The California Medicaid look-back period: how the 30-month review works
By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified
When someone applies for long-term-care Medicaid in California, the agency reviews their financial history for the 30 months before the application — the “look-back period.” Money or property given away, or sold for less than fair market value, during that window can create a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for long-term care. The rule exists in every state; the length and the penalty math are published, state-specific figures.
California look-back
30 months
What it means in paperwork
30 months of records
Bank and financial account statements
California's published transfer rules
30-month look-back is phasing back in (2026–2028); 2024–2025 transfers are shielded
California's look-back for nursing-home applicants is a maximum of 30 months, shorter than the 60 months used by most states. Transfers made January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025 (while there was no asset limit) are permanently exempt from penalties per DHCS guidance (ACWDL 25-18). Penalties apply only to gifts made on or after January 1, 2026, and the look-back window is phasing in gradually, reaching the full 30 months around July 2028. Penalty months are calculated by dividing the gifted amount by the Average Private Pay Rate ($14,440).
official sourceWhat the look-back is not
It is not a bar on applying, and a transfer in the window is not automatically a denial — it is a documentation and timing question that the agency resolves from the records you provide. If there were gifts or transfers in the window, that is precisely the situation to put in front of an elder-law attorney before filing; a prepared, specific question costs far less to answer than an open-ended engagement.
Look-back periods in other states
| State | Look-back period | Year |
|---|---|---|
| California | 30 months | 2026 |
| Michigan | 60 months | 2026 |
| New York | 60 months for nursing-home applications; no look-back currently applies to community (home-care) applications | 2026 |
| Ohio | 60 months | 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 60 months | 2026 |
| Texas | 60 months | 2026 |
The concept in plain English: the Medicaid look-back period, explained.
The figures on this page are California's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — no checklist, calculator, or company can decide for it. Applying is always free through the state agency.
A note on limits of this page: whether and how any rule applies to a specific family is a question only the state agency — or an elder-law attorney — can answer. MedicaidChecklist publishes the rules and helps you prepare and organize the application; it does not give legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to move, transfer, or restructure money or property.
California guideCalifornia income limitCalifornia asset limit
Sources
- Asset limit of $130,000 for an individual (+$65,000 per additional family member) reinstated effective January 1, 2026 for aged, disabled, and nursing-home Medi-Cal; 30-month look-back for asset transfers before nursing facility entry; transfers made before January 1, 2026 are not counted — www.dhcs.ca.gov
- 2026 CSRA is $162,660; transfer penalties only for transfers on/after January 1, 2026 (2024–2025 transfers shielded per ACWDL 25-18 / MEDIL I25-23); penalty = amount transferred divided by Average Private Pay Rate of $14,440; penalties apply only to nursing home entrants, max 30-month look-back — canhr.org