Will Medicaid Still Pay for Dad's Care If Parents Move to a Different State?

We have parents in Florida. The husband is in a nursing home and the wife is still in the house, which is paid off. Can we move them to Indiana and still have Medicaid pay for the nursing home?

Yes, but perhaps not immediately. They will most likely have to reapply for Medicaid in Indiana and most nursing homes will not accept a patient who is in the process of applying without some guarantee of payment while the application is being processed.

In addition, the home in Florida could be a complicating factor. It’s likely that Indiana will require that it be sold, but will provide Medicaid coverage while it is on the market. Depending on the sales price and whether the wife is purchasing a new home in Indiana, it may be necessary to spend down some of the proceeds. It’s possible that the Florida Medicaid agency will help with the process since it’s in their interest to get the husband off of their rolls, but it may be difficult to find someone to talk to in their bureaucracy.

In any case, we strongly recommend that you consult with an Indiana elder law attorney, who should have more specific information on how this would work there.

For more on Medicaid's rules, click here.