ALW guide
How a senior gets full-scope Medi-Cal before the ALW
Apply at BenefitsCal, at the county office, by phone or by mail; the county has 45 days to decide. The 2026 income and asset limits and what to have ready.
Apply at BenefitsCal.com, at your county social services office, by phone or by mail. The county has 45 days to decide, or 90 when the decision depends on a disability determination. For the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) you need full-scope Medi-Cal with no monthly share of cost: in 2026 one route is the Aged, Blind and Disabled program, with income up to $1,836 a month for one person ($2,490 for two) from April 1, 2026, and countable assets up to $130,000; the county decides.
Important: The county decides Medi-Cal, not Beta and not this page. The limits here are the state's published 2026 figures; the county applies them to the person's own income, household and assets.
Which Medi-Cal the ALW needs
One of the waiver's six requirements is full-scope Medi-Cal with no monthly share of cost. Full scope means the whole range of Medi-Cal services, not emergency-only or pregnancy-only coverage. No share of cost means the county has not set a monthly amount the person must spend on medical costs before Medi-Cal pays. The Medi-Cal card alone does not show either; the eligibility notice the county sends does, and Beta's ALW team can help you read it. Full-scope Medi-Cal with no share of cost, explained.
The 2026 limits
For a person 65 or older, blind or disabled, the Aged, Blind and Disabled program's no-share-of-cost figure is $1,836 a month for one person and $2,490 for two from April 1, 2026, at 138% of the federal poverty level. The countable asset limit is $130,000 for one person, plus $65,000 for each additional household member, through June 30, 2027. What counts as income and as an asset, and the change reported for July 1, 2027, are on income and asset limits.
Four ways to apply
- Online at BenefitsCal.com. You can save the application and come back to it, and upload documents. It uses two-step sign-in.
- In person, at your county's social services office. Staff help with the form and answer questions.
- By phone. Each county has a number to call for help or to have an application mailed. CoveredCA.com also routes a Medi-Cal application to the county.
- By mail. Ask the county for a paper application and mail it back.
What to have ready
- Identity, and the Social Security number of each person applying, if they have one.
- Income for everyone in the household: Social Security, SSI, pensions, wages.
- Immigration status, which the application keeps confidential.
- For applicants 65 or older, property: bank accounts, vehicles, and any real estate beyond the home the person lives in.
- Tax filing information if the household files; filing is not required to qualify.
What happens after you apply
The county has 45 days from the application date to send a Notice of Action, or 90 days when eligibility depends on a disability determination. The clock can be extended when the county is waiting for documents, so answer every county letter by its deadline. The county may send form MC 604, "Additional Income and Property Information Needed for Medi-Cal", when it needs more detail on income or property. The Notice of Action says the Medi-Cal type and whether there is a share of cost; keep it.
If income is over the limit
A person with income over the limit can still get Medi-Cal with a monthly share of cost. That Medi-Cal works for a nursing facility but not for the Assisted Living Waiver, which needs no share of cost. Ask the county eligibility worker what would change it. What to do about a share of cost.
Then the ALW
With full-scope Medi-Cal in hand, or the application in, the waiver's own steps start: the fit check, a Care Coordination Agency, the waitlist request, the wait. The application process, step by step. You can apply for Medi-Cal and ask an agency to start the waiver at the same time; the agency screens the waitlist request and sends it to DHCS, and full-scope Medi-Cal with no share of cost has to be in place before enrollment.
Questions people ask
Can a senior over 65 get Medi-Cal?
Yes. People 65 or older can qualify under the aged, blind and disabled rules, with an income limit and, since January 1, 2026, an asset limit. Medicare does not stop a person from getting Medi-Cal; many people have both.
How long does Medi-Cal take?
The county has 45 days from the application date, or 90 days when the decision depends on a disability determination. Delays usually come from missing documents, so answer county letters by their deadlines.
Is there an asset limit in 2026?
Yes. Countable assets up to $130,000 for one person, plus $65,000 for each additional household member, through June 30, 2027. The home you live in, one vehicle and some other property do not count; the county applies the rules.
Can I apply for Medi-Cal and the ALW at the same time?
Yes. Start the Medi-Cal application and ask a Care Coordination Agency to begin the waiver steps; the agency screens the waitlist request and sends it to DHCS, and full-scope Medi-Cal with no share of cost has to be in place before enrollment.
If Medi-Cal is in place or applied for, the fit check shows whether the waiver may fit.
About this informationReviewed October 20, 2026. Program details may change. View official sources and page limitations.
Written by Beta's ALW team and reviewed by Sergio B., Program Coordinator, against the official sources this page lists; facts checked through October 20, 2026. Where this page and an official source differ, the source controls.
This page gives general California ALW information. DHCS decides eligibility after the nurse assessment and releases openings. Each home decides its own admissions. Nothing here is an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it does not guarantee a place in a home. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating home.
Something out of date? Tell Beta's ALW team.