1. Medical assistance paid to, or on behalf of, a recipient or paid to a provider of services is not recoverable, except as provided in subsection 2, unless the assistance was incorrectly paid. Assistance incorrectly paid is recoverable from the provider, or from the recipient, while living, as a debt due the state and, upon the recipient's death, as a claim classified with taxes having preference under the laws of this state.
2. The provision of medical assistance to an individual who is fifty-five years of age or older, or who is a resident of a nursing facility, intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, or mental health institute, who cannot reasonably be expected to be discharged and return to the individual's home, creates a debt due the department from the individual's estate for all medical assistance provided on the individual's behalf, upon the individual's death.
a. The department shall waive the collection of the debt created under this subsection from the estate of a recipient of medical assistance to the extent that collection of the debt would result in either of the following:
(1) Reduction in the amount received from the recipient's estate by a surviving spouse, or by a surviving child who was under age twenty-one, blind, or permanently and totally disabled at the time of the individual's death.
(2) Otherwise work an undue hardship as determined on the basis of criteria established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1396p(b)(3).
b. If the collection of all or part of a debt is waived pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph "a", subparagraph (1), the amount waived shall be a debt due from the estate of the recipient's surviving spouse or blind or disabled child, upon the death of the spouse or child, or due from a surviving child who was under twenty-one years of age at the time of the recipient's death, upon the child reaching age twenty-one, to the extent the recipient's estate is received by the surviving spouse or child.
c. For purposes of this section, the estate of a medical assistance recipient, surviving spouse, or surviving child includes any real property, personal property, or other asset in which the recipient, spouse, or child had any legal title or interest at the time of the recipient's, spouse's, or child's death, to the extent of such interests, including but not limited to interests in jointly held property and interests in trusts.
d. For purposes of collection of a debt created by this subsection, all assets included in the estate of a medical assistance recipient, surviving spouse, or surviving child pursuant to paragraph "c" are subject to probate.
e. Interest shall accrue on a debt due under this subsection, at the rate provided pursuant to section 535.3, beginning six months after the death of a medical assistance recipient, surviving spouse, or surviving child.
[C62, 66, § 249A.13; C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 249A.5]
83 Acts, ch 153, § 14; 94 Acts, ch 1120, §10
Referred to in § 633.425
Iowa General Assembly
Search: Iowa Code 1995
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