In Illinois, assisted living facility residents covered by Medicaid are not at risk of being evicted if they leave the facility for a temporary hospitalization.
The Illinois Medicaid program pays for services not just in nursing homes but in assisted living facilities which are meant to provide a home-like alternative to nursing homes. The Nursing Home Reform Law authorizes Medicaid to pay a nursing home to hold a room for a Medicaid recipient who is temporarily absent due to hospitalization and entitles the resident to return to the first available room.
Medicaid does not make similar payments on behalf of residents of assisted living facilities and the facilities are not required to give admission priority to returning residents. Illinois is one of only a handful of states which makes retainer payments to assisted living facilities on behalf of residents who are temporarily absent. Because of this law, Illinois assisted living facility residents covered by Medicaid are not at risk of being evicted if they leave the facility for a temporary hospitalization.Consult your estate planning attorney for further information.