In New York State, an IRA can be a non countable asset for a Medicaid recipient. There is a patchwork of Medicaid procedures manauls that measure the periodic payments made by a person's retirment plan.
The procedures in the county manauls vary, so the question of whether a Medicaid applicant's IRA or retirment plan is countable depends on which county the person resides in.
If the applicant is receiving periodic payments from the retirement plan that do comply with the procedures in the county's medicaid manual, then the retirment plan is not counted as an asset.
Of course, the periodic payments are counted as income, and that income must be used to pay for care.
Current as of January 1, 2009.