How much money can you have in the bank and still get Medi-Cal?

The rules depend on how you qualify for Medi-Cal (California's Medicaid program), as different categories have completely different financial requirements.

1. Most Adults, Families, and Children (No Asset Limit)

If you qualify for Medi-Cal based solely on your income (known as MAGI Medi-Cal), there is no asset limit. You can have any amount of money in your bank account, and it will not affect your eligibility. Instead, the state looks only at your monthly household income. This group includes:

• Adults aged 19 to 64
• Children and pregnant individuals

2. Seniors (65+), Disabled Individuals, and Nursing Home Care

For individuals who qualify through non-income-based pathways—such as those aged 65 or older, people with disabilities, or residents of long-term care facilities—California has reinstated an asset test.

The current asset thresholds are outlined below:

Note: If you receive SSI-linked Medi-Cal, you must still abide by strict federal Social Security rules, which restrict countable resources to $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a couple.

What Counts as an Asset?

If you fall into a category that requires an asset test, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) categorizes your finances into countable and exempt categories:

• Countable Assets (Must be under the limit): Money in checking and savings accounts, cash on hand, certificates of deposit (CDs), non-retirement investments, and secondary homes or vehicles.
• Exempt Assets (Do not count): Your primary home (the one you live in), one vehicle, household items, personal effects, and certain retirement accounts.

If you are a senior or disabled applicant approaching your annual renewal and your bank accounts exceed the limit, you may look into strategic spend-downs (such as paying off a mortgage or repairing a primary vehicle) or opening a CalABLE account if you qualify by disability.

Medi-Cal checks bank account balances only for certain groups of people, depending on age, disability status, or program type.

Who Gets Their Bank Account Checked

• Counted Groups: If you are 65 or older, have a disability, live in a nursing home, or qualify through high-income special rules, Medi-Cal counts your bank accounts and cash as assets.
• Exempt Groups: If you are under 65 and qualify through standard modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) rules (such as most low-income adults and children), Medi-Cal does not count or check your bank account balance.

Current Asset Limits

For those who are subject to asset limits, the threshold through June 30, 2027, is $130,000 for a single person, plus $65,000 for each extra household member. You may be asked to submit bank statements during applications or renewals to verify you are under this limit. You can read more details on the California Department of Health Care Services Asset Limit FAQ.

Whether you are disqualified from Medi-Cal depends on your household size and the type of Medi-Cal program you are applying for. For standard, income-based Medi-Cal (Modified Adjusted Gross Income or MAGI Medi-Cal) for adults aged 19 to 64, you are disqualified if your annual household income exceeds 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

The exact limits that will disqualify you fall into two main categories: income limits and asset limits.

1. Income Limits (Disqualification Thresholds)

If your income exceeds the limits below, you will generally disqualify for completely free MAGI Medi-Cal.

Note: The income thresholds are higher for pregnant individuals (up to 213% FPL) and children under 19 (up to 266% FPL).

2. Asset Limits (For Seniors & Disabled Individuals)

If you are applying for standard income-based Medi-Cal, there is no asset limit, meaning savings and property do not disqualify you.

However, if you are 65 or older, blind, disabled, or require long-term nursing home care, California enforces a non-MAGI asset limit. You will be disqualified from these specific programs if your countable assets exceed:

• $130,000 for a single individual
• $195,000 for a married couple
• An additional $65,000 is allowed for each additional household member.

What counts as an asset? Countable assets include checking/savings accounts, stocks, bonds, cash, and secondary homes or vehicles. Your primary home, one personal vehicle, and personal belongings do not count toward this limit.

What happens if you make too much money?

If your income is over the 138% FPL limit, you aren't completely locked out of options:

• Share of Cost Medi-Cal: If you are elderly or disabled and over the income limit, you may qualify for a "Share of Cost" program. This acts like a medical insurance deductible where you pay a portion of your monthly income toward medical bills before Medi-Cal covers the rest.
• Covered California: If you exceed the income limits, you automatically become eligible for discounted, subsidized private health insurance plans through Covered California.

Yes, you can still get Medicaid if you have money in your bank account, but it depends on the type of Medicaid program you need and the rules in your state.

Expansion Medicaid (Most Adults and Children)

• No asset limits: If you apply for standard or expansion Medicaid (usually for low-income adults, pregnant women, and children under the Affordable Care Act), the state only looks at your income, not how much money you have in your bank account.
• Bank balances do not count: You can have savings in the bank and still qualify as long as your monthly or annual household income falls below the limit.

Non-Expansion Medicaid (Elderly, Blind, or Disabled)

• Strict asset limits: If you apply for Medicaid based on being age 65 or older, blind, or having a disability—or if you need long-term care/nursing home coverage—the state checks both your income and your assets.
• The $2,000 limit: For many single applicants in this category, the asset limit is typically $2,000 in countable resources (which includes cash and bank accounts), though some states allow slightly higher amounts.
• Exempt assets: Certain things do not count against your limit, such as your primary home, one car, and specific pre-paid burial funds.
• Learn more: You can review the details on Qualifying for Medicaid If You're Over the Eligibility Asset Limit or check general Asset Limits for Medicaid Eligibility to see how thresholds work.

Effective January 1, 2026, California reinstated Medi-Cal asset limits for non-MAGI programs (such as for seniors 65+, individuals with disabilities, long-term care, and nursing home coverage) at $130,000 for a single individual and $195,000 for a married couple/domestic partners, plus $65,000 for each additional household member.

You can review official updates and detailed guidelines through the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Asset Limit FAQ.

Asset Limits (Effective January 1, 2026)

• Single individual: $130,000
• Married couple / registered domestic partners: $195,000
• Additional household members: +$65,000 per extra member (up to 10 people)
• Spousal Impoverishment (Community Spouse): The community spouse resource allowance is $162,660.

Countable vs. Exempt Assets

• Countable (Included): Cash, bank accounts, second homes, secondary vehicles, stocks, bonds, and investments.
• Exempt (Excluded): Your primary residence (home), one primary vehicle, household goods, personal belongings, and certain retirement funds under regular distribution rules.

Income Rules

• MAGI Programs (Expansion Medi-Cal / standard health coverage): These programs do not have an asset test, only income rules based on federal poverty levels.
• Non-MAGI / Long-Term Care: Standard monthly income thresholds continue to apply (approx. $1,800/month for individuals), where higher income amounts may trigger a "Share of Cost" requirement.

Look-Back Period

• A 30-month look-back period applies to asset transfers and gifts made for long-term care applicants on or after January 1, 2026, which can create a penalty delay in coverage if rules are violated.