California Medicaid asset limit for long-term care (2026)
By Bennett Dixon, founder of MedicaidChecklist · Every figure cited to an official source · Last verified
California's published 2026 asset limit for a single long-term-care Medicaid applicant is $130,000. The limit applies to countable assets, and what counts is as important as the number.
2026 asset limit (single applicant)
$130,000
How the limit works here
IMPORTANT REVERSAL: California eliminated the asset limit entirely on January 1, 2024, but reinstated it effective January 1, 2026 (AB 116, June 2025 budget). The limit is now $130,000 for an individual, plus $65,000 for each additional household member (couple: $195,000). With spousal impoverishment protections, the institutionalized spouse may keep $130,000 and the community spouse up to the CSRA. California applies the CSRA as a flat allowance up to the federal maximum ($162,660 in 2026) rather than a min/max range, so csraMin is null.
California rules that change the asset picture
Asset limit eliminated in 2024, reinstated January 1, 2026
California removed all asset limits for seniors and people with disabilities on January 1, 2024, but the state reversed course for budget reasons. Starting January 1, 2026, you can have no more than $130,000 in countable assets as an individual (plus $65,000 for each additional family member). Your primary home, one vehicle, and household goods do not count. Current members must report assets at their first renewal on or after January 1, 2026.
official sourceProtections for the spouse at home (CSRA and MMMNA)
If you are married and enter a nursing home, your at-home spouse can keep assets up to the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, $162,660 in 2026, on top of the $130,000 you may keep. Your spouse can also receive part of your income to bring their monthly income up to the maintenance needs allowance, up to $4,066.50 per month in 2026. The family home is exempt while the spouse lives there.
official sourceYour home is exempt with no equity cap (until a federal cap arrives in 2028)
California does not currently apply a home equity limit for long-term care Medi-Cal. Your principal residence is exempt regardless of value as long as you state an 'intent to return' home, or a spouse or dependent relative lives there. A new federal law (H.R. 1, 2025) will impose a $1 million home equity cap for long-term care eligibility starting in 2028.
official sourceHow this compares to other states
Asset limits vary between states far more than income limits do — this is the figure to check for your own state, not a national article.
| State | Asset limit (single applicant) | Year |
|---|---|---|
| California | $130,000 | 2026 |
| Michigan | $9,950 | 2026 |
| New York | $33,038 | 2026 |
| Ohio | $2,000 | 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | $8,000 | 2026 |
| Texas | $2,000 | 2026 |
Full table with context: Medicaid asset limits by state.
The figures on this page are California's published 2026 rules, cited to the official source and last verified 2026-07-14. Eligibility decisions are made only by California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — no checklist, calculator, or company can decide for it. Applying is always free through the state agency.
A note on limits of this page: whether and how any rule applies to a specific family is a question only the state agency — or an elder-law attorney — can answer. MedicaidChecklist publishes the rules and helps you prepare and organize the application; it does not give legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to move, transfer, or restructure money or property.
California guideCalifornia income limitCalifornia look-back period
Sources
- Asset limit of $130,000 for an individual (+$65,000 per additional family member) reinstated effective January 1, 2026 for aged, disabled, and nursing-home Medi-Cal; 30-month look-back for asset transfers before nursing facility entry; transfers made before January 1, 2026 are not counted — www.dhcs.ca.gov
- History of the asset limit: increased to $130,000 July 2022, fully eliminated January 2024, reinstated at $130,000 effective January 1, 2026 by June 2025 state budget legislation — justiceinaging.org
- 2026 CSRA is $162,660; transfer penalties only for transfers on/after January 1, 2026 (2024–2025 transfers shielded per ACWDL 25-18 / MEDIL I25-23); penalty = amount transferred divided by Average Private Pay Rate of $14,440; penalties apply only to nursing home entrants, max 30-month look-back — canhr.org
- 2026 federal spousal impoverishment standards: maximum community spouse resource standard $162,660, maximum monthly maintenance needs allowance $4,066.50, SSI federal benefit rate $994/month (CMS Informational Bulletin, December 9, 2025) — www.medicaid.gov
- Principal residence is totally excluded from Medi-Cal countable assets (with intent to return); no state home equity cap under 2026 reinstated asset rules — canhr.org
- H.R. 1 (2025) imposes a $1 million home equity cap for Medicaid long-term services and supports starting in 2028 — justiceinaging.org