NAELA Foundation Hosts Medicaid Estate Recovery Educational Briefing on Capitol Hill

VIENNA, Va., Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) Foundation is hosting an educational briefing today for Members of Congress and their staff at the Capitol Visitors Center to discuss the harm caused by Medicaid Estate Recovery. Individuals affected by Medicaid Estate Recovery, joined by their attorneys, will share their personal experiences of facing claims for tens of thousands of dollars after their family member died — claims that came simply because their loved one signed up for Medicaid to pay for long-term care they otherwise could not afford.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), a longtime champion of the need to reform Medicaid Estate Recovery, is also slated to speak at the event, as are NAELA Foundation Chair Bridget O'Brien Swartz and NAELA President Eric Einhart.

The briefing is made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to explore the income and racial inequities caused by Medicaid Estate Recovery. Under federal law, state Medicaid programs must seek to recover certain benefits paid to enrollees 55 or older, or those of any age who are permanently institutionalized, upon the enrollee's death, even if the state would prefer not to seek such recovery.

In interviews with the NAELA Foundation, everyday Americans shared their stories of facing the loss of their family home after a loved one's death because of Medicaid Estate Recovery. The Foundation also conducted a nationwide graduate school competition where students looked at data about Medicaid Estate Recovery and made recommendations on how to mitigate the harm caused by this policy.

"The NAELA Foundation is grateful for this opportunity to share the results of our work with Members of Congress and their staff, so they can hear firsthand about the devastating impact Medicaid Estate Recovery has on constituents across the country," said Swartz. "This law goes after families at the worst times in their lives, undermining their ability to achieve the American Dream of homeownership."

Videos of the individuals impacted by Medicaid Estate Recovery telling their stories in their own words, along with findings from the research competition, can be found at naela.org/medicaidestaterecovery.

For more information, please contact NAELA Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs, Mary Lynn Rynkiewicz at [email protected].

About the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) Foundation
The NAELA Foundation is dedicated to advancing legal services for older adults and people with disabilities through innovative research, impactful scholarship and education, and strategic support for litigation. It is an affiliated 501(c)(3) entity of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the leading professional association for elder and special needs law.

SOURCE National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA)