Your Home Passes to Your Family — Unless Medicaid Files a Claim First

Your home passes to your family — unless Medicaid files a claim against your estate first. Most families never hear about this program until a letter arrives after the funeral. ✍🏻What this video covers: ▫️The federal program that has allowed states to recover long-term care costs from deceased recipients' estates since 1993 — and why the paid-off home is almost always the target ▫️Why Medicaid's exemption of the home during eligibility disappears entirely at death ▫️The five federal protections that can block or defer a recovery claim — including one with a catch that most families misread ▫️What a two-year nursing home stay actually costs, and how that translates into a claim against an estate ▫️The 60-month look-back rule — and the transfer mistake that backfires most often ▫️Three lawful strategies elder law attorneys use to protect a home before the window closes ✍🏻SOURCES Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-66) — federal origin of MERP mandate 42 U.S.C. § 1396p — statutory authority for Medicaid estate recovery, age-55 trigger, and federal exemptions (spousal, minor child, blind/disabled child, caregiver child, sibling) Medicaid.gov — estate recovery program overview and federal requirements Administration for Community Living (ACL.gov) — MERP guidance CareScout 2026 — national nursing home cost data ($10,978/month private room) U.S. DHHS / ASPE — FY2019 total MERP recoveries ($733.4 million) KFF / ElderCare Index 2025–26 — state expansion beyond federal floor (~2/3 of states) MedicaidLongTermCare.org — look-back period (60 months, 48 states + DC); individual asset limit ($2,000) MedicaidPlanningAssistance.org — home equity exemption limits (2026: $752,000–$1,130,000) Disclaimer: This video is general educational information intended for adults ages 50–68. It is not personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and no advisory or client relationship is created by watching. Figures, rules, and exemptions vary by state, filing status, and individual circumstance, and are subject to change. Viewers should confirm their specific situation with a qualified elder law attorney, their state Medicaid agency, or another licensed professional before taking any action.