The Look-Back Question Comes Before Any Transfer: What to Write Down and Ask Before Moving a House or an Account

Before a house, a bank account, or a large gift moves to a family member, one question decides what it costs later. Federal law sets a look-back period for certain transfers made before a Medicaid application. This desk does not give the window, the exemptions, or any penalty math. Those belong to an attorney who reads the transfer and the facts. What you can do before that meeting is write down what you plan to move, when, and to whom, and bring that list with you.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Write the transfer list before you call anyone

List each asset: the house, any vehicle, bank accounts, retirement accounts, investments, and any money given to family in the recent past. For each one, note the day it moved, the amount, the recipient, and whether anything was paid back or kept for the owner's use. Keep the bank statements and deed copies that show the trail. Missing records are the first thing an attorney will ask about.

Ask whether a move can be undone

Ask the attorney whether a transfer already made can be reversed, and at what cost. Ask whether a planned transfer would be exempt, and which exemption would apply. Ask how the look-back window is counted from the day a Medicaid application is filed, and whether the agency can ask about transfers made before that window opens. Get the answers in a short memo you can keep.

Check the house and the home-care plan together

If the goal is to keep a parent at home with paid help, check how the house is treated under the eligibility rules before any transfer. Ask the attorney, and separately a Medicaid counselor, what happens to the home if the owner later needs long-term care. Those two answers can point in different directions, and you want both in writing before a deed is signed.

What not to do before you have the answer

Do not sign a deed, add a name to an account, or make a gift to family while the answer is pending. Do not accept a sales pitch that says a product gets around the look-back. If you do not have an attorney, ask the Missouri Bar's referral service for a name, and bring the transfer list to the first meeting.

For free counseling on the benefit side, see Local Help With Paying for Care. For the sources behind this order of questions, see Sources.