For a married couple, the husband has to go into a nursing home, but the wife still lives in the house. In order to qualify for Medicaid, would the wife have to move out of the house and sell it? If not, will the state put a lien on the house to try to recover any money they paid for Medicaid for the husband nursing home care?
Will the state try to recover their costs of care, after the wife dies? Yes. The recovery means the house most likely cannot be passed on to heirs (although there are exceptions). It does not impact the community spouse while she is alive.