Keeping Your Home

Depending on the state, nursing home residents do not have to sell their homes in order to qualify for Medicaid. In some states, the home will not be considered a countable asset for Medicaid eligibility purposes as long as the nursing home resident intends to return home; in other states, the nursing home resident must prove a likelihood of returning home. In all states, the house may be kept if the Medicaid applicant’s spouse or another dependent relative lives there.

In Florida, a Medicaid applicant's home is protected, as long as it is her/her homestead. If the homestead is rented, it then becomes subject to Estate Recovery upon the Medicaid Applicant's death.