look back period
n.— «The law discourages gifts to families and charities by increasing what’s known as the “look back” period from three to five years. This is the period in which a gift can still be considered an asset of the giver. For example, if a senior citizen gave twenty five thousand dollars to a grandchild’s education or a non-profit four-and-a-half years ago, that money can still be considered the asset of the senior citizen, which might be enough to make him or her ineligible for Medicaid assistance for nursing home care.» —“New Law Puts Non-Profits at Risk” by Al Rothstein onPhilanthropy Aug. 2, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)