Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Eligibility in 2026
If you read somewhere that Medi-Cal has “no asset test,” that was true for a while — but it changed on January 1, 2026. If you’re planning around long-term-care Medi-Cal now, this is the single most important update to know.
The asset test is back as of January 1, 2026
From January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025, California eliminated the asset limit for non-MAGI Medi-Cal entirely (under AB 133, 2021). That full elimination has now been reversed. Under Assembly Bill 116 (Chapter 21, Statutes of 2025), the asset limit was reinstated effective January 1, 2026.
If you’ve seen older articles, blog posts, or even well-meaning advice saying Medi-Cal has no asset test — that information is now out of date. Confirm anything you read against a current source before you act on it.
The current asset limits (2026)
- $130,000 for one person.
- +$65,000 for each additional person in the household, up to 10 people.
Source: DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letter (ACWDL) 25-14, confirmed again in ACWDL 26-02 and 26-03.
If a spouse stays at home
When one spouse needs long-term care and the other continues living in the community, two protections apply:
- Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): $162,660. The community spouse can generally keep this amount in countable assets, on top of the applicant’s own limit.
- Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA): $4,067/month. The community spouse is generally entitled to keep at least this much monthly income before any of the applicant’s income is counted toward their care costs.
Source: DHCS ACWDL 26-02.
Three programs stay exempt from the asset test
Don’t let this get lost: the Pickle, Disabled Adult Child (DAC), and Disabled Widow/er (DW) programs remain exempt from this asset test, under separate federal waiver authority. If your family situation involves one of these programs, the 2026 asset limits above don’t apply to you the same way.
Source: DHCS ACWDL 25-18.
Where this comes from
These figures come from DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letters 25-14, 25-18, 26-02, and 26-03 — DHCS’s own official guidance to county eligibility workers on how to administer these rules. That makes them the most authoritative source available, more reliable than third-party summaries (including this one) that may not have been updated since the 2026 reinstatement.
Related reading: if you’re weighing whether to transfer assets before applying, see our guide to the look-back period and transfer penalties. If you’re wondering what happens to a home or other assets after a Medi-Cal recipient passes away, see Medi-Cal estate recovery.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Medi-Cal rules are complex and change — confirm your specific situation with DHCS, your county eligibility worker, or a qualified elder-law attorney before you rely on any figure here.
Want this checked against your specific numbers? Our free Care Financing Roadmap asks a few questions about your assets, income, veteran status, and insurance, then tells you exactly which paths apply to you.