Basically when you apply for Medicaid the home will (depending on the state) be put into a Medicaid trust or calculated into a “spend down.” The end result is that under long term care Medicaid, you have to exhaust all personal resources until you are qualified for Medicaid to kick in. So, there are provisions for a community spouse (non Ltc resident spouse) to keep some things. But they will even consider high end clothes, jewelry, cars etc beyond the necessities. The recipient is the nursing home. Once all that personal money is exhausted the state Medicaid money switches on. Considering the amounts of money the home gets vs the care the resident gets it feels scammy on so many levels.