California Reinstates Lower Medi-Cal Asset Limit Starting July 2027
California's June budget lowers the Medi-Cal asset limit for seniors and people with disabilities to $21,000, effective July 2027, CalMatters reports. The move follows a 2024 elimination of asset limits and an earlier 2026 reinstatement at $130,000, after Gov. Gavin Newsom had proposed reverting to the former $2,000 cap amid a $12 billion budget shortfall; the Legislature instead set the current higher limit before this latest reduction. A primary residence and one vehicle remain exempt, but enrollees cannot own a second home or car or hold more than $21,000 in savings, certain retirement accounts, life insurance, or burial plots, and must still meet income limits of about $1,800 a month for a single person. Advocates and affected enrollees, including people with degenerative neuromuscular disorders who rely on Medi-Cal for daily caregiving, say the rule will force them to spend down savings or lose coverage.