The New York Medicaid look-back period: how the 60-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 New York, the agency reviews their financial history for the 60 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.
New York look-back
60 months for nursing-home applications; no look-back currently applies to community (home-care) applications
What it means in paperwork
5 years of records
Bank and financial account statements — 60 months for nursing home applicants
New York's published transfer rules
60-Month Lookback and Transfer Penalty (Nursing Home)
When you apply for Medicaid nursing home coverage, New York reviews all asset transfers made in the 60 months before the application. Gifts or below-market transfers create a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for nursing facility care. The penalty is calculated by dividing the amount transferred by a regional monthly rate; for 2026 the regional divisors are: New York City $15,282, Long Island $15,193, Northern Metropolitan $15,024, Northeastern $14,783, Central $14,146, Rochester $15,675, Western $13,765 (GIS 25 MA/14). The penalty clock does not start until the person is in a nursing home, otherwise eligible, and has applied.
official source30-Month Community/HCBS Lookback: Authorized but NOT in Effect
A 2020 New York law authorized a 30-month lookback and transfer penalty for community-based long-term care (home care, MLTC, CDPAP, assisted living program). As of mid-2026 it has still not been implemented: CMS approvals and state implementation guidance are outstanding, and no start date has been announced. That means community/HCBS Medicaid applications currently have NO lookback and no transfer penalty — only nursing home applications face the 60-month lookback. This could change, so plans relying on this window should be reviewed regularly.
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 New York's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by New York State Department of Health (Office of Health Insurance Programs); applications handled by Local Departments of Social Services (HRA in New York City) — 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.
New York guideNew York income limitNew York asset limit
Sources
- 2026 regional nursing home rates (transfer penalty divisors): NYC $15,282; Long Island $15,193; Northern Metropolitan $15,024; Northeastern $14,783; Central $14,146; Rochester $15,675; Western $13,765 — GIS 25 MA/14, effective January 1, 2026 — www.health.ny.gov
- 30-month community-based long-term care lookback (2020 MRT-II law) still not implemented as of early 2026; no start date set; CMS approvals and DOH implementation directives outstanding — nyhealthaccess.org