February 20, 2019

Is there a Medicaid payback after a Beneficiary’s death?

The Florida Medicaid program may not file a claim for Medicaid recovery of funds in an ABLE United Account. Upon the death of a designated Beneficiary, funds in the ABLE Account can be used to pay for outstanding Qualified Disability Expenses including funeral and burial. Any remaining funds, are then transferred to the estate of the designated Beneficiary.

Federal law requires that each state recover Medicaid expenditures from a Medicaid recipient’s estate, however, there are exceptions. For example, the Medicaid recipient must have been age 55 or older. If the beneficiary received Medicaid in another state, please check the law of that state as federal law also allows a state to file a claim for Medicaid expenditures from an ABLE account.

For more information on Medicaid estate recovery, visit Florida’s Medicaid Estate Recovery Program here. If a Beneficiary has passed away, the executor of his or her estate should complete a Death of Beneficiary Form.