The Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, 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.
Pennsylvania look-back
60 months
What it means in paperwork
5 years of records
Bank and financial account statements covering the 60-month lookback
Pennsylvania's published transfer rules
60-Month Lookback and Transfer Penalty
Pennsylvania reviews all asset transfers made in the 60 months before you apply for Medicaid long-term care (nursing facility or HCBS waiver). Assets given away or sold for less than fair market value create a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for care. The penalty is calculated by dividing the transferred amount by the statewide average private-pay rate — for applications filed in 2026, $421.20 per day (about $12,811.50 per month). The penalty period does not begin until the person is in care and otherwise eligible, so families typically must pay privately during the penalty.
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 Pennsylvania's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS); applications processed by County Assistance Offices (CAO) — 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.
Pennsylvania guidePennsylvania income limitPennsylvania asset limit
Sources
- 2026 NMP special gross income limit $2,982/month (300% of federal benefit rate, effective 1/1/2026); MNO 6-month income limit $2,550 (1 person); personal needs allowance $60/month (effective 1/1/2025); MinMMNA $2,705 (eff. 7/1/2026) and MaxMMNA $4,066.50 (eff. 1/1/2026); minimum protected share (CSRA) $32,532 and maximum $162,660 (eff. 1/1/2026); penalty divisor $421.20/day and $12,811.50/month (eff. 1/1/2026); excess home equity limit $752,000 (eff. 1/1/2026) — DHS Long-Term Care Handbook, Chapter 468 Appendix A — services.dpw.state.pa.us
- PA 600L is the official Medical Assistance financial eligibility application for long-term care, supports and services; 60-month transfer/trust lookback disclosure required; CAO notifies applicants within 30 days; estate recovery applies to recipients 55+ for nursing facility and HCBS waiver services — www.pa.gov
- 2026 income limit $2,982/month and two-tier $8,000/$2,400 resource limits for PA Medicaid LTC (corroboration); 2026 penalty divisor $421.20/day applies to applications filed in 2026 — www.paelderlaw.net