Medicare and Medi-Cal together: what you may qualify for

The Medicare Savings Programs

Income limits follow the federal poverty level and change each spring; the county Medi-Cal office applies them. Apply through your county office, BenefitsCal.com, or with help from HICAP (1-800-434-0222). Qualifying for any of the three automatically qualifies you for Extra Help, which lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays.

The 2026 asset limit

From January 2024 through December 2025, California had no asset test for Medi-Cal, which let many people with modest savings qualify for the Savings Programs. The 2025 state budget reinstated the limit effective January 1, 2026: $130,000 for a single person, plus $65,000 for each additional person in the household ($195,000 for a couple). It applies to non-MAGI Medi-Cal, including the aged, blind and disabled programs, Medi-Cal with a share of cost, long-term care, and the Medicare Savings Programs. Your primary home, one vehicle, household goods, most retirement accounts and certain burial funds do not count. People already enrolled are reviewed at their next annual renewal, not dropped immediately. If your savings sit near the line, get advice before you spend or move money; HICAP, Justice in Aging and a Medi-Cal planning attorney all handle this.

Medi-Medi Plans (aligned D-SNPs)

A Dual Special Needs Plan is a Medicare Advantage plan for people with both Medicare and Medi-Cal. California’s version, the Medi-Medi Plan, requires that the same organization run your Medi-Cal managed-care plan, so Medicare, Medi-Cal, long-term services and care coordination come through one card and one care team. For 2026 they are available in 41 counties, up from 12, including Los Angeles (L.A. Care, Health Net, Molina, Anthem, Kaiser and others), Orange (CalOptima OneCare), San Diego, the Inland Empire (IEHP), Santa Clara, Alameda, San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and Kern. If you are dual-eligible, a Medi-Medi Plan is usually where we start, and we compare it against your current arrangement rather than assume.

Long-term care

Medicare covers short rehabilitation stays; Medi-Cal covers long-term nursing-facility care and, through programs like In-Home Supportive Services and the Assisted Living Waiver, care at home or in assisted living for people who qualify. The asset limit applies here too, with the well-known spousal protections. An Institutional SNP or a Medi-Medi Plan can coordinate the Medicare side of that care.