Updated November 2026.
California’s Medi-Cal rules for older adults and people with disabilities have swung back and forth in recent years, so it’s worth a fresh look at how your assets affect eligibility. Medi-Cal (California’s Medicaid program) serves low-income individuals, including families, seniors, people with disabilities, children in foster care, pregnant women, and adults with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. Benefits include:
- Ambulatory patient services
- Emergency services
- Hospitalization
- Maternity and newborn care
- Mental health and substance use disorder treatment
- Dental (Denti-Cal)
- Vision
- Long-term care and support
The asset test: eliminated, then brought back
For years, the “non-MAGI” Medi-Cal programs (generally for people who are 65 or older, blind, or disabled) counted your personal assets. California first raised that limit, then phased it out entirely, so for a brief window there was effectively no asset test for those programs.
That window has closed. Facing budget pressure, California reinstated a Medi-Cal asset limit effective January 1, 2026: roughly $130,000 for one person, plus about $65,000 for each additional household member. A transfer look-back was also reinstated, but transfers made before January 1, 2026 are generally not counted. (These figures and effective dates are current to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing; Medi-Cal rules change often, so confirm the latest before relying on them.)
Note that “MAGI” Medi-Cal (the expansion coverage for many younger adults, children, and families under 138% of the federal poverty level) still has no asset test.
Estate recovery still matters
Separate from eligibility, Medi-Cal estate recovery lets the state seek repayment from the estates of deceased beneficiaries for certain long-term care costs. The good news for California families: recovery only reaches assets that pass through probate. If you avoid probate by setting up and funding a revocable living trust, there is nothing in your probate estate for the state to recover.
We cover this in depth in Can Medi-Cal Take Your Home? California Estate Recovery, Explained . You can also read our overview of revocable living trusts and probate .
Medi-Cal eligibility and long-term-care planning is a specialized area, and the rules keep changing, so don’t plan around these figures without current, personalized guidance.
Want to learn more? Watch our free estate planning webinar , or book a free 15-minute call .
This article is general information about California law, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
