What is Divestment?

  • The act of giving away income and/or assets for less than the fair market value.
  • Examples:
    • Giving gifts to others that you normally don’t give to
    • Declining income/assets you are able to get, such as pensions or inheritance
    • Purchasing assets, such as life estate, loan, or annuity
    • Wisconsin Medicaid Divestment
  • Answering Your Questions about Divestment – Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resource, Inc (GWAAR) publication which provides a general overview of how Divestment affects eligibility for Medicaid funded programs in Wisconsin

What happens if I divest?

  • The Western Region for Economic Assistance will determine a divestment penalty period, for which you will not be eligible for Medicaid funded programming.

What is a divestment penalty period?

  • This is the amount of time that Medicaid will not cover long-term care benefits.

For more information about Divestment, please call our office and request to speak to our ADRC professionals: 715-284-3978