Federal law requires state Medicaid programs to seek recovery from the estates of deceased beneficiaries for payments for long-term services and supports (LTSS) and related services received when those individuals were age 55 or older or were permanently institutionalized. Estate recovery provides a revenue source for states but such policies also raise questions regarding access and equity. Information on estate recovery polices and average recovery amounts is outdated, which has made it difficult to assess the scope of state estate recovery programs.
This presentation provides an overview of MACPAC’s recent work on estate recovery, including a review of state plans, analysis of aggregate data on estate recovery collections, state survey, and stakeholder interviews. It then outlines four policy options for the Commission’s consideration.