Medi-Cal Aged &  Disabled Federal Poverty Level
(A&D FPL) Program

Aged, Blind & Disabled Medi-Cal Program

Full-Scope Medi–Cal Health Benefits  global

• See  the My Medi Cal brochure for details & Benefits
• The Aged and/or  Disabled Federal Poverty Level Program (See Income Chart) (A&D FPL) serves individuals aged 65 and older, and persons with disabilities.
• To qualify for this program, individuals   Must meet all of the following three criteria:
  • Be aged (65+) or
  • disabled (meet Social Security’s definition of disability, even if your disability is blindness).
    1. Listing of Impairments
    1. If you are on SSI you get - Automatic Qualification for Medi Cal
  • 2026  Asset Limits are back  Learn More our webpage 
• Worksheets for Determining Eligibility Under the Aged & Disabled Federal Poverty Level (A&D FPL) Medi-Cal Program  Disability Rights *

• Qualifications at a Glance 2026  Cal Health Care Advocates.com
  • 

Resources & Links

• CANHR.org - Fact Sheet 
• CA Health Care Advocates
• Kaiser Foundation
• Does Integrating Medicare and Medicaid Improve Care for Dual Eligibles?
• DHCS.CA.Gov
• Disability Benefits 101
•  BenefitsCal  online enrollment
  • 

• Medicare And Disabilities

  • -Medicare and People with Disabilities: An Overview–
  • Medicare and People with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
  • •  

Visit our webpage on the Working Disabled Program and lowering your share of cost 

FAQ’s

Question

My tax person informed me that claiming my 81 year old father-in-law as a dependent on my taxes would not affect his eligibility for A&D – Aged & Disabled FPL Full Scope – Federal Poverty Level Medical-cal. Is this true?

Similar situation in regards to claiming my mother. She receives SSI/SSDI and receives medical Medi-Cal . Would claiming her as a dependent affect her eligibility for medi-cal

Answer

See Chapter 3 – Western Poverty Law Center on Health Insurance for Low Income.   See also Social Security’s website on SSI

Does your Mom get SSI or SSDI, it makes a difference. SSI is dealt with here.   See also Social Security’s website on SSI  for income & resource information.

SSI

Eligibility
Benefits
Resources
Income
Living Arrangements

SSDI gives one Medicare after two years.

We don’t get paid to help people with Medi-Cal, SSI or SSDI. When you read the manual, be sure to read it 3x and when you think you understand it, read it again. We’ve only skimmed the material

Question

I am 70 years of age and have been on medi cal due to low income. I recently applied for my ex husbands social security and my income increased to $1,379.10. Can I still qualify for medi cal?

***Sorry, it looks like you are now over the income limit.  See excerpt below.   Losing Medi-Cal would give you a Special Enrollment Period into a Medicare Advantage Plan where there are generally no premiums and very little co-pays that we can help you with.  You might also qualify for low income subsidies for your prescriptions.

****

Question

What if one qualified for Medi-Cal because of a disability, but wants to opt out and get subsidies in Covered CA or just pay full price during Open Enrollment?

Excerpt of email…

[Covered CA] was advised that since member has disability even if he doesn’t want to be on Medi-cal, he will still be referred to them. … Medi-cal caters for people with disability.  The member should ask Medi-cal for possibility of releasing him, unfortunately, it’s not under our control .

Maybe shouldn’t argue with Medi-Cal to say not disabled – could hurt Medicare and Social Security Disability Claim

Medi Cal & Seniors

• Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program, which provides health insurance to individuals and families who earn low incomes, including 40% of the state’s children, half of Californians with disabilities, and over a million seniors. In total, the program covers more than 12 million people, or nearly one in three Californians.
• Medi-Cal also covers a large number of working Californians, many of whom became eligible for the program because of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. Working Californians may be one of the least recognized or understood populations served by the program. In a 2018 poll, 42% of Californians said that they believed that most working-age adults without a disability enrolled in Medi-Cal are unemployed. Twenty percent said they didn’t know. This report combines key findings from survey data with insights from 19 in-depth interviews with enrollees to paint a more accurate and complete picture of working Californians who rely on Medi-Cal, why they came to enroll in the program, and the role it plays in their lives.
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• VIDEO 
• Working Californians Enrolled in Medi-Cal Share Their Stories
• Chcf Policy at a Glance