Can You Transfer your Medicaid Status to Another State?
There are times when a Medicaid Long Term Care recipient should move from one nursing home to a nursing home in another state, perhaps to be closer to family, or perhaps for other reasons. While the technical answer is NO, the broader answer is that maintaining Medicaid enrollment from state to state does happen on a regular basis, and can be done with no loss of care or payment for that care. But the bottom line is that, unlike Medicare, Social Security and most health insurance plans, Medicaid is state run separately in each state.
Each state Medicaid office has it’s own healthcare program, Medicaid program, and state specific rules regarding Medicaid eligibility and Medicaid applications. Eligibility in one state does NOT make one automatically eligible in another state.
HOWEVER, the Medicaid program is a joint federal program and state program. The federal government sets the bulk of the Medicaid eligibility requirements that apply to all states. While some state specific procedures regarding the application process and Medicaid coverage and Medicaid benefits can differ slightly from one state to a new state, the basic rules are the basic eligibility criteria do not change from one state to a different state.
For starters, if a nursing home Medicaid recipient is relocating from one state to a different state, they like meet the Medicaid eligibility requirements of the new states. Asset limits can differ, but overall, all of the same criteria apply, Also, communication between the Medicaid office of one state with the Medicaid office of another state does happen. Or alternatively, a family can typically ask for their full Medicaid file from the original state. The family will likely then have the bulk of the documentation needed for the application on the new state. While this application process in the new state can take time, in most cases the applicant would receive retroactive Medicaid coverage in the new state once the application would be filed, and the nursing home care would continue uninterrupted.
The bottom line is that moving from state to state while needing long-term care services and Medicaid benefits on both sides of the move, but Medicaid planning on the part of family members and loved ones is necessary to ensure a smooth transition and that the nursing home care recipient is a qualifying resident in both locations. A solid care plan and transition plan is required to ensure that the resident’s level of care requirements are met immediately upon moving to the new nursing facility. QMC are providers of guidance in this field. Our planners have sheparded the transition from care benefits from one state to another many times. Unlike elder law attorneys, QMC regularly provides services across state lines.