Elder Law Answers
Never Say Die -- The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age
Does Medicaid Count the Assets and Income of an Applicant's Unmarried Partner?
- June 2nd, 2016
Q
If a man and a woman live together, but are not married, and the woman applies for Medicaid, would the state count the man's assets or income when determining her eligibility?
A
If the partners are not married, each will be treated as single when applying for Medicaid. It does not matter that they are in a relationship. But beware running afoul of the transfer rules. Married couples may freely transfer assets back and forth, but if an unmarried couple does so, it may be treated as a transfer of assets and penalized with a period of ineligibility for benefits based on the amount transferred. For more information on Medicaid asset transfer rules, go here: http://www.elderlawanswers.com/medicaids-asset-transfer-rules-1201.