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Wyoming committee weighs long-term care review, questions $2,000 Medicaid asset limit
Summary
Witnesses urged the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee to study long-term care policies to keep people aging at home and to examine the state’s $2,000 Medicaid asset limit for nursing-home services, arguing the low threshold increases instability for seniors and administrative burden.
Tom Lock, Associate State Director for AARP Wyoming, told the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee that “the state Medicaid spends around $200 million a year on this care” and urged a systematic review of how the state supports long-term care and efforts to keep people in their homes.
Kelsey Prestoer of the Wyoming Long-Term Care Association told the committee she supports measures that keep people at home "as long as possible" but asked that any study also consider strengthened supports for long-term care and assisted-living facilities when residents can no longer safely remain at home. She highlighted practical strain on facilities and the Medicaid program from frequent eligibility redeterminations.
Prestoer specifically asked the committee to examine the state’s $2,000 net-asset limit for Medicaid long-term care services, which she said forces many seniors to “draw down and spend down their savings” for routine needs such as dental care and personal hygiene items. She said that while that limit follows longstanding federal guidance, it has not been adjusted for inflation and is low compared with peer states.
Tom Lock and other witnesses noted related local-service issues: Lock said the Department of Health previously estimated the state should have roughly 30–35 adult day centers but had about 11, and that limited adult-day capacity — combined with transportation and reimbursement questions — affects whether families can keep loved ones at home.
Committee members heard that other states that raised their limits now range commonly between about $3,000 and $5,000, with Nebraska cited at $4,000 and California at $10,000 as examples mentioned in testimony. The committee did not take formal action but agreed the topic merits further study and data collection during the interim; members were reminded to rank topics for submission to Legislative Service Office.
What’s next: The committee asked staff to compile data and the co-chairs to consider bundling this request with broader long-term-care financing and elder-services topics when they prioritize interim topics for management council.
