Updated August 26, 2026. Quick answer: As of April 2026 Rhode Island’s average private pay rate is $12,106 a month and $398 a day.
The figure Rhode Island publishes
| What the state lists | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average monthly private pay rate | $12,106 |
| Average daily private pay rate | $398 |
| Stated as of | April 2026 |
How the penalty period is calculated
- The uncompensated value of the disqualifying transfers is divided by the average daily or monthly cost of nursing facility care at the current statewide average private pay rate.
Once you have the figure above, the Medicaid penalty period calculator does the arithmetic. This page is the Rhode Island rate record; the calculator is the class parent.
What this page does not settle
- Where the spouse who is not seeking long-term services and supports is also eligible for Medicaid, half of the penalty period is allocated to each spouse.
Eligibility is decided by the state agency on the whole file, not by this one number. Nothing here is legal advice, and no one should transfer, retitle or give away property on the strength of a worksheet.
Source
Rhode Island 210-RICR-50-00-6, Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports — retrieved and checked against the state text on August 26, 2026.
A transfer penalty is a separate test from the income standard that decides eligibility in the first place. For what Rhode Island uses as that standard, and the state document it comes from, see Medicaid nursing home income limit in Rhode Island ($2,982/Month).
Related: Rhode Island’s Medicaid home equity limit for a single applicant with no spouse or dependent child at home.
Related: Rhode Island’s Medicaid Personal Needs Allowance; the amount a nursing-facility resident keeps from their own income each month.