Yes — Social Security retirement and SSDI count as income for Medi-Cal, but how much of your benefit actually counts against the eligibility limit depends on which Medi-Cal category applies to you. If you’re under 65, the state counts your full gross Social Security check. If you’re 65 or older, blind, or have a qualifying disability, California allows deductions that lower the countable amount. SSI is the exception: it doesn’t count as income, and receiving it qualifies you for Medi-Cal automatically.
If You’re Under 65: MAGI Medi-Cal Counts the Full Check
Most Californians under 65, along with children and pregnant women, qualify through the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) standard. Federal rules at 42 CFR § 435.603 set MAGI eligibility to the IRS income-counting method, with a few exceptions.1eCFR. 42 CFR 435.603 – Application of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) The exception that matters most for Social Security recipients: Medi-Cal counts your entire gross benefit, including any portion the IRS wouldn’t tax.2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Building MAGI Knowledge Part 2 – Income Counting
This surprises many applicants. A single filer whose only income is Social Security often owes no federal income tax, because the taxable portion of the benefit is zero at low income levels. MAGI Medi-Cal ignores that treatment and uses the full check. If your gross SSDI payment is $1,500 per month but only $1,325 lands in your bank account after Medicare Part B is withheld, the state still counts $1,500.
SSI payments are the one Social Security Administration benefit MAGI does not count. If you receive both SSI and a small SSDI check, only the SSDI portion goes into your household income.2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Building MAGI Knowledge Part 2 – Income Counting
2026 MAGI Income Limits
California sets MAGI Medi-Cal eligibility at 138 percent of the federal poverty level. For 2026, the annual limits are:3DHCS – CA.gov. Qualify – Medi-Cal
- 1 person: $21,597 per year (about $1,800 per month)
- 2 people: $29,187 per year (about $2,432 per month)
- 3 people: $36,777 per year (about $3,065 per month)
- 4 people: $44,367 per year (about $3,697 per month)
- Each additional person: add $7,590 per year
Your household size for MAGI is based on your federal tax filing status, not just who lives with you. If you file a return, your household includes you, your spouse (if filing jointly), and anyone you claim as a dependent. If you don’t file, the household includes your spouse and your children under 19 who live with you.4DHCS – CA.gov. DHCS Guide for Calculating MAGI Medi-Cal Individual Household Size A larger household size means a higher income limit, so getting the count right can decide whether you qualify.
If You’re 65+, Blind, or Disabled: Deductions Lower Your Countable Income
If you’re 65 or older, blind, or have a qualifying disability, you may fall under Non-MAGI Medi-Cal. The main pathway is the Aged and Disabled Federal Poverty Level (A&D FPL) program, governed by California Welfare and Institutions Code § 14005.40.5California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 14005.40 Non-MAGI programs treat Social Security retirement and SSDI as unearned income, but they allow deductions MAGI does not.
The first is a $20 per month general income exclusion on unearned income.6Social Security Administration. POMS HI 03020.050 – Unearned Income Exclusions The state also deducts any health insurance premiums you pay, including Medicare premiums.7DHCS – CA.gov. PUB 10 Non-MAGI Medi-Cal If you receive $1,600 in Social Security and pay $185 per month for Medicare Part B, your countable income drops to $1,395 ($1,600 minus $20 minus $185). That adjusted figure is what the state compares against the program’s income limit.
If your countable income after all deductions stays below the A&D FPL limit, you get full-scope Medi-Cal with no monthly cost. These deductions make Non-MAGI more forgiving than MAGI for anyone whose Social Security check sits near the line.
One boundary to know: Non-MAGI programs also look at assets. As of January 1, 2026, California applies a property limit of $130,000 for one person, with an additional $65,000 for each extra household member.8DHCS – CA.gov. Medi-Cal Help Center Your primary home and one vehicle are typically excluded. MAGI Medi-Cal has no asset test.
Over the Limit? You May Still Qualify With a Share of Cost
If your Social Security pushes you over the A&D FPL limit, you may qualify for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medically Needy Medi-Cal (ABD-MN). This program works like a monthly deductible. You pay a “share of cost” each month before Medi-Cal starts covering care.
The share of cost equals your countable monthly income minus the Maintenance Need Level for your household size, minus any health insurance premiums you pay.9CA.gov. Share of Cost (SOC) For a single person living alone, the Maintenance Need Level is $600 per month. If your countable income is $1,900 and you have no other insurance premiums, your share of cost is $1,300. You would need to incur $1,300 in medical expenses in a month before Medi-Cal starts paying.
A high share of cost can make this program impractical for routine care, but it provides real protection against hospital stays, surgeries, or other large bills that far exceed the monthly deductible.
SSI Recipients Get Medi-Cal Automatically
Supplemental Security Income works differently from Social Security retirement and SSDI. In California, receiving even one dollar of SSI automatically qualifies you for Medi-Cal with no separate application and no share of cost.10DHCS – CA.gov. Medi-Cal Eligibility Procedures Manual The Social Security Administration shares enrollment data with the Department of Health Care Services, so coverage begins without extra paperwork.
Because SSI is itself a needs-based program with strict limits, the state treats SSI approval as proof you meet Medi-Cal’s financial requirements. The SSI payment is never counted as income that could disqualify you. In 2026, the federal SSI payment for an eligible individual is $994 per month, and California’s State Supplementary Payment brings the combined total to $1,626.07.11Social Security Administration. SSI Federal Payment Amounts for 2026 Your Medi-Cal coverage continues as long as you stay eligible for SSI.
The Pickle Amendment: Protection When a COLA Pushes You Off SSI
Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) can nudge your income just high enough to lose SSI, and with it the automatic Medi-Cal that came along. The Pickle Amendment, written into 42 U.S.C. § 1396a, prevents that result.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1396a – State Plans for Medical Assistance
If you previously received both SSI and Social Security in the same month, and later lost SSI because your Social Security check went up, California must subtract every COLA increase you’ve received since the last month you were eligible for both. The state then checks whether your income, without those COLA increases, would still qualify you for SSI. If so, you keep Medi-Cal with no share of cost, even though your actual check has grown.
The Department of Health Care Services runs an annual screening to identify people who may qualify. The agency sends notices to potentially eligible individuals, who have 30 days to contact their county welfare office to request a Pickle determination.13California Department of Health Care Services. Lynch V. Rank (Pickle) – Tickler System (Information Letter I 23-14) If you think you qualify but haven’t received a notice, ask your county office to run the calculation.
If You Receive SSDI and Also Work: the 250% Working Disabled Program
If you have a disability, receive SSDI, and also do some kind of work, the 250% Working Disabled Program (WDP) is another route to Medi-Cal. The program is built for people whose earnings would otherwise push them out of regular Medi-Cal. To qualify, you must have a disability recognized by the Social Security Administration, be currently working (including self-employment or part-time work), and have household income below 250 percent of the federal poverty level.14DHCS – CA.gov. Working Disabled Program
For 2026, the monthly income limit is $3,325 for a single person and $4,510 for a family of two. The program does not count disability-related income — SSDI, workers’ compensation, or state disability insurance — toward the limit. As of July 2022, there is no monthly premium.14DHCS – CA.gov. Working Disabled Program
Report Changes to Your Social Security Within 10 Days
If your Social Security amount changes, whether from a COLA, a recalculation, or a new benefit, you must report it to your county welfare office within 10 days.15DHCS – CA.gov. Update Your Information Failing to report can result in an overpayment the state later tries to recover, or a gap in coverage if the change would have moved you into a different Medi-Cal category.