Effective January 1, 2026, California will reinstate an asset limit to 2022 levels for all non-expansion Medi-Cal programs: $130,000 for an individual, and $65,000 for each additional household member. These non-expansion Medi-Cal programs include the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Program, Medi-Cal with a Share of Cost (medically needy), 250% Working Disabled Program, Long-Term Care, and Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). MSPs include four specific programs: Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), Qualified Income (QI), and Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI) programs. For couples receiving Spousal Impoverishment protections, additional asset limits will apply.
Many Medi-Cal beneficiaries want to know how to keep their benefits and services, especially given that the return of the asset limit is coming soon.
The California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) developed new and updated resources to help Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and advocates serving them, to better understand the changes and their options. See the links to CANHR’s resources below:
- Medi-Cal Asset Limit Frequently Asked Questions – This FAQ outlines different types of assets and their treatment under non-expansion Medi-Cal rules. It includes information on business property, other real property, and situations when assets may be considered “unavailable.”
- Using Spousal Impoverishment for Home and Community Based Services – This section provides information on how certain married couples and registered domestic partners can access additional income and asset protections that allow one person to access Home and Community Based Services. It also explains the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) which offers one spouse higher asset limit availability.
- Overview of Long Term Care Medi-Cal – This section provides detailed eligibility information on Medi-Cal’s program covering skilled nursing service – Long Term Care. It includes information on available deductions to pay off old or new medical expenses, spousal impoverishment, and options for spending down or transferring assets.
- 250% Working Disabled Program – The 250% Working and Disabled Program (250% WDP) provides Medi-Cal coverage for individuals who meet the Social Security definition of disabled, with countable monthly income below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, and who are currently working. This program offers additional asset exemptions for retirement accounts and cash assets generated through work.
- IRAs, Pensions & Annuities Under Medi-Cal – This section provides a review of how assets and income held in these specific accounts are treated under non-MAGI rules.
Also, see Justice in Aging’s FAQ: Reinstatement of the Medi-Cal Asset Limit: What Advocates Need to Know.
