Included in California’s new state budget, the asset test will be eliminated for aged and disabled Californians who are enrolled in Medi-Cal and Medicare. Like other Medi-Cal programs, financial eligibility will be based solely on the applicant’s income. Eliminating the asset test will prove to be very helpful for aging and impaired Californians who require long-term care but are caught in the middle of having too many assets to qualify for benefits but not enough to cover high long-term care costs.

The 2021-2022 California state budget contains several provisions designed to make it easier for residents to qualify and stay eligible for Medi-Cal. Now, everyone age 50 and over will be eligible as well as new mothers for one year after giving birth (up from 60 days).

These updates are projected to boost Medi-Cal enrollment, including about 610,000 individuals who already meet the criteria but are not presently enrolled. State officials estimate enrollment will increase from 13.6 million to 14.5 million during this fiscal year.

For more information about California’s 2021-2022 budget and the Master Plan for Aging, take a look at this summary from Justice in Aging.

Read the full article from U.S. News.