California Care Compass

Glossary term

Medi-Cal

California's Medicaid program. Primary public payer for long-term services and supports for low-income seniors, including IHSS, CBAS, nursing-home care, and the Assisted Living Waiver.

Medi-Cal is the public payer that actually covers long-term care in California, which is the opposite of what most families assume Medicare does. California eliminated the Medi-Cal asset limit for these programs in 2024, so many families who could not qualify before now can, without spending down savings. Income, and any resulting Share of Cost, is the remaining question.

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