Medicaid, Spousal Impoverishment Protections and Same-Sex Couples in New York State

Provides background on Medicaid's long-term support program and offers historical context on the creation of the spousal impoverishment protections, initially available only to heteosexual married copules. This paper also examines how older LGBT couples face numerous financial and social barriers as they age, both nationwide and in New York State, and are thus highly reliant on support from Medicaid and similar programs. Based on this overview, this brief offers recommendations for New York on the specific actions necessary to enact the estate protections explicitly outlined in the CMS letter.