The Impact of Term Life Insurance and Whole Life Insurance on Medicaid Eligibility

Last updated: February 06, 2024

Introduction

It is common for people of all ages, especially elderly individuals, to have a life insurance policy. With this type of insurance, a person generally pays a monthly or yearly premium and upon their death, listed beneficiaries are paid an amount of money (also called a death benefit). While this is a wonderful way to ensure surviving loved ones are financially taken care of following one’s death, life insurance policies, depending on the type of policy and the value of it, may impact one’s eligibility for Medicaid. One’s application to receive public assistance for long-term care, be that at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home, could be denied if the life insurance policy causes an applicant to have assets greater than Medicaid allows.

 

Important Terms and Definitions

To differentiate between life insurance policies that do, and do not count, towards Medicaid’s asset limit, it is important to understand the difference between cash value and face value.

Cash Value / Cash Surrender Value
Permanent insurance policies provide coverage for the entirety of one’s life and accumulate a cash value. Policyholders are able to borrow against their policy’s cash value or they can terminate their policy and collect the cash surrender value. When a life insurance policy is terminated, it is called a cash surrender value, as the policyholder receives the cash value minus any applicable surrender (cancellation) fees.

Face Value / Death Benefit
The face value of a life insurance policy is also called the death benefit. This is the amount the insurance company will pay the beneficiaries named on the policy upon the policyholder’s death.

 Whole life insurance policies are exempt (not counted) from Medicaid’s asset limit up to a certain total face value of all policies. While most states set an exemption amount of $1,500, some states allow a higher exemption amount.

 

Types of Life Insurance and Why It Matters

Not all types of life insurance policies impact Medicaid eligibility in the same way. In brief, there are three commonly purchased types of life insurance policies: term life insurance, whole life insurance, and burial insurance.

Term Life

Term life insurance does not impact Medicaid eligibility; it is not counted towards the asset limit. It provides coverage for a limited time, which may be as short as one year and as long as 30 years. If the policyholder dies within the designated coverage period, a death benefit will be paid out to the beneficiaries. If the policyholder does not pass away while the policy is in effect, the policy expires and no benefit is paid out. Term life insurance does not accumulate a cash value, which means the policy cannot be cashed out and has no value to the policyholder. This is why it is exempt from Medicaid’s asset limit.

Whole Life

Whole life insurance can impact Medicaid eligibility. This type of permanent life insurance policy provides coverage for the entirety of a person’s life and pays out a death benefit to the beneficiaries when the policyholder passes away. With whole life insurance policies, a cash value is accrued. This means that policyholders are able to take a loan out against the cash value or “cash out” (terminate) their policy altogether. Since policyholders can take cash from their existing policy, it is not exempt from Medicaid’s asset limit. However, this is not entirely true, as these policies are exempt up to a certain face value, which is state-specific. Depending on the face value of one’s whole life insurance policy, it can cause Medicaid ineligibility.

Burial

Burial insurance, also called final expense insurance or funeral insurance, does not impact Medicaid eligibility. It is a type of whole life insurance policy that covers burial / cremation costs and funeral arrangements. Life insurance that is reserved specifically for burial expenses where the funds can only be used for this purpose is exempt from Medicaid’s asset limit.

 

Medicaid’s Asset Limit

For a senior to be eligible for long-term care Medicaid, there are functional and financial requirements that must be met. For the purposes of this article, it is important to note that Medicaid has an asset limit, which varies by the state in which one lives. For example, for single applicants, the following states have the following asset limits: New York ($31,175), Illinois ($17,500), New Hampshire ($2,500), and Connecticut ($1,600). Generally speaking, most states have an asset limit of $2,000. California is the only state without an asset limit (eff. 1/1/24). See state-specific asset limits and learn more about Medicaid eligibility.

Some assets are not counted towards the asset limit; they are exempt. This generally includes one’s primary home, household items, a vehicle, and personal items. Furthermore, not all life insurance policies are counted as assets, and those that are countable, are exempt up to a certain cash surrender value.

 Can Medicaid Take My Life Insurance Policy?
Medicaid cannot take one’s life insurance policy while they are still living. However, based on the face value of one’s policy, it may be counted towards Medicaid’s asset limit, rendering one ineligible for Medicaid. If one is a Medicaid recipient, and the beneficiary of their life insurance policy is their estate, Medicaid may take the proceeds of the death benefit to recover costs it paid for one’s long-term care. This is called Medicaid Estate Recovery. It is advised one does not put their estate as the beneficiary of their life insurance policy. Rather, the name of the particular beneficiary in which one wants the proceeds to go should be on the policy, protecting the death benefit from Medicaid in the majority of states.

 

Exemption of Death Benefit / Face Value

Most states have established that whole life insurance policies are exempt up to $1,500 in face value, but some states allow a higher face value exemption. For example, the following states allow the following exemption amounts: Florida ($2,500), Alabama ($5,000), and North Carolina ($10,000).

If a life insurance policyholder has a face value (death benefit) over the exemption amount in the state in which they reside, the cash surrender value of the policy is not exempt from Medicaid’s asset limit. In other words, it will be added to one’s countable assets. Recall that the cash surrender value is the amount the policyholder would receive for “cashing out” their policy. If the face value of the policy is equal to or under the exemption limit, the life insurance policy is exempt (not counted) from Medicaid’s asset limit.

Examples:
Bill lives in Illinois and has a whole life insurance policy that has a face value of $1,200 and a $500 cash surrender value. The exemption amount for whole life insurance policies is $1,500 in Illinois. Therefore, Bill’s life insurance policy is not counted towards Medicaid’s asset limit.

Claudia lives in Texas, a state that allows an exemption of up to $1,500 in whole life insurance policies. She owns one policy that has a face value of $1,000 and a cash surrender value of $300 and a second policy that has a face value of $1,500 and a cash surrender value of $700. The combined face value of the policies equals $2,500, putting Claudia over the allowable exemption amount. The combined cash surrender value of $1,000 will be a countable asset.

 

Life Insurance Exemption Limits by State
Life Insurance Exemption Limits for Medicaid Eligibility by State (Updated Jan.2024)
Alabama $5,000
Alaska $1,500
Arizona $1,500
Arkansas $1,500
California N/A – CA has no asset limit eff. 1/1/24
Colorado $1,500
Connecticut $1,500
Delaware $1,500
District of Columbia $1,500
Florida $2,500
Georgia $1,500
Hawaii $1,500
Idaho $1,500
Illinois $1,500
Indiana $1,500
Iowa $1,500
Kansas $1,500
Kentucky $1,500
Louisiana $10,000
Maine $1,500
Maryland $1,500
Massachusetts $1,500
Michigan $1,500
Minnesota $1,500
Mississippi $10,000
Missouri $1,500
Montana $1,500
Nebraska $1,500
Nevada $1,500
New Hampshire $1,500
New Jersey $1,500
New Mexico $1,500
New York $1,500
North Carolina $10,000
North Dakota $10,000
Ohio $1,500
Oklahoma $1,500
Oregon $1,500
Pennsylvania $1,500
Rhode Island $4,000
South Carolina $10,000
South Dakota $1,500
Tennessee $1,500
Texas $1,500
Utah $1,500
Vermont $1,500
Virginia $1,500
Washington $1,500
West Virginia $1,500
Wisconsin $1,500
Wyoming $1,500

 

Other Differences by State

While nearly all states use a face value exemption, Missouri is unique in that it instead uses a cash surrender value exemption. The cash surrender value is the amount one would receive if they were to “cash” out their insurance policy. However, like many states, the exemption figure is up to $1,500.

Some states allow for a partial exemption even if Medicaid applicants are over the face value limit. Pennsylvania is one such state, as it allows the exclusion of cash value up to $1,000 if an applicant’s policy has a face value over the exemption amount of $1,500.

Many states allow a face value exemption of several smaller life insurance policies as long as the combined face value of the policies is not greater than the exemption amount for the state in which one resides. However, other states, such as Missouri, allow for the exemption of only one whole life insurance policy.

Some states have rules about a Medicaid applicant having both a burial account and a life insurance policy. For instance, Illinois allows up to $1,500 cash value of a life insurance policy OR up to $1,500 for a prepaid cancellable burial plan. Georgia allows Medicaid applicants to have as much as $10,000 set aside in a burial account. However, the face value total of any life insurance policies is added to the burial exemption amount. If one reaches the burial exemption amount of $10,000, any remaining cash value of insurance policies is counted as an asset. In Missouri, a Medicaid applicant with a prepaid funeral plan cannot have a whole life insurance policy. An applicant can have one or the other.

 Caution: The way each state handles life insurance policies and Medicaid eligibility is tricky. It is best to seek the counsel of a Professional Medicaid Planner prior to applying for Medicaid if the applicant has a whole life insurance plan!

 

What to Do If Your Policy Will Disqualify You

If one has a life insurance policy that may disqualify them from Medicaid, there are several options. Having a policy over the exempt amount does not mean that one cannot qualify for Medicaid. Rather, it means a planning strategy needs to be implemented for one to meet Medicaid’s asset limit. Letting a policy lapse by stopping premium payments is not the only option, there are other commonly used planning techniques.

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Cash Out the Policy

One can cancel their life insurance policy, collect the cash surrender value, and “spend down” the cash until the Medicaid asset limit is met in the state in which one resides. Persons often use the cash to pay for long-term care, make home modifications to make aging at home easier, and/or pay off debt. This option means the life insurance policy ceases to exist and there will be no death benefit for remaining loved ones. Learn more about Medicaid Spend Down.

 When employing planning techniques to qualify for Medicaid while maintaining a life insurance policy, one must be cautious not to violate Medicaid’s 60-month Look-Back Rule. This is a period in which Medicaid looks back at all previous asset transfers to ensure one does not gift or sell assets under fair market value. If one violates this rule, a Penalty Period of Medicaid ineligibility is calculated. 

 

Take a Loan Against the Cash Value

Taking out a loan against one’s whole life insurance policy will keep the policy effective, but will lower the cash value and face value of the policy. If this option is chosen, it’s important to remember that one still needs to pay the premiums. As the cash value increases over time, one may find they are no longer eligible for Medicaid. With this strategy, it is important the cash value of the policy continues to be monitored.

 

Transfer the Policy

If the spouse of a long-term care Medicaid applicant does not also require Medicaid, the life insurance policy can be transferred to the non-applicant spouse (also called the community spouse or well spouse). The cash value of the policy would then count towards the non-applicant’s Community Spouse Resource Allowance. In 2024, most states allow the community spouse to retain up to $154,140 in assets.

The policy could also be transferred to a funeral home to pay for a non-cancellable burial plan. This is a resource that is exempt from Medicaid’s asset limit.

Other transfers, such as transferring a life insurance policy to an adult child, is considered a gift and is in violation of Medicaid’s Look Back Rule. There is, however, two exceptions in which a whole life insurance policy can be transferred to an adult child without violating this rule. This is when the child is either disabled or blind.

 

Sell the Policy

When considering life insurance policies and Medicaid eligibility, the owner of the policy is who matters. It does not matter who the beneficiary is or who the policy insures. Therefore, a Medicaid applicant can have a friend or relative, such as an adult child, niece, or nephew purchase the insurance policy at the cash surrender value, pay the premiums, and keep the policy in effect. Since the Medicaid applicant would no longer be the owner of the policy, they wouldn’t be able to cancel the policy for the cash surrender value.

A life settlement is another option. This is the sale of the policy to a third party, who takes over paying the premiums, as well as becomes the beneficiary. In most cases, people choose this option when they have a life expectancy less than 20 years. Via the sale, the previous policyholder receives a lump sum of cash.

The cash from selling a life insurance policy likely would put a Medicaid applicant over the asset limit. Therefore, the applicant would first need to “spend down” the extra assets. Paying for unpaid medical bills and long-term care, home modifications, home additions, etc. are examples of ways to “spend down” assets on non-countable assets. More about Medicaid asset spend down.

Yet another option is Life Care Assurance, also called a long-term care benefit plan, and is a life insurance conversion. In simple terms, the policyholder sells the policy in exchange for long-term care services. A period of time will be established for which care, such as assisted living or in-home care, will be paid. After this period of paid care, one can apply for Medicaid.

 

Medicaid Planning Assistance

As evidenced by the above complexities, the rules regarding life insurance and Medicaid eligibility vary greatly based on the state in which one resides. Seeking the counsel of a Medicaid Professional Planner is key to ensuring one knows the rules in the area in which they live. If you or a loved one has a life insurance policy over the face value exemption, Medicaid planning techniques are crucial for the best chance of meeting Medicaid’s asset eligibility requirement. Find a Medicaid Planner.

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