Texas Health and Human Services Commission v. Estate of Clyde L. Burt, Linda S. Wallace, and Linda S. Wallace, 689 S.W.3d 274

Clyde and Dorothy Burt sold their longtime home and moved to a rental property; seven years later, they entered a skilled-nursing facility.
After admission, the Burts used their available assets to purchase a one-half interest in their former home from their daughter and son-in-law, then executed a Lady Bird deed creating a life estate.
The Burts’ available resources, after acquiring the property interest, fell below the Medicaid eligibility threshold.
The Burts declared their intent to treat this property as their home for Medicaid purposes; they applied for Medicaid while in the nursing facility and never moved back.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission denied Medicaid, concluding the property did not qualify as a "home" under federal law for exclusion from resource calculation.
Lower courts reversed and ruled in favor of the Burts’ estate, prompting review by the Texas Supreme Court.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether property purchased post-admission can be excluded as a "home" for Medicaid eligibility	Wallace: Intent to return is sufficient; ownership and subjective intent matter, not timing of purchase.	Commission: Only a principal residence owned and occupied before claim qualifies as a "home"; post-admission purchases do not.	Court agrees with Commission: Only residence owned/occupied before claim can be excluded; post-admission acquisition not excludable.

El Paso Hosp. Dist. v. Tex. Health & Hum. Servs. Comm’n, 247 S.W.3d 709 (Medicaid administration and federal-state program parameters)
Mills v. Bartlett, 377 S.W.2d 636 (Texas: intent alone does not establish residence)
Owens Corning v. Carter, 997 S.W.2d 560 (Intent and presence must coincide to establish residence)
Sirius XM Radio, Inc. v. Hegar, 643 S.W.3d 402 (Plain language of statute controls regulatory interpretation)