Medicaid Look-Back Period Calculator
Calculate your Medicaid 5-year look-back window for 2026 and see how the penalty period for asset transfers is worked out.
Before approving nursing home or other long-term care coverage, Medicaid reviews the previous 5 years (60 months) of your finances for gifts and transfers made below fair market value. The review applies only to long-term care Medicaid, not regular Medicaid. California is an exception and is phasing in a shorter look-back of up to 30 months through 2028.
Transfers found in the look-back window can delay your eligibility. Enter your planned application date to see your window. If you know your state's penalty divisor, you can also estimate a penalty period.
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 and 2025 are permanently protected. The length that applies to you depends on your application date during the transition. Confirm it with Medi-Cal.
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, and spending savings on the applicant's own medical care, which are not uncompensated transfers
The window. The 60 months are counted backward from the date you apply. A gift made 61 months before the application is outside the window and is not reviewed. One made 59 months before is inside it.
The penalty. An uncompensated transfer, meaning a gift or a sale below fair market value, does not lead to a denial. It leads to a period without coverage:
Amount transferred ÷ state penalty divisor = months without coverage
The divisor is the state's average monthly cost of private-pay nursing home care. It ranges from under $8,000 to over $14,000 a month and changes every year, so this tool does not fill one in. Your state Medicaid agency publishes its current figure.
| Amount given away | Divisor $8,000 | Divisor $10,000 | Divisor $14,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | 6.3 months | 5 months | 3.6 months |
| $100,000 | 12.5 months | 10 months | 7.1 months |
The divisors in the table are examples. The penalty has no maximum.
When the penalty starts. It begins when you would otherwise qualify for Medicaid and need care, not on the date of the gift. A gift made three years ago can produce a penalty that starts now.
The gift tax exclusion does not help. A gift within the IRS annual exclusion ($19,000 per person in 2026) is still a transfer for Medicaid.
Exempt transfers. Transfers to a spouse, to a blind or permanently disabled child, to certain trusts for a disabled person under 65, and of the home to a caregiver child or a sibling who lived there for the required period.
California. The state had no look-back for applications in 2024 and 2025 and is phasing a shorter one back in from January 2026, up to 30 months by July 2028.
See the look-back penalty math explained for worked examples, and talk to an elder law attorney before you apply if you have made any transfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Medicaid look-back period?
It is the period, generally the 60 months (5 years) before your application, for which Medicaid reviews your finances for gifts and below-market transfers before approving nursing home or other long-term care coverage.
Does the look-back period apply to all Medicaid, or just nursing home care?
Only to long-term care Medicaid: nursing home Medicaid and HCBS waivers. Regular Medicaid has no look-back period.
How is the Medicaid penalty period calculated?
Divide the value of the uncompensated transfer by your state's penalty divisor, which is the average monthly cost of private-pay nursing home care in the state. Divisors differ by state and change every year.
Is there a maximum Medicaid penalty period?
No. A large enough transfer can produce a penalty period of any length.
Does California have a different look-back period?
Yes. California had no look-back for applications in 2024 and 2025. It is phasing a new one in from January 2026, reaching a maximum of 30 months, not 60, by July 2028.
Are any asset transfers exempt from the look-back penalty?
Yes. They include transfers to a spouse, to a disabled child, to certain trusts, and of the home to a caregiver child or sibling who lived with the applicant for a required period beforehand.
This tool calculates your look-back window from general 2026 Medicaid rules and gives the penalty formula. It estimates a penalty only if you enter your state's divisor. Rules, exemptions and divisors differ by state and change each year. This is not legal advice. Consult an elder law attorney before you apply, especially if you have made transfers.