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Medicaid Planning · California

California Long-term-care Medicaid eligibility

Long-term-care Medicaid eligibility rules for California.

Published: Not yet published. Last checked: September 2, 2026.

Income limits

Institutional long-term-care income limit

Source unavailable. Check with the state Medicaid agency.

Pathway: institutional-long-term-care; setting: institutional long-term care; applies to: applicant (single applicant; California uses multiple eligibility and share-of-cost pathways); measure: cap.

State Medicaid agency

Asset limits

Asset limit for one person

$130,000

Pathway: aged-blind-disabled; setting: Medi-Cal programs subject to the restored asset test; applies to: applicant (one person); measure: cap.

Source: DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letter 26-02 [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated January 28, 2026; limits effective January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 Additional authority: DHCS Medi-Cal Asset Limit FAQs [state-medicaid-agency] — Asset limit restored January 1, 2026

Asset limit for two people

$195,000

Pathway: aged-blind-disabled; setting: Medi-Cal programs subject to the restored asset test; applies to: household (two people; add $65,000 for each additional person through 10 people); measure: cap.

Source: DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letter 26-02 [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated January 28, 2026; limits effective January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 Additional authority: DHCS Medi-Cal Asset Limit FAQs [state-medicaid-agency] — Asset limit restored January 1, 2026

Community spouse resource allowance (CSRA)

Community-spouse resource allowance

$162,660

Pathway: spousal-impoverishment; setting: institutional long-term care; applies to: community-spouse (new spousal-impoverishment determinations beginning January 1, 2026); measure: cap.

Source: DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letter 26-02 [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated January 28, 2026; limits effective January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027

Monthly maintenance needs allowance (MMMNA)

Community-spouse monthly maintenance-needs allowance

$4,067 per month

Pathway: spousal-impoverishment; setting: institutional long-term care; applies to: community-spouse (institutionalized applicant with a community spouse; California uses its rounded statewide amount); measure: cap.

Source: DHCS All County Welfare Directors Letter 26-02 [state-medicaid-agency] — Dated January 28, 2026; limits effective January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027

Home-equity limits

Separate numeric home-equity limit

Source unavailable. Check with the state Medicaid agency.

Pathway: institutional-long-term-care; setting: long-term-care services; applies to: applicant (applicant whose principal home may otherwise be excluded); measure: cap.

State Medicaid agency

Sources and update policy

Methodology & sources

Checked at least annually and whenever the state or CMS publishes new long-term-care eligibility figures.

This page is educational and is not legal advice.