"Medicaid Offices Pursue Deceased Patients' Estates for Unpaid Health Care Costs"

State Medicaid offices across the U.S. are targeting the homes of deceased individuals to recoup healthcare costs, leading to legal battles and financial strain for families. Critics argue that the program, which aims to recover funds from the estates of Medicaid recipients who used long-term care services, is ineffective and unfair. Some states pursue recovery aggressively, while others do not, and a Democratic lawmaker has proposed legislation to make estate recovery optional. However, the bill faces challenges in a divided Congress, and the original architect of the mandate acknowledges its shortcomings.