When you bought your family home years ago, you didn’t just see an asset with equity value – you saw a legacy you could pass to your children. When the time came for you to move into a nursing home, you were relieved to learn that you didn’t have to sell your home to apply for Medicaid. However, did you know that, without proper advance planning, the state can take your home after you die to recover Medicaid benefits you received?

In Part 2 of our series “Protecting the Family Home,” we discuss what happens to a Medicaid recipient’s home after death and the importance of advanced Medicaid planning.

Although your home is generally an excluded resource for Medicaid eligibility and does not have to be sold while you collect benefits, this protection may be lost after you die. Under a process known as “estate recovery,” the Department of Public Welfare can make a claim against your probate estate after your death to recover Medicaid payments made for your benefit.  Your “probate estate” generally includes all of your property that does not pass through a beneficiary designation. If your home is part of your probate estate, your family may have to sell your house to repay the claim.

Complex planning techniques may be used to protect your family home from estate recovery, but the most effective Medicaid planning takes place well in advance of a crisis situation.  By working with a certified elder law attorney before applying for Medicaid, you may be able to preserve your family home for your children.

At Sykes Elder Law, we have experience with a variety of complex Medicaid Planning techniques – give us a call today to discuss how we can help you achieve your estate planning goals.


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412-531-7123 (Western PA)
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215-600-0250 (Eastern PA)

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