Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Eligibility in 2026
If you’ve read anywhere that Medi-Cal has “no asset test,” that information is now out of date. As of January 1, 2026, asset limits are back. Here’s exactly what changed, and the current numbers.
The single most important correction
From January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025, California eliminated the asset test for non-MAGI Medi-Cal (the category that covers long-term care) under Assembly Bill 133 (2021). During that window, it was true that Medi-Cal had no asset limit.
That has changed. Assembly Bill 116 (Chapter 21, Statutes of 2025) reinstated asset limits effective January 1, 2026. If a family member, article, or old bookmark tells you there’s no asset test, that was accurate for 2024–2025 and is no longer accurate today.
The current asset limits
- $130,000 for a one-person household.
- Add $65,000 for each additional household member, up to 10 people.
Source: DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letter (ACWDL) 25-14, confirmed again in ACWDL 26-02 and 26-03.
If your spouse isn’t also applying
When one spouse needs long-term care and the other stays in the community, special rules protect the at-home spouse:
- Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA): $162,660. The at-home spouse can generally keep resources up to this amount without affecting the applying spouse’s eligibility.
- Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA): $4,067 per month. The at-home spouse is generally entitled to keep at least this much monthly income before any is counted toward the cost of care.
Source: DHCS ACWDL 26-02.
Programs that stay exempt from this asset test
Not everyone is subject to the reinstated asset limit. The Pickle, Disabled Adult Child (DAC), and Disabled Widow/er (DW) programs remain exempt from the asset test, under separate federal waiver authority. If a family member qualifies for one of these programs, the asset limits above may not apply to them — ask your county eligibility worker specifically about these categories.
Source: DHCS ACWDL 25-18.
Where this comes from
Everything above is drawn from DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letters 25-14, 25-18, 26-02, and 26-03 — these are the California Department of Health Care Services’ own official guidance documents to county eligibility workers, and they are the most current and authoritative source on how these rules are actually applied.
Related reading
- Transferring assets before applying for Medi-Cal — the 30-month look-back and how the 2026 phase-in works.
- Medi-Cal estate recovery — what happens to a recipient’s estate after death.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Eligibility rules change and depend on your situation — confirm details with the specific program, agency, or a qualified professional before you rely on them.
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.