Can I sell my sister's personal property and house in California, with $50-$60,000 equity, without imperiling her Medi-Cal status?

Get an elder law lawyer quickly. I live in Southern California, close to the border, and there are way too many people out in our society AND individuals within retirement homes, skilled nursing homes, etc…any facility where an individual is left in the hands of a complete stranger who we are to trust our loved one’s life with, which includes their finances. Too many of the “certified” or “licensed” nurses caring for our loved ones are not who you think they are, spend time with them to get information out of them since they are usually a wealth of knowledge. Sadly, they are able to take advantage of them because there is usually no one else around to notice, especially when there is some sort of monetary value (money, jewelry, property) known, and they will use it to get a hold of that valuable stuff either while they are sill alive or after they pass. There is a very dark criminal world that has come to the surface since 2020 that too many people aren’t aware of OR they are but don’t think it will happen to them because of some sort of protection they have on their finances or home. People can impersonate an employee of ANY company from the name badge, uniform, and documents to posing as a customer service rep over the phone claiming they work for the company, collect ALL your personal information by asking questions your “required” to answer although they should have all the info right in front of them since they work for the company and they’ve pulled up your account. Even when you tell them they should have it or to speak with a supervisor because you’ve called about the exact same issue or problem a couple years ago (when you trusted the company more) and were never required to disclose personal info they have already…at least they should and will not help you further until you tell them what they are asking for and/or will disconnect the call when you are persistent about not having to disclose the info. Seniors, individuals unaware of scams known to the public (usually takes too many people affected before it’s known to the public; too late by then!). My point is, be cautious with who you trust with your info because more and more people today are doing anything and everything to take what they want from whoever they want, even if they know the person which happens more than complete strangers will but who is to say the stranger doesn’t know your good friend or a person you once were in a relationship with and is seeking revenge despite it being over a decade ago. Good luck!

There is a lot of change with I think now 100,000 actually allowed; however, and Igloo pointed this out, there are certain lifetime rules and stipulations, so I would check this with an elder law attorney. These things are legal financial matters and you cannot afford to be wrong about this. The last thing you want is a bunch of caregivers guessing what these very new laws entail. I live in California and I would never advise you on this matter.
Please see an elder law attorney. One hour of time will cost you anywhere from 300 to 700 and it is worth it.

Medi-cal seems to work different than most states. I think they have a higher asset cap. I would see an elder lawyer versed in Medicaid. Worst comes to Worse, you sell the house and use the proceeds to pay privately then apply for Medi-cal when almost gone.

Please use some of sisters money and see a certified elder attorney for advice on this most important topic and to prevent imperiling her Medi-Cal status.
The state doesn’t want sisters house but there are laws that require the state to make sure the indigent aren’t giving away their assets. So the equity will need to be used for her care.

Also please know that rehab seldom goes for 100 days. Usually no more than 20 so her needing to be transferred to alternate housing will come quickly.