Estate Recovery Claim Estimator
ANA›Life Services Authority›National Calculator Authority›Estate Recovery Claim Estimator
.calc-container { max-width: 640px; margin: 2rem 0; padding: 1.5rem; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #ddd; border-radius: 8px; box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.06); font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, sans-serif; } .calc-container h3 { font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.15rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding-bottom: 0.5rem; border-bottom: 2px solid var(--ac, #3d5a80); } .calc-row { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.75rem; margin-bottom: 0.75rem; flex-wrap: wrap; } .calc-row label { min-width: 160px; font-size: 0.9rem; color: #333; font-weight: 500; } .calc-row input[type="number"], .calc-row select { flex: 1; min-width: 120px; max-width: 200px; padding: 0.5rem 0.6rem; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 0.9rem; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; color: #1a1a1a; background: #fafaf8; } .calc-row input:focus, .calc-row select:focus { outline: none; border-color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(26,74,138,0.12); } .calc-row .unit { font-size: 0.82rem; color: #888; min-width: 30px; } .calc-btn { display: inline-block; margin-top: 0.5rem; padding: 0.55rem 1.5rem; background: var(--ac, #3d5a80); color: #fff; border: none; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: 600; cursor: pointer; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; } .calc-btn:hover { opacity: 0.9; } .calc-result { margin-top: 1.25rem; padding: 1rem 1.25rem; background: #f0f6fc; border-left: 3px solid var(--ac, #3d5a80); border-radius: 0 6px 6px 0; display: none; } .calc-result.visible { display: block; } .calc-result-label { font-size: 0.78rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em; color: #666; margin-bottom: 0.25rem; } .calc-result-value { font-size: 1.6rem; font-weight: 700; color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); } .calc-result-detail { font-size: 0.85rem; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5rem; line-height: 1.5; } .calc-note { margin-top: 1rem; font-size: 0.8rem; color: #888; font-style: italic; } .calc-grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 0.75rem; margin-top: 0.75rem; } .calc-grid-item { padding: 0.6rem 0.8rem; background: #f8f9fa; border-radius: 4px; border: 1px solid #eee; } .calc-grid-item .label { font-size: 0.75rem; color: #888; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.04em; } .calc-grid-item .value { font-size: 1.1rem; font-weight: 600; color: #1a1a1a; } @media (max-width: 720px) { .calc-row { flex-direction: column; align-items: flex-start; gap: 0.3rem; } .calc-row label { min-width: auto; } .calc-row input[type="number"], .calc-row select { max-width: 100%; width: 100%; } .calc-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } } .calc-chart { margin: 1rem 0; text-align: center; } .calc-chart svg { max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .calc-chart-legend { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: center; gap: 0.6rem 1.2rem; margin-top: 0.6rem; font-size: 0.8rem; color: #555; } .calc-chart-legend span { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.3rem; } .calc-chart-legend i { display: inline-block; width: 10px; height: 10px; border-radius: 2px; font-style: normal; } .calc-related { max-width: 640px; margin: 2rem 0 1rem; padding: 1.25rem 1.5rem; background: #f8f9fa; border: 1px solid #e8e8e8; border-radius: 8px; } .calc-related h3 { font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1rem; color: #1a1a1a; margin: 0 0 0.75rem; padding-bottom: 0.4rem; border-bottom: 2px solid var(--ac, #3d5a80); } .calc-related-list { list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0 0 0.75rem; display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 0.4rem 1.5rem; } .calc-related-list li a { font-size: 0.88rem; color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); text-decoration: none; } .calc-related-list li a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .calc-browse-all { margin: 0.5rem 0 0; font-size: 0.9rem; font-weight: 600; } .calc-browse-all a { color: var(--ac, #3d5a80); text-decoration: none; } .calc-browse-all a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } @media (max-width: 720px) { .calc-related-list { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } }
Estate Recovery Claim Estimator
Estimates the potential Medicaid estate recovery claim against a deceased beneficiary's estate. Enter the total Medicaid benefits paid, the value of probate estate assets, and any applicable exemptions to calculate the estimated recoverable amount.
Total Medicaid Benefits Paid ($)
Total amount paid by Medicaid on behalf of the deceased beneficiary (age 55+).
Gross Probate Estate Value ($)
Total fair market value of assets subject to probate (real property, bank accounts, etc.).
Outstanding Liens & Mortgages ($)
Total secured debts, mortgages, and prior liens against estate assets.
Estate Administration Costs ($)
Funeral expenses, attorney fees, court costs, and other allowable administration expenses.
Exempt / Non-Probate Assets ($)
Assets passing outside probate (joint tenancy, POD accounts, IRAs) or protected by hardship waiver.
Surviving Spouse or Qualifying Dependent?
No Yes — Recovery Deferred / Waived
Recovery is deferred (and often waived) when a surviving spouse or qualifying blind/disabled child exists.
State Recovery Rate (%)
Most states claim 100 % of benefits paid; some states cap recovery or apply a proportional rate.
Calculate Estimated Claim
function estCalc() { // --- Read inputs --- var medicaidPaid = parseFloat(document.getElementById('est-medicaid-paid').value); var estateValue = parseFloat(document.getElementById('est-estate-value').value); var liens = parseFloat(document.getElementById('est-liens').value) || 0; var adminCosts = parseFloat(document.getElementById('est-admin-costs').value) || 0; var exemptAssets = parseFloat(document.getElementById('est-exempt-assets').value) || 0; var spouseDefer = document.getElementById('est-surviving-spouse').value; var recoveryRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('est-recovery-rate').value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById('est-result');
// --- Validation --- var errors = []; if (isNaN(medicaidPaid) || medicaidPaid 100) errors.push("State Recovery Rate must be between 0 and 100.");
if (errors.length > 0) { resultDiv.style.display = 'block'; resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please fix the following:' + errors.map(function(e){ return ''; }).join('') + ''; return; }
// --- Core Calculations ---
// Step 1: Net probate estate after priority deductions var netEstate = estateValue - liens - adminCosts - exemptAssets; netEstate = Math.max(netEstate, 0); // cannot be negative
// Step 2: Maximum Medicaid claim = benefits paid × (recovery rate / 100) var maxClaim = medicaidPaid * (recoveryRate / 100);
// Step 3: Recoverable claim = lesser of max claim and net estate // (state cannot recover more than the net estate value) var recoverableClaim = Math.min(maxClaim, netEstate);
// Step 4: Remaining estate after claim var remainingEstate = netEstate - recoverableClaim;
// Step 5: Unrecovered amount (claim exceeds estate) var unrecovered = Math.max(maxClaim - netEstate, 0);
// Step 6: Effective recovery rate on estate var effectiveRate = (netEstate > 0) ? (recoverableClaim / netEstate * 100) : 0;
// --- Format helper --- function fmt(n) { return '$' + n.toLocaleString('en-US', {minimumFractionDigits:2, maximumFractionDigits:2}); } function fmtPct(n) { return n.toFixed(2) + '%'; }
// --- Deferred / Waived scenario --- var deferredNote = ''; if (spouseDefer === 'yes') { deferredNote = '' + '⚠ Recovery Deferred / Potentially Waived: A surviving spouse or qualifying dependent ' + 'is present. Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1396p) prohibits recovery until after the surviving spouse's death ' + 'and may result in full waiver. The figures below reflect the maximum theoretical claim only.' + ''; }
// --- Output --- resultDiv.style.display = 'block'; resultDiv.innerHTML = deferredNote + '### Estimated Estate Recovery Claim ' + '' + 'Gross Probate Estate' + '' + fmt(estateValue) + '' + 'Less: Liens & Mortgages' + '(' + fmt(liens) + ')' + 'Less: Administration Costs' + '(' + fmt(adminCosts) + ')' + 'Less: Exempt / Non-Probate Assets' + '(' + fmt(exemptAssets) + ')' + 'Net Recoverable Estate' + '' + fmt(netEstate) + '' + 'Total Medicaid Benefits Paid' + '' + fmt(medicaidPaid) + '' + 'State Recovery Rate' + '' + fmtPct(recoveryRate) + '' + 'Maximum Medicaid Claim' + '' + fmt(maxClaim) + '' + '▶ Estimated Recoverable Claim' + '' + fmt(recoverableClaim) + '' + 'Remaining Estate After Claim' + '' + fmt(remainingEstate) + '' + 'Unrecovered Medicaid Amount' + '' + fmt(unrecovered) + '' + 'Effective Recovery Rate on Net Estate' + '' + fmtPct(effectiveRate) + '' + '' + '* This is an estimate only. Actual claims depend on ' + 'state-specific rules, hardship waivers, and court determinations.
'; }
#### Formula
Net Recoverable Estate = Gross Probate Estate − Liens & Mortgages − Administration Costs − Exempt Assets
Maximum Medicaid Claim = Total Medicaid Benefits Paid × (State Recovery Rate ÷ 100)
Estimated Recoverable Claim = min(Maximum Medicaid Claim, Net Recoverable Estate)
Remaining Estate = Net Recoverable Estate − Estimated Recoverable Claim
Unrecovered Amount = max(Maximum Medicaid Claim − Net Recoverable Estate, 0)
Effective Recovery Rate = Estimated Recoverable Claim ÷ Net Recoverable Estate × 100
#### Assumptions & References
- Recovery applies only to beneficiaries who were age 55 or older when Medicaid was received, or who were permanently institutionalized, per 42 U.S.C. § 1396p(b)(1).
- Federal law prohibits recovery while a surviving spouse is alive, or while a surviving child who is blind or permanently disabled resides in the home.
- Recovery is limited to probate assets under minimum-estate-recovery states; expanded-estate-recovery states may also reach non-probate transfers (joint tenancy, trusts).
- This tool does not account for TEFRA liens placed on property prior to death, which are separate from post-death estate recovery.
- References: 42 U.S.C. § 1396p; OBRA 1993; CMS State Medicaid Manual § 3810.
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