Estate of Atkinson v. Minnesota Department of Human Services

OPINION

STRINGER, Justice.

We consider here the issue of at what point in time the assets of a married couple, one institutionalized, must be evaluated for purposes of determining eligibility under Minnesota’s medical assistance program.

The Otter Tail County Department of Human Services (“the County”) denied respondent Marion Atkinson’s (“Marion”) 1994 application for medical assistance (“MA”) on the ground that, due to appreciation of her husband Merle’s (“Merle”) assets since the time of Marion’s institutionalization in 1991, Merle’s assets exceeded the maximum spousal share of $72,660…