Medi-Cal Income Eligibility tip n trick
Written by Mike Wong
Updated at May 27th, 2025
● "https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/Asset-Limit-Changes.aspx
● Starting January 1, 2024, assets will no longer be counted to determine Medi-Cal eligibility!"
● Eligibility for Medi-Cal is based on income and is renewed annually. Your INCOME cannot exceed ~$1,700 in countable monthly income as an individual (~$2,300 for a couple).
● "Examples of INCOME include:
○ Social security, social security disability income, pension payment, IRA withdrawals, stock dividends, periodic payments and required Minimum Distributions form retirement funds count towards income"
● Confirm if spouses' income is included in INCOME total?
● ASSETS no longer count for Med-Cal eligibility which means many more individuals are eligible.
● "Examples of ASSETS include:
○ Homes, cash, bank accounts, vehicles, retirement accounts, cash value of IRAs, retirement plans for self-employed individuals, work-related pension funds" Confirm this is correct:
● *Note period payments and required Minimum Distributions from retirement/pension funds count towards income
● Prior to nursing home placement; Have the house in a trust protecting the house beforehand. Money from individual and spouses’ accounts can also be in a trust banking account before applying. Can’t move pension payments/401K into a trust. Note spouses’ income included total income.
● To apply: most recent tax return, statements from any form of income. Ask for banking account information.
● They ask for any housing/real estate information if they are NOT in a trust.
● Application form:
Version: JE 1/17/2025