California Benefit

Medi-Cal

Also known as: California Medicaid

Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program, providing free or low-cost health coverage to eligible California residents with limited income.

At a Glance

Adults 19-64 with income up to 138% FPL qualify.Higher limits apply to children and pregnant women.
Children under 19 qualify up to 266% FPL.
Pregnant women qualify up to 213% FPL.
Must be a California resident.
+ 2 more requirements below

Eligibility Requirements

Income Limit (Adults)

Required

Adults 19-64 with income up to 138% FPL qualify.Higher limits apply to children and pregnant women.


                    household_income_fpl
                    
                      ≤
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        138 percent

Income Limit (Children)

Required

Children under 19 qualify up to 266% FPL.


                    household_income_fpl
                    
                      ≤
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        266 percent

All of:

AND age < 19

Income Limit (Pregnant)

Required

Pregnant women qualify up to 213% FPL.


                    household_income_fpl
                    
                      ≤
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        213 percent

All of:

AND is_pregnant = true

California Residency

Required

Must be a California resident.


                    state_residency
                    
                      =
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        CA

Citizenship/Immigration

Required

California provides full-scope Medi-Cal to undocumentedresidents under 26 or 50+ years old, regardless ofimmigration status.


                    citizenship_status
                    
                      in
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        [us_citizen, permanent_resident, refugee, asylee, prucol, undocumented_under_26, undocumented_50_plus]

No Other Coverage

Required

Generally cannot have other qualifying health coverage(some exceptions for Medicare dual eligibles).


                    has_other_qualifying_coverage
                    
                      =
                        
                    
                    
                      
                        false

Ruleset effective: 2024-01-01

Quick Info

Agency: DHCS
Category: Healthcare
Last Verified: 2026-01-13

Ready to Apply?

Visit the official application portal to get started.

Apply Online

Official Sources

https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal

Contribute

Found an error or have updated information?

Edit on GitHub