How do you live if Medicaid penalizes you by not paying for your care for a period of time?

So do you mean you got a transfer penalty?

If so, then the facility will expect you or your family to private pay for your stay at the facility till you have paid in full the transfer penalty amount &/or # of days. Review your contract with the NH to see how they deal with this issue.If you don't
pay for your stagy, then you will get a "30 Day Notice" in which you have to move from the facility. If you don't, then they don't kick you to the curb, but what I have seen happen is that the resident is transferred to another NH which is desperate for filled beds. And it likely will be in another county or in a less than desireable area. This is done by an emergency ward of the state situation. Not pretty.

The NH fully expects you to do a co-pay at a minimum of whatever is your monthly income less your states personal needs allowance (like $ 35 -90 a month). Plus whatever is the difference between this and their daily rate (could be at the lower Medicaid rate or could be at their private pay rate - the contact has this in it) and usually will require a family member to sign an agreement to pay this.

Transfer penalties kinda seem to be getting more common as some states are contracting out Medicaid compliance and you have to have someone in your family be financially responsible for paying for your stay at the facility. The NH is a business and fully expects to be paid one way or another.