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Addison Asked May 2015

What happens to a house when entering a nursing home?

My name, my sisters, and my mothers are listed as the owners of my mothers house. My mother entered a nursing home several weeks ago for rehab, and probably will have to stay there permanently. After she spends down her money, she will apply for Medicaid. When she does apply, what happens to her house? Can it be sold, and if not, can the taxes and insurance be paid out of her spend down money, or wouldn't Medicaid approve? She lives in N.Y.

pamstegma May 2015
I am in NY too. If she has Life Tenant status it is still technically her house. If your sell it NYS will demand a portion of the proceeds based on her age. Our mom is 88 and if we sell the house, NYS demands 30% be counted as her income. So we rent out the house, and she gets the rent to help pay her bills. That rental covers the taxes and upkeep. Because she is only a Life Tenant, when she dies, there is no asset for MERP to go after.
At that point, when she is gone and the property is not subject to the 30% claim, we can sell the house.

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