The Texas 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 Texas, 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.
Texas look-back
60 months
What it means in paperwork
5 years of records
60 months of bank statements for all accounts
Texas's published transfer rules
60-month lookback and transfer penalty
HHSC reviews all asset transfers made in the 60 months before you apply. Gifts or sales for less than fair market value during that window create a penalty period: the uncompensated value is divided by Texas's transfer-of-assets daily divisor ($262.37 per day, effective Sept. 1, 2025) to get the number of days Medicaid will not pay for long-term care. The penalty starts when you would otherwise be eligible, not when the transfer was made.
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 Texas's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) — 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.
Texas guideTexas income limitTexas asset limit
Sources
- Institutional/HCBS 2026 figures: resources $2,000 individual / $3,000 couple; substantial home equity $752,000; transfer-of-assets divisor $262.37/day (eff. Sept. 1, 2025); SPRA minimum $32,532 and maximum $162,660; spousal allowance (MMMNA) $4,066.50; personal needs allowance $75 for nursing facility residents — www.hhs.texas.gov
- 60-month lookback and STAR+PLUS HCBS interest list; 2026 figures cross-check (income $2,982, assets $2,000, CSRA $32,532–$162,660, home equity $752,000) — www.medicaidplanningassistance.org