What happens to my assets once they're in the trust?

As a general rule, you can manage your assets in the trust the same way you would outside of the trust. If you own a stock portfolio, you can continue buying and selling stock. If your house is in the Medicaid trust you will retain property tax exemptions and the ability to sell your house without requiring permission from anyone. The major restriction on the trust is that you cannot distribute principal to yourself. If you need a new roof on the house, principal can be used for that purpose (or anything connected to your residence), but you cannot simply cash $50,000 in principal out of the trust to purchase a new vehicle or go on a trip.