Plain-language ALW guide
The kind of Medi-Cal ALW requires, and how to check yours
ALW needs full-scope Medi-Cal with no share of cost. What those words mean, how to check yours in one call, the 2026 asset-limit figures, and when to get help.
The Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) only works with full-scope Medi-Cal and a share of cost of zero. A Medi-Cal card alone doesn't tell you either. Many people already meet both conditions without knowing it, and one call to the county can confirm it.
Important: No single number on a website can tell you whether someone qualifies for Medi-Cal. Income, assets, household and spouse rules are decided by the county, and Beta can't change a county decision or give individual legal or financial planning advice.
Three words to know
Full-scope means coverage for the full range of Medi-Cal services, not just emergencies. "Restricted-scope" isn't enough for ALW.
Share of cost is a monthly amount some people must pay before Medi-Cal pays, like a deductible. For ALW it has to be zero.
Renewal is the county's yearly check. An unanswered renewal notice can stop coverage, and the ALW application with it.
How to check in one call
Call the county Medi-Cal office (the number is on the person's Medi-Cal notice) and ask. Write the answers down with the date.
- Is the Medi-Cal active right now, and is it full-scope?
- Is there a share of cost, and if so, how much?
- When is the next renewal, and are any documents outstanding?
- Is there a spouse or domestic partner on the case, and does that change anything?
- If the person is in, or has just left, a nursing facility: do any transition rules apply?
If everything comes back active, full-scope, zero share of cost and nothing missing, tell Beta's ALW team, and keep the renewal date where you'll see it.
What surprises people
- A share of cost can't always be removed; sometimes a benefits specialist can help, sometimes the person's income means it stays.
- Getting SSI doesn't by itself prove the right status, and there's no rule that you must receive it.
- Paying a facility doesn't remove a share of cost, and a facility's promise to accept "whatever income you have" isn't a Medi-Cal decision.
- Beta, or any Care Coordination Agency (CCA), can't change county eligibility; only the county decides.
The 2026 asset limit
Beginning in 2026, California restored asset limits for certain Medi-Cal groups. ALW has no separate asset test of its own.
DHCS currently states that through June 30, 2027, the limit for affected populations is:
- $130,000 for one person; plus
- $65,000 for each additional qualifying household member, up to the published household framework.
DHCS describes a lower statutory framework beginning July 1, 2027.
Not every Medi-Cal group uses the same method, some assets may not count, married people may have spousal protections, and giving assets away can have consequences. Checked on 2026-08-27; the rules change on July 1, 2027, so check again before then. The official DHCS asset-limit FAQ is the source.
When to get a benefits specialist
Get a specialist or a qualified legal resource first if the person has a spouse (spousal-impoverishment rules protect the spouse at home), assets near the limit, a trust or property, something gifted, an unresolved share of cost, or a pending termination notice.
Keep the Medi-Cal notice, the Benefits Identification Card (BIC) and the county case number handy. Share sensitive documents only through a secure method we give you, never by ordinary email.
Your next step
Checked, or not sure? Tell us and we'll take it from there.
Official sourcesChecked against the official sources
Use the official sources below to confirm time-sensitive program details.
This page provides general California ALW information. It is not an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it is not a guarantee of facility placement. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating facility.