texans. Agencies must help people who are homebound.

Free help and counseling

• HICAP (Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program): This is Texas's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Counselors give free help with Medicare, Medicaid, MSPs and long-term care. Call 800-252-9240, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicare.
• Area Agencies on Aging: Help for people 60 and over and their caregivers. Call 800-252-9240.
• 2-1-1: Dial 2-1-1 to find local services and ask about state benefits.

How to apply

Phone numbers: Free help lines for Texas agencies

Check what you may qualify for