---
title: "California Home Care Medi-Cal | Funding LTC Marketplace"
url: https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/california/home-care-medi-cal/
description: "California Medi-Cal home care: IHSS consumer-directed care, CBAS adult day services and the Assisted Living Waiver for full-scope Medi-Cal members."
last_updated: 2026-10-20
author: George A. Mellendorf, CLTC, LTCP (Central States Insurance Services, Inc.)
publisher: Funding LTC Marketplace
note: Educational content; not legal, tax or financial advice. Markdown copy of the HTML page at the URL above.
---
California · Home & Community Care

# California Home Care Medi-Cal

Last updated 2026-10-20

In-Home Supportive Services, or IHSS, gives eligible aged, blind, and disabled Californians in-home help as an alternative to leaving home for care. The California Department of Social Services requires state residency, a Medi-Cal eligibility determination, living at home or another place of the recipient's choosing, and a completed Health Care Certification — and notably, the recipient is the one responsible for hiring, training, supervising, and, if necessary, firing their own provider (CDSS, In-Home Supportive Services).

The scale of the program is hard to overstate: the Legislative Analyst's Office projects IHSS will serve 875,344 recipients averaging 127 hours of care per month in fiscal year 2026–27. Those numbers are budget projections rather than final counts, but they still illustrate just how large this benefit is compared to other states' home-care programs (Legislative Analyst's Office, 2026–27 IHSS Budget).

## California figures

- Projected IHSS recipients (FY 2026–27): 875,344
- Average hours of care per month: 127 hours

## Sources and official resources

- [DHCS: Medi-Cal Changes (asset limits)](https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/updates/medi-cal-changes/)
- [CMS: 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards](https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib04272026.pdf)

Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.

[← Back to the full California guide](https://fundingltcmarketplace.com/states/california/)