Before approving anyone for nursing-home or waiver Medicaid, Florida's Department of Children and Families looks back 60 months — five years — from the application date, checking for gifts or transfers made below market value by the applicant or their spouse. Per the DCF ESS Manual (Chapter 1600, Section 1640.0608), the clock "begins with the month of application, counting backwards." Any uncompensated transfer that turns up inside that window is presumed to have been made to game Medicaid eligibility, unless the applicant can show otherwise.
Florida figures
- Look-back period
- 60 months
- Transfer penalty divisor
- $10,645
Sources and official resources
- Florida DCF: ESS Program Policy Manual
- U.S. Code: 42 U.S.C. § 1396p (liens, estate recovery, transfers of assets, Partnership disregard)
Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.