Medicaid eligibility is based on your having only a very small amount of assets.  If you want to become eligible for Medicaid without “spending down” virtually all of your life’s savings, you will likely have to transfer your assets to another person.  

Many people worry that doing this will get them in trouble.  In fact, Medicaid will not claim that you did anything wrong.

Transfers of assets are only an issue when you are applying for Medicaid Nursing Home benefits.  With Nursing Home applications, Medicaid applies the five-year “look back,” which requires you to disclose any gifts or transfers.  If any were made within the five years preceding your application, then you may be ineligible for Medicaid Nursing Home benefits for a period of time based on the amount or value of the transfers.

For Community Medicaid applications, there is no “look back,” so your application will not be affected by any transfers of assets you may have made before you apply.