Elder Law Bulletin #8

This bulletin discusses the often-confusing interplay between North Carolina’s laws regarding spousal support and responsibility and the provisions of the federal Medicaid statute that apply to income and assets of a married couple when one spouse is a nursing home patient and applies for Medicaid payment for nursing home care while the other spouse continues to live in the community. Written primarily for district and superior court judges, clerks and assistant clerks of superior court, attorneys who practice elder law, attorneys and employees who work for state or county social services or aging agencies, and state policymakers, the bulletin is a useful reference on a complex topic.