Updated September 5, 2026. Quick answer: Michigan does not test institutional Medicaid income against 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate at all. It tests net income against the lower “Group 2” needs standard used for its aged, blind, and disabled category, with a medical-expense deductible process (often called a spend-down) for any excess.
The Group 2 standard, not a percentage of SSI
Michigan’s Bridges Eligibility Manual (BEM 166, “Group 2 Aged, Blind and Disabled”) sets income eligibility for nursing-facility (“L/H”) Medicaid against the Group 2 needs standard defined in BEM 544, a fixed protected-income figure rather than a multiple of the SSI federal benefit rate that most other states use.
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If net income exceeds the Group 2 standard, Michigan’s own manual routes the applicant to BEM 545’s excess-income deductible process rather than denying eligibility outright, with the post-eligibility patient-pay amount then computed separately under BEM 546. No hard income ceiling exists at any point in this chain.
| Citation | Michigan Bridges Eligibility Manual, BEM 166 (BPB 2017-008, eff. 4-1-2017) |
| What it says | “MA is available to a person who is aged (65 or older), blind or disabled… If the month being tested is an L/H month and eligibility exists, go to BEM 546 to determine the post-eligibility patient-pay amount… Income Eligibility: Income eligibility exists when net income does not exceed the Group 2 needs in BEM 544… If the net income exceeds Group 2 needs, MA eligibility is still possible per BEM 545.” |
This page covers the income eligibility figure itself. How a state handles income above that figure (a Qualified Income Trust, a medically needy spend-down, or something else) is covered on Michigan’s excess income mechanism page.
Figures verified against Michigan BEM 166, BEM 544, BEM 545 (BPB 2022-015) and BEM 546 (BPB 2026-018) on September 29, 2026; whether Michigan has no 300% of SSI category was not re-checked.
Every citation on this page was read directly from the state’s own Medicaid agency, administrative code, or official eligibility manual this session. General information, not legal or financial advice; a figure this specific can change with a budget cycle or a rule amendment, and a county or state caseworker has the final say on any individual application.
Related: use the Medicaid spend-down calculator to estimate how much you would need to spend down to qualify for long-term-care Medicaid in your state.