Pennsylvania Medicaid Look-Back Period

Last updated: August 21, 2026 Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania reviews five years of transfers

Pennsylvania DHS reviews transfers for less than fair market value made in the five years before a long-term-care MA application. PA DHS, Medicaid Payment for Long-Term Care This is a 60-month look-back period, not a rule that a gift simply disappears after a short interval. PA DHS, Medicaid Payment for Long-Term Care

For contrast, Florida's look-back page covers the same broad 60-month timeframe but its own state administration and planning details. See also the Crisis Planning / Half-a-Loaf pillar.

How the penalty is measured

DHS states the formula as the uncompensated value of the transfer divided by Pennsylvania's average daily private-pay rate for long-term-care services. PA DHS, Medicaid Payment for Long-Term Care The uncompensated value is the asset's fair market value minus what was actually received in exchange. PA DHS, Medicaid Payment for Long-Term Care

Penalty timing: DHS says the penalty begins when the person would otherwise be financially and medically eligible for MA long-term care, not simply on the transfer date. PA DHS, Medicaid Payment for Long-Term Care

Trust funding is not outside the review

Secondary Pennsylvania elder-law sources state that an asset placed in a properly drafted irrevocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trust is still subject to the same 60-month review, and that principal must be genuinely unavailable to the grantor for the asset to become non-countable after that period. Lebovitz Law, Pennsylvania Medicaid Planning Keystone Elder Law, MAPT FAQ

That trust explanation is elder-law commentary rather than a DHS trust-mechanics rule cited here, so it should be treated as a reason to seek individualized legal advice rather than a fill-in-the-blank result. Keystone Elder Law, MAPT FAQ

Document purpose and value

Records supporting value received, dates, and the reason for a transfer can be central when DHS reviews a five-year history. PA DHS, Medicaid Payment for Long-Term Care Transfers between spouses are reported by a secondary elder-law source as exempt, but that specific point should be confirmed for the active case. Paoli Law Group, Medicaid planning strategies

Not mutually exclusive. Most families combine two or three funding pillars — this one rarely stands alone. The Journey Assessment ranks all ten pillars against your specific situation and recommends the top three.

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Pennsylvania Medicaid Look-Back Period

Pennsylvania reviews five years of transfers

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