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State of Wisconsin |
Release 24-03 |
Count the combined assets of the institutionalized person and his or her community spouse. (Note: Disregard prenuptial agreements. They have no effect on spousal impoverishment determinations.) Add together all countable, available assets (see Section 16.1 Assets Introduction) the couple owns.
Do not count the following assets:
| Example 1 | One spouse is in a nursing home, the other lives in the community. They have lived apart for 10 years. The institutionalized person owns a home and intends to return. The community spouse owns a different home. The home that each spouse owns is the principal residence of that spouse. The institutionalized person's home is an exempt asset. The community spouse's home is not exempt. |
| Example 2 | Howard is applying for benefits. Howard is in an institution and Marianne is his community spouse. They own a boat with an equity value of $10,000 and an automobile with an equity value of $7,000. Because the boat has a higher equity value, it is disregarded. The automobile does not meet the criteria for exemption and so is a counted asset; count $7,000 in the asset assessment and the asset determination. |
The IM agency must make an assessment of the total countable assets of the couple at one of the following, whichever is earlier:
Complete an asset assessment when a person applies, even if he or she had one done in the past, to get the most current asset share.
If a member was not married on the first date of institutionalization or waivers request, apply the policy from the point he or she is married. If he or she has remarried since the first date of institutionalization or waivers request, apply the policy from the date he or she married his or her current spouse.
The IM agency should inform the person for whom an assessment is being made what documentation is required. He or she must document ownership interest in and the value of any available assets the couple had at the time of his or her first period of continuous institutionalization. The same documentation procedures are used as when an application is filed (see Section 20.1 Verification Introduction).
The community spouse asset share is the amount of countable assets greater than $2,000 that the community spouse, the institutionalized person, or both, can possess at the time the institutionalized person applies for Medicaid.
| IF the total countable assets of the couple are: | Then the community spouse asset share is: |
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$308,280 or more |
$154,140 |
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Less than $308,280 but greater than $100,000 |
½ of the total countable assets of the couple |
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$100,000 or less |
$50,000 |
When an institutionalized person applies for Medicaid, compare the total countable assets of the couple to $2,000 plus the greater of one of the following:
If assets at the time of application are equal to or less than this amount, the institutionalized person is eligible. If they are more, the institutionalized person is not eligible.
An institutionalized person will not be denied Medicaid if the IM agency determines that the ineligibility caused by excess assets creates undue hardship for him or her (see Section 22.4 Undue Hardship for more information).
After the institutionalized person is found eligible, he or she may transfer assets to the community spouse. The maximum amount he or she can transfer is the community spouse asset share (or a greater amount ordered by a court or a fair hearing). If the community spouse already has some assets, the institutionalized person can transfer assets which, when added to the community spouse's assets, equal the community spouse asset share (or an amount ordered by a court or a fair hearing).
He or she is not allowed to transfer assets for less than fair market value to anyone other than the community spouse.
The institutionalized spouse must transfer the assets to the community spouse by the next regularly scheduled review (12 months). If their assets are above $2,000 on the date of the next scheduled review, they will be determined ineligible. They will remain ineligible until their assets no longer exceed the $2,000 Medicaid asset limit.
| Example 3 |
Robert was first institutionalized September 2013. Lucinda, Robert's wife, remained in the community. The couple passed the joint asset test and Robert was determined eligible in September 2013. The couple's total combined assets were $42,000, $32,000 of which were owned solely by Robert. Robert had until the next scheduled review (August 2014) to get his total assets under the $2,000 Medicaid asset limit. By August 2014, Robert had only transferred $23,000 to Lucinda. Robert still had $9,000 in assets. Robert became ineligible September 2014 and will remain ineligible as long as his assets are over $2,000. |
If the institutionalized spouse during the 12-month transfer period:
The time allowed to transfer assets does not start over again.
If the individual left the institution or became ineligible during the 12-month transfer period, without regaining eligibility during the 12-month transfer period, and reapplies for long-term care after the 12- month transfer period has ended, he/she is eligible for a new transfer period.
| Example 4 | Daniel is in a nursing home, while Susan, his wife is in the community. Daniel is found eligible for Medicaid beginning March 28, 2020 (the date of institutionalization), starting the 12-month asset transfer period. In May 2020, Daniel is discharged from the nursing home and his Medicaid eligibility ends. In July 2020, Daniel returns to the nursing home. Because Daniel became institutionalized again within the 12-month transfer period, the transfer period does not start over. |
| Example 5 | Betsy was admitted to the nursing home on April 14, 2018 and applied for Medicaid on June 6, requesting a two-month backdate. Nicholas, her husband, remains in the community. Betsy was discharged from the nursing home on May 7, 2019, the 12th month of her asset transfer period. Betsy returns to the nursing home on March 6, 2020 and reapplies for Medicaid on March 13. Because Betsy returned to the nursing home after her 12-month transfer period, she is allowed a new asset transfer period. |
If the community spouse passes away or is no longer married to the institutionalized person, then spousal impoverishment rules no longer apply and the institutionalized person is subject to the $2,000 asset limit.
| Example 6 | Sue was institutionalized in July 2017 and was married to Tom, who resided in the community. Sue was eligible for Medicaid in July 2017 and had until June 2018 to get under the $2,000 asset limit. On September 20, 2017, Sue reports that Tom passed away. Because spousal impoverishment rules no longer apply for ongoing eligibility, Sue would be subjected to the $2,000 asset limit beginning November 2017. |
If the institutionalized spouse remains in the institution and Medicaid-eligible after the expiration of the 12-month transfer period but then leaves the institution for 30 days or more and subsequently becomes institutionalized once again for 30 days or more, he or she would be subject to all spousal impoverishment rules upon becoming reinstitutionalized. This includes all of the following:
| Example 7 |
Peter was institutionalized and determined Medicaid eligible in March of 2002. Janice, Peter's wife, remained in the community. In February 2003, Peter's assets were below $2,000. Peter remained Medicaid eligible and institutionalized through May 2003. In June 2003, Peter left the nursing home and joined Janice in their home in the community. His Medicaid eligibility ended on June 30, 2003. In August 2003, Peter inherited $100,000. In September 2003, Peter's condition worsened and he was institutionalized again and applied for Medicaid. All spousal impoverishment rules would be applied to Peter's September 2003 application. His eligibility would be based on a joint asset test, and, if eligible, he would have 12 months to transfer assets in his name that exceed $2,000 to his wife. |
If the institutionalized spouse remains in the institution and remains Medicaid eligible after the 12-month transfer period but subsequently becomes ineligible and remains institutionalized, spousal impoverishment asset rules would not be applicable if he or she should reapply.
If the institutionalized spouse reapplies for Medicaid, his or her asset limit would be $2,000 and the community spouse's assets would not be counted.
If eligible, the institutionalized spouse would still be allowed to allocate some of his or her income to the community spouse.
| Example 8 |
Gregory was institutionalized in December 2007. Gregory and his wife, Marcia, who remained in the community, passed the joint asset test. Gregory was found eligible and had until November 2008 to get under the $2,000 asset limit. By November 2008, Greg had transferred enough assets to Marcia to get under the asset limit. In March 2009, while Gregory remained institutionalized, he refused to sign over to Medicaid a health insurance payment check. His Medicaid eligibility was discontinued March 31, 2009, for failure to cooperate with TPL requirements. Greg has never left the institution and now reapplies for Medicaid on June 3, 2009. Since Greg did not leave the institution for 30 days or more since his original Medicaid spousal impoverishment application was approved (December 2007), the assets of his community spouse are not counted when determining eligibility for the application filed June 2009. Greg's asset limit for this application is $2,000. |
This page last updated in Release Number: 24-03
Release Date: 12/18/2024
Effective Date: 01/01/2024
The information concerning the Medicaid program provided in this handbook release is published in accordance with: Titles XI and XIX of the Social Security Act; Parts 430 through 481 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations; Chapters 46 and 49 of the Wisconsin Statutes; and Chapters HA 3, DHS 2, 10 and 101 through 109 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
Notice: The content within this manual is the sole responsibility of the State of Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS). This site will link to sites outside of DHS where appropriate. DHS is in no way responsible for the content of sites outside of DHS.
Publication Number: P-10030