Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm is set to sign a bill that will require the state to recoup the cost of Medicaid services from the estates of deceased recipients who lived in nursing homes or received in-home care, as required by federal law. (Source)
Under the old law, the estates of such recipients were exempt from recoupment. Lawmakers threatened to cut off funding if the state didn’t comply with the law.
According to The Detroit News, Community Health Department Director Janet Olszewski wrote: “Time is now of the essence and action by the Legislature is critical in maintaining supports and services provided by the state Medicaid program.â€
However, there are exemptions to the recoupment requirement. If spouses, minor children, and disabled relatives still live in the house, it is exempt from the recoupment law.
