Please let's talk about the original and ongoing purpose of Medicaid.

It is designed to provide assistance to those who have nowhere else to turn. That is no long-term care insurance, relatively low income, low assets, and high needs. I used it to help care for both my Mom and mother-in-law when ongoing medical costs outlived their savings.

Medicaid is not designed to assist those of us who have assets like homes, savings, retirement accounts or other property to "protect" them so we can pass them on to our heirs.

Spousal rules in most states to protect enough assets, like the family home, a vehicle, a burial policy, and modest retirement accounts, to prevent impoverishment. A lien for the value of Medicaid services provided may be filed against the home to be paid off when it is finally sold.

Back in the 1970's a whole "industry" sprang up to assist people in shifting and hiding their assets so they could collect Medicaid - thus were born the whole "5-year-lookback" rules (or in some cases a 3-year lookback.)

Off my soapbox now - I am old enough to remember when Medicaid (and Medicare) did not exist and my Dad and his brother, neither of whom could afford to do so, stepped in to take care of my Grandma's insulin, doctor and hospital bills.

@marye2 the best information I saw was on my State’s Medicaid info site, and I just “Googled” Medicaid info for nursing home payments.