Q: What's the Medi-Cal income limit — do I earn too much?
A: Probably less often than you think. For most adults the line is 138% of the federal poverty level, which on the state's own current chart is about $21,597 a year for one person and $29,187 for a household of two.¹ Two things people get wrong. First, the figure counts taxable income, not the gross number on a job offer — pre-tax retirement contributions and some deductions come off before the test. Second, it is assessed on your income now, not what you earned last year: if hours were cut in March, March is what matters, and you can apply the day it changes. There is no asset test for this pathway, so savings do not disqualify you. Coverage is available regardless of immigration status.
Worked example: you were laid off in June with $46,000 of earnings already banked for the year. That looks disqualifying and is not — the test is your current monthly income, which is now zero or close to it. People wait until January to apply and lose six months of $0 therapy for no reason.
Do this: if you are anywhere near the line, apply rather than estimate — the determination is free and being turned down costs you nothing. If you land just above it, you are almost certainly eligible for a subsidised Covered California plan instead, and the same 10-day appointment right applies to both. What Medi-Cal actually covers for therapy, and the two doors →
Sources
- California Department of Health Care Services, Medi-Cal eligibility chart by federal poverty level: 138% FPL threshold; $21,597 for a family of one and $29,187 for a family of two; page last modified May 2026 — dhcs.ca.gov. Verified 17 August 2026. Figures change with the annual federal poverty guidelines — check the chart before relying on the exact dollar amount.