9-19-13 reclaiming estates

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Newly given powers for Gov. Scott Walker's administration to recover assets from the estates of people who were on Medicaid may be getting scaled back.  The Legislature's budget committee was scheduled to discuss Wednesday making changes to the estate-recovery provisions that were approved as a part of the state budget Walker signed into law this summer.  The new provisions were approved to help the state recover Medicaid money spent on nursing home and other long-term care. But elder law attorneys and other critics have said the changes could lead to some elderly people getting divorced or make it more difficult for children to inherit the family farm, business or property.  The estate recovery provisions must be approved by the Legislature's budget committee before they can be implemented.