# Medi-Cal, Long-Term Care, and Estate Recovery

> Plain-language guides to California Medi-Cal: the 2026 asset and income limits, the look-back phase-in, and what the state can recover after death.

Source: https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-guides/

**A parent heading into care?** The current asset and income limits, what counts as a penalized transfer, and what the state can recover later.

[Talk to Eric](https://app.lawmatics.com/forms/share/345a2f20-b321-4eed-8a15-db3c88789bd8)

**Related tools:** [Medi-Cal Asset Screener](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-asset-screener/) | [Share of Cost, Worked Through](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/medi-cal-share-of-cost-california/) | [Who Inherits in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/who-inherits-california/)

See also: [long-term care costs in California by region](https://ridleylawoffices.com/long-term-care-costs-california/).

Long-term care is where most California estate plans actually get tested. Medi-Cal pays for skilled nursing when a family cannot, but it comes with asset limits, an income test, a look-back period on transfers, and a claim against the estate after death. The rules changed on January 1, 2026, they are scheduled to change again no sooner than July 1, 2027, and the look-back is still phasing in through 2028, so almost everything published before this year is now wrong in some detail. These guides cover the current numbers, what actually counts as a penalized transfer, whether the house is safe, and what the state can recover once someone dies. If you want a straight read on where a parent stands, talk to Eric.

## The current numbers

- [California Medi-Cal Asset Limits](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-asset-limit-california/) — The $130,000 and $195,000 limits in force now, and the reduction scheduled no sooner than July 1, 2027.
- [California Medi-Cal Income Limits](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-income-limits-california/) — The MAGI and non-MAGI income figures, and which set of rules applies to you.
- [Medi-Cal Asset Screener](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-asset-screener/) — A short interactive check against the current asset limits.

## Qualifying and the look-back

- [A Parent Is Entering a Nursing Home](https://ridleylawoffices.com/parent-entering-nursing-home-medi-cal-2026/) — What to do in the first weeks, and the decisions that are hard to undo later.
- [Can I Give Away Assets to Qualify for Medi-Cal?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/can-i-give-away-assets-to-qualify-for-medi-cal-california/) — Gifting is penalized rather than criminal. How the transfer penalty is calculated and which transfers are exempt.
- [Does a Living Trust Protect Assets From a Nursing Home?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/does-a-living-trust-protect-assets-from-nursing-home-california/) — The short answer is no, and the reason matters more than the answer.
- [The Medi-Cal Look-Back Is Phasing In Through 2028](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-look-back-phase-in-california/) — The look-back reaches 30 months but counts only transfers on or after January 1, 2026, growing month by month until 2028.

## Protecting the home

- [Medi-Cal and Your Living Trust](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-living-trust-2026/) — Where a living trust helps with long-term care planning and where it does nothing at all.
- [Protecting the House From Medi-Cal](https://ridleylawoffices.com/protect-house-from-medi-cal-california/) — The home is exempt while you qualify. What happens to it after death is a separate question.

## After death: estate recovery

- [Medi-Cal Estate Recovery After AB 116](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-estate-recovery-ab-116-2026/) — What the state can recover after death, why it reaches only the probate estate, and who is protected outright.
- [Trusts and Medi-Cal Estate Recovery in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-recovery-trust-california/) — What a revocable trust does and does not do against a recovery claim, and where families get this wrong.

## More guides

- [CA Filial Law: Protect Yourself Now 2026](https://ridleylawoffices.com/filial-responsibility/) — California filial responsibility lives in Fam. Code 4400 through 4405 and is almost never enforced. What actually creates financial risk for adult children.
- [Medi-Cal Planning and Elder Law](https://ridleylawoffices.com/medi-cal-planning-elder-law-california/) — How Ridley Law handles long-term care planning for California families.
- [Medi-Cal Planning: A Ventura County Perspective](https://ridleylawoffices.com/understanding-medi-cal-planning-a-ventura-county-perspective/) — How long-term care planning actually plays out for Ventura County families.

## Want a straight read on where you stand?

No sales pitch, no jargon. Just a plain answer about your situation.

[Talk to Eric](https://ridleylawoffices.com/contact-us/)