Indiana Medicaid Look-Back Period

Quick answer: Indiana Medicaid reviews gifts and below-market sales made in the 60 months (5 years) before a long-term care application. Transfers in that window can cause a period when Medicaid won't pay for care.

Indiana applies a 60-month — five-year — look-back to uncompensated transfers before approving long-term-care Medicaid. Any gift, or any sale made for less than fair market value, that falls inside that window can trigger a period during which Medicaid won't pay for otherwise-covered long-term-care services.

This isn't a gift-tax exercise. The real question is whether a resource was transferred for less than it was worth, and if so, whether a recognized Medicaid transfer rule or exception applies to excuse it. That's exactly why records matter so much here — documentation of value, payment, any related care arrangements, bank transfers, deeds, and the date of each transaction can make or break a look-back review.