How much does a nursing home cost in Indiana?
The median nursing home cost in Indiana is $10,326 per month for a private room and $8,943 per month for a semi-private room, based on the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey released March 2026. That's roughly $123,918 per year for a private room.
Indiana nursing home costs run 13% below the national median, making it one of the more affordable states in the Midwest.
2026 Indiana senior care costs at a glance
| Care type | Indiana median/month | National median (CareScout 2025) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing home (private) | $10,326 | $10,798 | −4% |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $8,943 | $9,581 | −7% |
| Memory care (est) | $7,050 | $7,750 | −9% |
| Assisted living | $5,639 | $6,200 | −9% |
| Non-medical caregiver (hourly) | $35 | $35 | +0% |
See your exact spend-down timeline for Indiana
Enter your savings, income, and care type to see how long your money lasts before reaching Indiana Medicaid asset limits.
Open the Indiana calculator →Nursing home costs by Indiana city
Costs vary by metro area within the state. Urban markets typically run 10–25% above state medians, while rural areas can be 10–20% below.
City-level estimates are based on CareScout 2025 metro-area data. Individual facility costs vary 20–40% from these medians depending on amenities, staffing ratios, and room type.
Indiana Medicaid for nursing home care
Indiana Medicaid covers nursing home care for residents who meet both medical eligibility (need for skilled nursing care) and financial eligibility (limited assets and income). Understanding the rules before you need them can save your family hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Indiana Medicaid 2026 asset limits
Individual applicant: $2,000 in countable assets (2026)
Married couple, one spouse applying: Community spouse may keep up to $162,660 under the federal Community Spouse Resource Allowance (2026 maximum), plus the home, one vehicle, and personal belongings
The 5-year look-back period in Indiana
Indiana Medicaid reviews all asset transfers made within 60 months (5 years) of your application date. Gifts to family, property transfers below market value, or large unexplained withdrawals trigger a penalty period that delays Medicaid eligibility — during which you must private-pay.
Indiana's 2026 penalty divisor is approximately $10,326 per month (~$340 per day). A $50,000 transfer that violates the look-back rule would create roughly a 145-day penalty period during which Indiana Medicaid will not cover care costs.
This is why elder law attorneys consistently advise families to begin Medicaid planning at least 5 years before nursing home care is needed.
Find a Indiana elder law attorney
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys maintains a state-by-state directory of certified elder law attorneys.
Find a Indiana attorney →What makes Indiana different
Indiana overhauled its Medicaid long-term care structure on July 1, 2024, splitting the former Aged and Disabled Waiver into two age-tiered waivers: the Health and Wellness Waiver for adults 59 and under, and the PathWays for Aging Waiver for those 60 and over. PathWays is delivered through three contracted Managed Care Entities — Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, and Humana — making Indiana one of the few states using mandatory managed-care delivery for senior LTSS. Nursing Home Medicaid in Indiana is an entitlement with no waitlist, but PathWays HCBS slots are capped. Indiana updates its penalty divisor in July rather than January, and Personal Needs Allowance is $52 per month.
Sources: state Medicaid agency program documentation and CMS spousal-impoverishment standards. See our methodology page for the broader data sources used across this site.
How Indiana compares to neighboring states
Cost differences across state lines can be substantial. Some families consider relocating for care, particularly if adult children live across a border.