Patient Resources
Do I Qualify for Medi-Cal?
The income limits surprise most people: many working families qualify. Here is how the guidelines work and where the current numbers live.
Written by the Health Service Alliance care team. Updated July 2026.
How the limits work
Medi-Cal eligibility is based on your household size and your monthly income, measured against a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level. Bigger households have higher limits. Children, pregnant women, and some other groups qualify at higher income levels than single adults.
The exact dollar amounts update every year, which is why we do not print them here: a number that is right today misleads someone next year. The current limits are always at benefitscal.com and coveredca.com.
Why you should check even if you doubt it
- Many working families qualify: having a job does not disqualify you
- Children often qualify even when their parents do not
- Pregnancy opens higher income limits and faster processing
- Losing a job, hours, or coverage can make you eligible mid-year
- Asset rules have been loosened in recent years: owning a car or having savings is no longer the barrier it once was
Get Help
What do you need today?
A few quick taps, completely confidential. Answer right here on the page.
The honest math
Checking costs nothing and takes minutes. Being wrong in the optimistic direction costs you nothing; being wrong in the pessimistic direction can cost your family a year of free coverage. When in doubt, check, or let us check with you.
We check with you, free
Bring a recent pay stub to any of our six centers and our team will look at where your household likely falls, help you apply if it looks good, and set up the sliding-fee discount if it does not. Either way, you leave with a plan.
We accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, and most plans
No insurance, or not sure what you have? You are still welcome, and our team helps you apply for Medi-Cal.
Sliding-fee scale available based on household income.
- Medi-Cal and Medicare welcomeAlong with IEHP and most major plans.
- Free coverage checkWe call you back with a clear answer.
- Sliding-fee scaleCosts adjusted to your income when you are uninsured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most. Anything else? Call us, day or night.
Where are the actual dollar limits?
On the official state sites: benefitscal.com and coveredca.com always show the current year. Or bring a pay stub to any center and we will read your situation with you.
Does my car or savings count against me?
Asset rules have been substantially loosened in recent years for most Medi-Cal categories. Do not let an old rumor stop you from checking.
What if I earn just a little too much?
Then Covered California subsidies likely apply instead, and our sliding-fee discount works regardless. There is a fit for nearly every income.
Your family deserves good care, close to home.
Request an appointment or check your coverage. Medi-Cal and most plans accepted, and nobody is turned away for inability to pay.