This webinar is part of a monthly series hosted by the Advocacy and Community Engagement (ACE) Team. The series explores a wide range of topics, from tools to support school-aged children with disabilities to resources that help adults navigate employment and public benefits. Each session is guided by direct feedback from community partners, ensuring the webinars address the issues they consider most important.

Watch the Event

This event is also in Spanish.

About the webinar

This training provides a brief introduction to Medi-Cal Waivers, with a focus on Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). These waivers offer an alternative to institutional care, allowing people with significant needs to receive services in their homes or communities. What you’ll learn in this training:

• What Medi-Cal Waivers are and how they work;
• The types of services offered through Home and Community-Based Waivers;
• The benefits of receiving Medi-Cal through a waiver (like more flexibility and support at home);
• Who is eligible for enrollment;
• Overview of different waivers in California, including the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver and Self-Determination Waiver;
• Key rights and protections for waiver participants; and
• The concept of Institutional Deeming and how it affects eligibility.

Resources

Presentation

Medi-Cal Waivers (.pdf)

California Department of Health Care Services

• California's Medicaid State Plan
• Medi-Cal Waivers
• Med-Cal Waiver Program (AIDS Waiver)
• Assisted Living Waiver (ALW)
• Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver (HCBA) Waiver (formerly NF/AH Waiver)
• Home and Community-Based Services for the Developmentally Disabled Waiver (HCBS-DD)
• Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP)
• Live at Home with the Care You Need Through the Right Waiver
• Policy Letter on releasing available HCBA Waiver slots
• Policy Letter on WPCS Extraordinary Care requirements and approval process for the HCBA Waiver for HCBA Waiver Agencies, HCBA members, and WPCS providers; specifically, WPCS providers who are the parent of a minor HCBA Waiver member or an HCBA Waiver member’s spouse
• Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) Frequently Asked Questions
• Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver
• List of Approved Call Care Coordination Agencies (CCA)

CA Department of Developmental Services

• Self-Determination Program
• Home and Community-Based Services Programs

California Department of Public Health

• How to find a Medi-Cal Waiver Program Provider
• How to apply to the Office of AIDS

DRC's Resource Library

• Recent Changes to In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and Waiver Personal Care Services (WPCS) Workweek Exemptions for Providers

DRC's Rights Under the Lanterman Act (RULA)

• What services does the DD Waiver cover?

Speaker

Maria Iriarte is a Senior Attorney for Disability Rights California, Her expertise is in the area of public benefits. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University Long Beach and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School.