Short answer: For 2026, an individual’s countable income must be no more than $2,982 per month, which is 300% of the $994 SSI federal benefit rate. The couple figure is $5,964 per month.
Texas is an income-cap state for nursing facility and home and community-based waiver Medicaid. HHSC calls the cap the special income limit: 300% of the SSI federal benefit rate. Effective January 1, 2026, that is $2,982 per month for an individual and $5,964 per month for a couple.
The test is on gross countable income (Social Security, pensions and so on), not on what is left after bills. In a married case, only the applicant’s own income is tested; income paid solely in the name of the spouse at home is not counted toward the applicant.
Being over the cap is not the end of the road. A properly set up Qualified Income Trust (often called a Miller trust) lets income deposited into it be disregarded for eligibility. The cap ties to the SSI rate, so it changes every January.