Medi-Cal Planning Attorney
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California Medi-Cal Planning Attorney
Updated August 25, 2026 using current California DHCS guidance.
Quick Answer
California now reviews assets for certain Medi-Cal programs. The individual limit is $130,000 through June 30, 2027 and falls to $21,000 on July 1, 2027. Trusts, transfers, spousal protections, and lawful spend-down strategies require individual analysis because a poorly timed transfer can delay long-term-care coverage.
Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Eligibility Checklist
You may qualify for Medi-Cal long-term care benefits if:
- ✓You are a California resident age 65 or older, or disabled
- ✓Your countable assets are below the eligibility threshold ($130,000 through June 30, 2027; $21,000 starting July 1, 2027)
- ✓You require nursing home level of care, or need help with activities of daily living
- ✓You are a U.S. citizen or qualifying immigrant
- ✓Your primary home, vehicle, and household items are excluded from countable assets
- ✓Your retirement accounts receiving regular payments may be excluded
⚠️ Asset limits drop significantly on July 1, 2027. If you have savings over $21,000 and may need long-term care, act now. Call (916) 674-2066 to discuss your options.
Protect your home, your savings, and your spouse from the devastating cost of long-term care. California State Bar Certified Specialist serving Sacramento and Placer County.
⚠️ Major Medi-Cal Change — July 1, 2027 Deadline
California reinstated Medi-Cal asset limits on January 1, 2026. If you are 65 or older, disabled, or in a nursing home:
Now through June 30, 2027
$130,000
asset limit per person
Starting July 1, 2027
$21,000
asset limit per person — a $109,000 drop
If your countable assets exceed the applicable limit when you apply or renew, you may lose eligibility. The time to understand your options is before July 2027. Do not transfer or retitle assets without advice about eligibility, tax, control, and long-term-care consequences.
Source: California Department of Health Care Services asset-limit guidance.
The Long-Term Care Crisis Most Families Are Not Prepared For
Skilled nursing facility care in the Sacramento area costs between $10,000 and $15,000 per month — $120,000 to $180,000 per year. Memory care and specialized facilities cost more.
Most people assume Medicare will cover it. It will not — Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing care after a hospital stay, typically for no more than 100 days. After that, you are on your own.
A family with $500,000 in savings could see a large portion consumed in only a few years. Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, may help pay for qualifying long-term care when financial and medical requirements are met. Medi-Cal estate recovery is a separate set of rules that can permit DHCS to seek repayment after death for certain benefits and from certain estate assets.
A primary home may be exempt for eligibility purposes, but title, occupancy, surviving-family protections, and estate-recovery rules still need to be reviewed.
The good news: with proper planning — done before a crisis — Sacramento and Placer County families can protect their home and savings while still qualifying for Medi-Cal long-term care benefits.
Medi-Cal Planning Services
Medi-Cal Asset Protection Trust (MAPT)
A MAPT is an irrevocable trust that may be useful in some long-term-care plans. It changes ownership and control of transferred assets and may affect Medi-Cal eligibility, estate recovery, taxes, and access to funds. It should be considered only after reviewing the family's complete circumstances.
- ✓ Evaluates whether an irrevocable trust fits the plan
- ✓ Coordinates title, control, tax, and beneficiary issues
- ✓ Reviews transfer timing under current Medi-Cal rules
- ✓ Integrates long-term-care and estate planning
Medi-Cal Estate Recovery Defense
After a Medi-Cal recipient dies, DHCS sends a claim to the estate. We defend Sacramento families against Medi-Cal estate recovery claims — challenging improper claims, identifying exemptions, and protecting surviving family members.
- ✓ Challenge DHCS estate recovery claims
- ✓ Surviving spouse and minor child exemptions
- ✓ Hardship waiver applications
- ✓ Trust and probate coordination
IHSS — In-Home Supportive Services
IHSS is a California Medi-Cal program that pays for in-home care — personal care, domestic services, and paramedical services — so that elderly and disabled individuals can remain safely at home. Keeping a loved one at home with IHSS is far less costly than a nursing facility, and preserves assets.
- ✓ IHSS eligibility planning
- ✓ Medi-Cal qualification for IHSS
- ✓ Coordination with Sacramento County IHSS office
- ✓ Caregiver agreements and documentation
PACE — Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
PACE is a Medicare and Medi-Cal program for seniors 55+ who qualify for nursing home level of care but can safely live in the community. PACE covers medical care, prescriptions, adult day care, transportation, and more — all coordinated through a single PACE team. An alternative to nursing home placement.
- ✓ PACE eligibility assessment
- ✓ Medi-Cal enrollment coordination
- ✓ Sacramento-area PACE program guidance
- ✓ Alternative to skilled nursing facility
Skilled Nursing Facility Planning
When a loved one enters a skilled nursing facility in Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, or the surrounding area, the financial clock starts immediately. We help families understand their options, protect remaining assets, and plan for Medi-Cal qualification while a loved one receives care.
- ✓ Crisis Medi-Cal planning
- ✓ Spend-down strategies
- ✓ Spousal protection planning
- ✓ Asset conversion to exempt categories
Medi-Cal Long-Term Care Planning
Proactive planning generally provides more options than crisis planning. We help California families understand the phased transfer-review rules, asset and income requirements, spousal protections, and the consequences of each available strategy.
- ✓ Phased transfer-review guidance
- ✓ Asset and income limits explained
- ✓ MAPT timing and strategy
- ✓ Medi-Cal application assistance
Understanding the Medi-Cal Asset Protection Trust (MAPT)
A MAPT is one possible tool, not a universal solution. A typical evaluation includes these questions:
Identify the benefit you are trying to preserve
Eligibility for community services, nursing-facility care, and estate-recovery planning can involve different rules and timelines.
Review every asset and source of income
The analysis includes title, exemptions, retirement distributions, a primary home, other real estate, cash, and the needs of a spouse or dependent family member.
Evaluate transfer consequences
Transfers made for less than fair market value on or after January 1, 2026 may delay long-term-care coverage. California is phasing in review of transfers toward a 30-month look-back period.
Compare trust and non-trust strategies
An irrevocable trust may reduce control and create tax or eligibility consequences. Lawful spending, exempt assets, spousal protections, and other approaches may be more appropriate.
Coordinate the plan and document the advice
Any strategy should coordinate Medi-Cal eligibility, estate recovery, taxes, incapacity planning, beneficiary goals, and the family's need for access to funds.
Who Needs Medi-Cal Planning in Sacramento?
You should consider Medi-Cal planning if:
Medi-Cal Planning FAQ
What is a Medi-Cal Asset Protection Trust (MAPT)?
A MAPT is an irrevocable trust that may be considered in some long-term-care plans. It changes ownership and control of assets and can affect eligibility, taxes, and access to funds. No trust should be used without analyzing the family, assets, timing, and current California rules.
Does Medi-Cal take your house in California?
Not automatically. A primary home is often exempt when determining eligibility, and estate recovery is a separate process that may apply after death in limited circumstances. Title, services received, surviving family members, and the assets in the estate all matter.
What is IHSS and how do I qualify?
IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services) is a Medi-Cal program that pays for in-home care so elderly and disabled individuals can remain at home instead of a nursing facility. You must be Medi-Cal eligible and have a functional need for assistance with daily activities. The Sacramento County IHSS office handles local assessments.
What is the PACE program?
PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is a Medicare and Medi-Cal program for seniors 55+ who qualify for nursing home level of care but can safely live in the community. PACE covers all medical care, medications, adult day care, transportation, and more through a single coordinated team — often as an alternative to nursing home placement.
How much does nursing home care cost in Sacramento?
Skilled nursing facility care in the Sacramento area costs $10,000-$15,000 per month, or $120,000-$180,000 per year. Memory care facilities often cost more. Most families cannot sustain these costs for long without Medi-Cal assistance.
Is there a look-back period for Medi-Cal in California?
California reviews certain transfers for long-term-care Medi-Cal. Transfers for less than fair market value made on or after January 1, 2026 may cause a period of ineligibility. The review period is being phased in and reaches the full 30 months for applications or long-term-care entry on or after July 1, 2028.
What are the Medi-Cal asset limits in 2026 and 2027?
California reinstated Medi-Cal asset limits on January 1, 2026. Through June 30, 2027, the limit is $130,000 for one person (plus $65,000 per additional household member). Starting July 1, 2027, the limit drops sharply to $21,000 for one person and $31,000 for two people. If your assets exceed the limit when you renew Medi-Cal, you could lose coverage. Planning before July 2027 is critical for anyone with savings over $21,000.
What counts as an asset for Medi-Cal in 2026?
Countable assets can include bank accounts, cash, second vehicles, second homes, and other financial resources. A primary home, primary vehicle, household items, and retirement funds making regular payments may be excluded under the conditions described by DHCS. Individual facts still need to be reviewed.
Can I protect my house if my spouse is already in a nursing home?
Yes, crisis planning is still possible. California has spousal protection rules that protect the community spouse (the one remaining at home). We can help Sacramento families implement crisis Medi-Cal planning even after a loved one has entered a skilled nursing facility.
California Medi-Cal and Long-Term Care Learning Center
2027 Medi-Cal Asset Limits
Who is affected, what may count, and how the July 2027 reduction works.
Medi-Cal Estate Recovery
When recovery may apply and which survivor protections and waivers may matter.
Long-Term Care Planning
Coordinate care, finances, incapacity documents, insurance, and family support.
DHCS Transfer Guidance
Understand California’s phased review of transfers for long-term-care Medi-Cal.
Related Services
Protect Your Home From Nursing Home Costs
Talk to Certified Specialist Dustin MacFarlane about Medi-Cal planning for your Sacramento family.
The earlier you plan, the more options you have. Do not wait for a crisis.