DFW families can get free Medicaid benefits counseling from three Area Agencies on Aging. If an estate recovery claim arrives, the $150,000 hardship test uses the appraisal district value, so look it up at TAD, DCAD, Collin CAD or Denton CAD and track the 60-day deadline.
How Medicaid looks at a home during long-term care, and how HHSC's estate recovery program works after a death, is the same everywhere in the state; our Texas guide to nursing homes, Medicaid and your house walks through it. This page is for families in Fort Worth, Dallas and the Collin and Denton suburbs. It lists the local offices that answer Medicaid questions for free, shows where to find the home value the state uses, and points to the courts and clerks involved when a parent's estate is settled.
Free Medicaid counseling in DFW
Before anyone signs a deed or lists a house, get the eligibility questions answered. HHSC says Area Agencies on Aging serve people 60 and older and that their services include benefits counseling and legal assistance. The statewide number is 1-800-252-9240. Three agencies cover the DFW core:
- Tarrant County. The Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County has its main office at 201 N. Rupert St., Fort Worth, and a second office at 401 W. Sanford St., Arlington. Phone 817-258-8000. Its counselors help with Medicare, Medicaid, prescription coverage, long-term care and advance directives.
- Dallas County. The Dallas Area Agency on Aging, 1341 West Mockingbird Lane.
- Collin and Denton counties. The North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging at NCTCOG. Its benefits counselors give free, objective information on Medicare, Medicaid, Part D and related programs.
Ombudsmen for residents already in care
If a parent already lives in a facility, a long-term care ombudsman can help with problems about care or rights. The Tarrant County agency uses trained volunteer ombudsmen who advocate for people in nursing homes and assisted living. NCTCOG says its ombudsmen are certified staff and volunteers serving North Central Texas facilities, and it lists a staff ombudsman for Collin and Denton counties. An ombudsman is not a lawyer, but can be a useful first call.
Find the value HHSC will use
If HHSC's estate recovery program files a claim, heirs may ask for an undue hardship waiver. Under 1 TAC Sec. 373.209, adopted effective August 27, 2026, the homestead test uses the tax appraisal district value for the most recent tax year at the time of death, with $150,000 as the line. Tax Code Sec. 23.01 says appraisal districts value property at market value as of January 1.
So the number that counts is on your appraisal district's website, not on a real estate app. Look up the house and save a copy of the value page for the right year:
DFW appraisal lookups: Tarrant Appraisal District · Dallas Central Appraisal District · Collin Central Appraisal District · Denton Central Appraisal District
The same rule gives heirs 60 calendar days from the date on the Notice of Intent to File a Claim to ask for the waiver. Write that date on your calendar the day the letter arrives.
Keeping the homestead exemption while a parent is in care
Property tax bills keep coming while a parent is in care. Tax Code Sec. 11.13(l) says a home does not lose its homestead character when the qualifying owner temporarily stops living there because of residency in a facility that provides services related to health, infirmity or aging, as long as the owner does not set up a different principal residence. Questions about a specific account go to the appraisal district for the county where the house sits.
Where a DFW estate gets settled
HHSC's claim reaches the probate estate, so the probate court is where it plays out. Local courts:
- Tarrant: Probate Court No. 1 (817-884-1200) and Probate Court No. 2 (817-884-1415), both at 100 W. Weatherford St. in Fort Worth; call to confirm the courtroom. The County Clerk's 2026 cost list shows $404 for a small estate and $360 for heirship with no administration.
- Dallas: the Probate Courts Division on the 7th floor of the George Allen Courts Building, 600 Commerce St., home to three statutory probate courts. Filing questions: (214) 653-7422.
- Collin: the Collin County Probate Court in the Russell A. Steindam Courts Building.
Recording a transfer on death deed in DFW
Some families use a transfer on death deed. Estates Code Sec. 114.055 says it only works if it is recorded before the owner dies, in the deed records of the county where the house sits. For a house in Tarrant County, that is the Tarrant County Clerk; in Dallas County, the Dallas County Clerk. Recording fees:
| County clerk | First page | Each added page |
|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County | $20 | $4 |
| Dallas County | $25 | $4 |
A transfer on death deed raises its own Medicaid questions, covered in the statewide guide. Have an elder-law attorney draft it.
Legal help nearby
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, McKinney and Denton and takes intake calls at 1-888-529-5277. For planning work, look for a DFW elder-law attorney. This page lists local offices and public rules. It is not legal advice.
Selling a parent's DFW house
When the family decides a sale makes sense, Cash Home Advisors can help. We are based in Fort Worth and buy houses across DFW. We can close in 7–14 days and we pay all closing costs. You see the closing statement before you sign.
See our page on selling an inherited house, check the areas we serve, read about Fort Worth and Dallas, or ask for a cash offer.
Want a cash offer instead?
We buy Texas houses as-is, pay all closing costs, and can close in 7–14 days.
Get my cash offer or call (817) 635-0743
Frequently asked questions
Where can a Fort Worth family get free help with Medicaid and nursing home questions?
The Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County, at 201 N. Rupert St. in Fort Worth and 401 W. Sanford St. in Arlington, offers healthcare benefit counseling on Medicare, Medicaid and long-term care. Both offices use 817-258-8000.
How do I find the home value HHSC uses for a hardship waiver?
Under 1 TAC Sec. 373.209, the test uses the appraisal district value for the most recent tax year at the time of death. Search the address on the Tarrant, Dallas, Collin or Denton appraisal district website and save the value page for that year.
Which court handles a parent's estate in Dallas County?
The Dallas County Probate Courts Division on the 7th floor of the George Allen Courts Building, 600 Commerce St., where three statutory probate courts sit. The division takes filing questions at (214) 653-7422.
Who can help with a problem at a DFW nursing home?
Long-term care ombudsmen. The Tarrant County agency has trained volunteer ombudsmen for nursing home and assisted living residents, and the North Central Texas Area Agency on Aging has certified staff and volunteers, with an ombudsman assigned to Collin and Denton counties.
Sources
- Texas HHSC, Area Agencies on Aging
- Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County
- Dallas Area Agency on Aging
- NCTCOG Area Agency on Aging, direct services
- Texas Register, March 20, 2026, proposed rules, 1 TAC Chapter 373 (Medicaid Estate Recovery Program)
- Texas Register, August 21, 2026, adopted rules, 1 TAC Chapter 373
- Texas Tax Code, Chapter 23 (Sec. 23.01 appraisal at market value)
- Texas Tax Code, Chapter 11 (Sec. 11.13(l) homestead during absence)
- Texas Estates Code, Chapter 114 (Sec. 114.055 recording a transfer on death deed)
- Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1
- Tarrant County Probate Court No. 2
- Tarrant County Clerk, Probate courts cost list effective January 1, 2026 (PDF)
- Dallas County Clerk, Probate Courts Division: Know before you come
- Collin County Probate Court
- Tarrant County Clerk, Real estate records fee schedule
- Dallas County Clerk, Recording fees and payment
- Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
- Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Locations
General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.