How to Shield Your Family Home from Long-Term Care Costs in Oklahoma
For most Oklahoma residents, the family home represents financial stability, a family legacy, and a place where thousands of memories have been made over the years. For many people, it is the single largest asset they own. Unfortunately, when a homeowner needs long-term care, their home may be at risk—and that’s why it’s important to discuss your plans to keep your home with a Medicaid planning lawyer in Oklahoma.
At Entz Burton & Associates, we know how hard you have worked to build your assets and net worth—and we don’t believe it should be wiped out after a couple years in long-term care. Founder J. Michael Entz has spent his career helping Oklahoma clients plan for the future and protect their assets from Medicaid. Learn more about how we can help you now by calling our Medicaid planning law firm at 800-633-7230.
The High Cost of Long-Term Care in Oklahoma
Year after year, the cost of long-term care continues to climb. Genworth conducts an annual Cost of Care Survey that breaks down how care costs have changed from the previous year. In 2024, the average monthly cost for a home health aide was over $6,600 per month. Living in a semi-private room in a nursing home costs an average of $6,448 per month, and having your own private room costs $7,604 monthly. At these costs, it’s only a matter of months or years before the average Oklahoma homeowner’s net worth has been wiped out completely.
The good news is that there are lawful, effective ways to protect your home. By working with an Oklahoma Medicaid planning attorney, learning about Medicaid rules, and taking action early, you can keep your family property in the family.
How Medicaid Impacts Home Ownership
SoonerCare is Oklahoma’s Medicaid program that provides assistance to those who demonstrate financial need. There are maximum income and resource standards that determine whether or not residents can have Medicaid pay for their long-term care needs. As of October 2025, the monthly countable income must be equal to or less than $2,901 per month. Assets must be equal to or less than $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple.
The good news is that an applicant’s primary home is typically exempt from this calculation. However, this protection does not last forever. Once the individual passes away, the law allows the state to pursue Medicaid estate recovery to recoup the money they spent on the individual’s care. They may not be able to place a lien on an asset if the decedent’s spouse, minor child, or disabled child still resides there—but for many families, the loss of a loved one also means the loss of the family home when the state seizes it.
It’s not as simple as transferring the home to someone else in the family, either. Medicaid has a 60-month lookback period. When an applicant applies for Medicaid to cover long-term care, the agency looks back five years from the date of the application. Any assets that were transferred or gifts that were given may result in penalization.
While Medicaid planning law firms do work to help individuals qualify for Medicaid benefits, there’s more to it than that—it’s also about protecting the family home for surviving family members.
Legal Strategies to Protect Your Home
There are numerous ways our Medicaid planning lawyers can help you safeguard your assets while still qualifying for the benefits you deserve. Some of the options we may explore include:
- Irrevocable trusts: If an irrevocable trust is set up early enough to fall outside the lookback period, the home may be protected from Medicaid. Ownership of the home lies with the trust, and because it is irrevocable, you do not have any ability to take back ownership.
- Transfer-on-death or lady bird deeds: Oklahoma lets homeowners use transfer-on-death deeds to maintain control of the property while alive. Upon the individual’s passing, ownership of the home passes to the named beneficiary automatically.
- Spousal protections: When one spouse needs long-term care, the state may not seize ownership of the home as long as the other spouse lives there. It’s important to consult with a Medicaid planning attorney to ensure that the home can’t later be seized by Medicaid.
Find Out How A Medicaid Planning Attorney in Oklahoma Can Help You
When it comes to Medicaid planning, a lot comes down to timing and using the right legal entities. That’s where we step in to help. Call our team at 800-633-7230 or connect with us online to schedule a time to talk.
Attorney J. Michael Entz at Entz Burton & Associates is an experience lawyer in estate planning law, business formation and asset protection serving the families in Oklahoma City and Weatherford office.
