California Medi-Cal Look-Back Period

Last updated: August 21, 2026 Jurisdiction: California

California uses a 30-month LTC transfer review

DHCS says California's LTC look-back period is 30 months. For a new LTC applicant it begins with the month before the application; for someone already receiving Medi-Cal who enters LTC, it begins with the month before admission, and the application month is not counted (DHCS ACWDL 25-18).

The comparison is material: federal law describes a 60-month federal look-back for post-February 2006 transfers, and Florida uses that 60-month standard. See Florida's Medicaid look-back page before carrying a Florida planning assumption into California (42 U.S.C. § 1396p).

The 2024–2025 transfer amnesty is permanent

DHCS states that months from January 2024 through December 2025 are not reviewed for transfers because the asset test did not apply then. Its consumer guidance likewise says transfers made before January 1, 2026 will not be counted, while later transfers may cause a coverage-delaying penalty (DHCS ACWDL 25-18; DHCS Asset Limit FAQ).

Rebuilding window: DHCS's schedule shows a six-month review for a July 2026 LTC application, 12 months in January 2027, 24 months in January 2028, and the full 30 months only for applications or entries into LTC on or after July 1, 2028 (DHCS ACWDL 25-18).

When a penalty can matter

DHCS describes the maximum California period of ineligibility as 30 months from the transfer date, with the period running from the transfer month. Its worked example illustrates why a penalty may expire before a later application is filed (DHCS ACWDL 23-28).

The transfer penalty is tied to nursing-facility level of care. DHCS tells consumers that for people not in a nursing home, giving away or selling assets will not affect Medi-Cal; its consumer page also identifies transfers to a spouse, a blind or disabled child, and full-value sales as examples that do not trigger a penalty (DHCS Asset Limit FAQ).

Planning requires dates and records

A 30-month rule is still a transfer-review rule, not permission to give assets away. DHCS separately recognizes transfers made exclusively for a purpose other than qualifying for medical assistance and transfers of exempt property in its policy guidance (DHCS ACWDL 23-28). Individual transfer decisions should be reviewed with a California elder-law attorney before an LTC application.

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California Medi-Cal Look-Back Period

California uses a 30-month LTC transfer review

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