California Medi-Cal Asset Limits

Property that published materials list as excluded

California's published exempt-property rules describe the home as totally excluded with no equity cap stated. They also list household goods, personal effects, one vehicle, qualifying life insurance and burial arrangements, and certain pensions and self-support property among exclusions (DHCS MC 007; CANHR, Asset Limits for Non-MAGI Medi-Cal Programs).

Income is a separate eligibility problem

A Medi-Cal eligibility aggregator reports 2026 Aged & Disabled FPL figures of about $1,836/month for one person and $2,490 for two; the same aggregator reports a $600 one-person medically-needy maintenance need level. DHCS confirms that the maintenance need continues to use the AFDC-based methodology after its planned reform was revoked, but readers should verify current DHCS income guidance rather than treat the aggregator's dollar figures as a DHCS publication (MCHA 2026 FPL Income Grid; DHCS ACWDL 24-10).

That differs from Florida's $2,000 asset limit and hard institutional income cap. California's institutional structure instead uses share of cost for income that remains after permitted deductions (CANHR, Overview of Medi-Cal for Long Term Care).

A published further reduction is not yet one clean answer

DHCS has signaled a further reduction to the asset limit, though its own published materials are not fully consistent on the amount or effective date — consult DHCS's current guidance before relying on a specific figure. Its consumer FAQ says $21,000 for one person and $31,000 for two starting July 1, 2027, while its trailer-bill fact sheet describes alignment with SSI limits no sooner than January 2027, contingent on system programming and applied at redetermination (DHCS Asset Limit FAQ; DHCS asset-limit trailer-bill fact sheet).