Medicaid Look-Back Period Calculator
Calculate your Medicaid 5-year look-back window for 2026 and understand the penalty period formula for asset transfers.
Medicaid reviews 5 years (60 months) of your financial history before approving nursing home or long-term care coverage, checking for gifts or transfers made below fair market value. This only applies to institutional Medicaid, not regular Medicaid. California is a current exception, phasing in a shorter, 30-month look-back through 2028.
Before approving long-term care Medicaid, states check your financial history for a set window of time. Transfers found during that window can delay your eligibility. Enter your planned application date below to see your exact look-back window, and learn how the penalty period is actually calculated.
Calculate Your Look-Back Window
Your Look-Back Window
Financial transactions between and will be reviewed.
California is a current exception
California is phasing in a new look-back period (0 to 30 months) between January 2026 and July 2028. Transfers made in 2024–2025 are permanently protected. Your exact look-back length depends on your specific application date during this transition — confirm with California's Medi-Cal program directly.
Penalty Period Estimate
Based on the divisor you entered, this could result in an estimated penalty period.
There is no maximum penalty period length. Verify this with your state Medicaid agency or an elder law attorney before making decisions.
Enter your state's penalty divisor above for an estimate. You can find this by searching "[your state] Medicaid penalty divisor 2026" or asking your state Medicaid agency, since it updates annually and varies significantly, from under $8,000 to over $14,000 per month depending on the state.
Transfers That Are Always Exempt
- Transfers to a spouse
- Transfers to a blind or permanently disabled child
- Transfers to a trust for the sole benefit of a disabled individual under 65
- Transfers of the home to a "caregiver child" who lived there for at least 2 years immediately before the applicant's institutionalization and provided care that delayed a nursing home admission
- Transfers of the home to a sibling with an equity interest who lived there for at least 1 year before the applicant's institutionalization
- Sales at fair market value, or spending savings on the applicant's own medical care — these aren't "uncompensated" transfers at all
The look-back period runs 60 months backward from your application date, not from when you made any specific transfer. That distinction matters: a gift made 61 months before you apply falls outside the window entirely and isn't reviewed, while one made 59 months before is. If Medicaid finds an uncompensated transfer, meaning a gift or a sale below fair market value, it doesn't deny you outright. Instead, it calculates a penalty period: the transferred amount divided by your state's penalty divisor, the average monthly cost of private-pay nursing home care there. Divisors vary enormously, from under $8,000 a month in some states to over $14,000 in others, and they update annually, so there's no responsible way to give you one national number here. Several transfers are always exempt regardless of value, including to a spouse, a disabled child, certain trusts, and specific home transfers to a caregiver child or sibling who lived there beforehand. California is worth flagging separately: after eliminating its look-back for 2024–2025, it's phasing a new, shorter version back in through 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Medicaid look-back period?
The window of time, generally 60 months (5 years) before your application, during which Medicaid reviews your financial history for gifts or below-market asset transfers before approving nursing home or long-term care coverage.
Does the look-back period apply to all Medicaid, or just nursing home care?
Only institutional and long-term care Medicaid, nursing home Medicaid and HCBS waivers. Regular Medicaid has no look-back period.
How is the Medicaid penalty period calculated?
By dividing the value of an uncompensated transfer by your state's penalty divisor, the average monthly cost of private-pay nursing home care there. Divisors vary significantly by state and update annually.
Is there a maximum Medicaid penalty period?
No. A large enough uncompensated transfer can result in a penalty period of any length, with no cap.
Does California have a different look-back period?
Yes, and it's currently changing. California eliminated its look-back from 2024–2025, and is phasing a new one back in starting January 2026, reaching a maximum of 30 months (not 60) by July 2028.
Are any asset transfers exempt from the look-back penalty?
Yes, several, including transfers to a spouse, a disabled child, certain trusts, and specific caregiver-child or sibling home transfers where the recipient lived with the applicant for a required period beforehand.
This tool calculates your look-back window based on general 2026 Medicaid rules and provides the penalty period formula for your own use, but does not calculate a specific penalty estimate unless you provide your own state's divisor. Rules, exemptions, and divisors vary by state and change annually. This is not legal advice. For a full review of your specific situation, especially involving past asset transfers, consult an elder law attorney before applying.