Must a single New Jersey Homeowner Sell the Home to Qualify for Medicaid?

In the case of a single homeowner, it may also be advisable to keep the home as long as possible, although it is a bit more  complicated.  The reason for this is that Medicaid rules allow the applicant’s home to remain an exempt asset as long as there is a stated intent to return.  In practice, New Jersey Medicaid insists that the home be sold, which as just stated, is not correct.  However, because the applicant’s income must go to the nursing home when approved for Medicaid, there is no way to pay for the taxes, insurance and maintenance on the home unless someone else (eg. Family member) does so.