Rhode Island Medicaid Look-Back Period

Quick answer: Rhode Island Medicaid reviews asset transfers by the applicant or spouse in the 60 months (5 years) before the application month. Transfers for less than fair market value made on or after February 8, 2006 can cause a period of ineligibility for long-term care.

Rhode Island's active eligibility rule requires a look back at every asset transfer made by the applicant or the non-LTSS spouse during the five-year (60-month) window before the first day of the application month. A transfer counts as disqualifying when it was made on or after February 8, 2006, falls within that 60-month window (or even after application), and was made for less than fair market value.

The consequence is a period of LTSS ineligibility, not a financial penalty against the family directly — but it applies across care settings, whether someone needs care in an institution, at home, or in the community. It's a mistake to assume a transaction is automatically safe just because it was labeled a gift, a loan, payment for services rendered, or a title change; what actually matters is the value transferred, whether real consideration was paid, the paper trail, and whether a regulatory exception applies.