Can my partner create a life tenancy or life estate to guarantee me a place to live out my life without affecting his Medicaid?

Protection of assets from Medicaid estate recovery is an area with limited options after the need for assistance. You will want to consult an attorney with experience elder law or medicaid eligibility to determine if any resources can still be protected. Generally, there are exemptions only for a non-institutionalized spouse. Whether an argument can be made to extend those exemptions to a domestic partner may be dependent on whether you can find an attorney willing to fight for the issue and challenge the State's actions. Other options would involve determining how to financially work around the recovery, if possible. Medicaid is not interested in throwing anyone out of a house and is not interested in owning the home - it is only the value to repay the assistance that they are interested in collecting. If the home is otherwise free of liens, a mortgage against the home, with the proceeeds going to the State would allow you to stay, albeit with the expense of mortgage payments.