Connecticut's DSS Uniform Policy Manual, section 7525.10, allows the Department to recover correctly paid Medicaid benefits from the estate of a noninstitutionalized person age 55 or older, for benefits received on or after October 1, 1993, subject to the policy's specific conditions. For someone who was institutionalized, the age-55 threshold falls away — recovery can apply regardless of age — and the policy's definition of "institutionalized" expressly includes people who received Medicaid HCBS-waiver services.
The published policy frames recovery around the probate estate rather than adopting an expanded-estate definition that names joint tenancy, life estates, or revocable trusts outright. That means Connecticut is best understood as a probate-estate recovery state based on the materials available, without assuming every non-probate asset is automatically reachable. Still, this is a reading of estate-focused policy language, not a title opinion — families with a trust, survivorship account, life estate, or open probate matter should get current Connecticut-specific legal advice.
Sources and official resources
- Connecticut DSS: Long-Term Services and Supports, How to Apply
- U.S. Code: 42 U.S.C. § 1396p (liens, estate recovery, transfers of assets, Partnership disregard)
Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.