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Home→Agencies→Medicaid Estate Recovery→North Carolina→When someone dies

Medicaid Estate Recovery in North Carolina: when someone dies

A 5-step process for North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services — Division of Health Benefits (NC Medicaid), Estate Recovery Program after a death in North Carolina.

OverviewWhen someone dies

Medicaid Recovery

North Carolina

policies.ncdhhs.gov/document/ma-2285-estate-recovery→

Administering agency

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services — Division of Health Benefits (NC Medicaid), Estate Recovery Program

Phone888-245-0179
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

N.C.G.S. 108A-70.5

Verified Jul 2026

Steps to take

  1. Determine whether the deceased received NC Medicaid medical assistance at age 55 or older, or while institutionalized and not expected to return home.
  2. Confirm whether the estate falls under the automatic waiver: total estate assets under $50,000, or total Medicaid benefits paid under $10,000.
  3. Contact the NC Medicaid Estate Recovery Administrator at 888-245-0179 to confirm whether a claim applies and request the amount; the Department files its claim as a sixth-class creditor of the estate (N.C.G.S. 28A-19-6).
  4. Address the claim as a debt of the estate before distributing assets to heirs.
  5. If an heir qualifies, submit a complete undue-hardship application within 60 days of the date of the notice of the Medicaid claim.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services — Division of Health Benefits (NC Medicaid), Estate Recovery Program

Phone: 888-245-0179

Visit the agency website →

Frequently asked questions

No. North Carolina Medicaid policy states that estate recovery does not include placing a lien on the property, and that recovery is not initiated until the beneficiary's death. The state pursues recovery from the estate after death under N.C.G.S. 108A-70.5.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Sources

  • policies.ncdhhs.gov
  • medicaid.ncdhhs.gov
  • ncleg.gov

Data sourced from Medicaid Estate Recovery in North Carolina primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.

Medicaid Recovery

North Carolina

policies.ncdhhs.gov/document/ma-2285-estate-recovery→

Administering agency

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services — Division of Health Benefits (NC Medicaid), Estate Recovery Program

Phone888-245-0179
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

N.C.G.S. 108A-70.5

Verified Jul 2026
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