Medicaid Waiver Program California

What California Medicaid?

California currently has four waivers that are open to children, including a newer waiver for developmental disabilities. All waivers are HCBS 1915(c) Medicaid waivers, and these programs waive parental income. For general information on California’s waivers, see this list of waivers.

California also offers a range of home and community based services to those already enrolled in Medicaid through a state plan 1915(i) program, including respite, environmental accessibility, vehicle modification, day programs, and therapies. It also has a Community First Choice program, allowing those already enrolled in Medicaid to receive personal care services.

Types of Waivers

Home and Community Based Alternatives Waiver

Description from medicaid.gov: Provides case management, habilitation services, home respite, waiver personal care services, paramedical service, assistive technology, community transition services, comprehensive care management, continuous nursing and supportive services, developmentally disabled/continuous nursing care (DD/CNC) non-ventilator dependent services, DD/CNC- ventilator dependent services, environmental accessibility adaptations, facility respite, family/caregiver training, medical equipment operating expense, personal emergency response systems (PERS), PERS installation and testing, private duty nursing – including home health aide and shared services, and transitional case management services to individuals who are medically fragile or who are technology dependent ages 0 or older who meet a hospital, nursing facility, or ICF/IID level of care.
Online State Information: HCBA Waiver Page
Official Federal Information
How to Apply: Contact the Waiver Agency in your area to apply for the waiver.

HCBS Waiver for Californians with Developmental Disabilities

Description from medicaid.gov: Provides behavioral intervention services, community living arrangement services, day service, homemaker, prevocational services, respite care, supported employment, dental services, home health aide, occupational therapy, optometric/optician services, physical therapy, prescription lenses and frames, psychology services, speech/hearing and language services, financial management service, chore services, communication aides, community based adult services, community-based training service, environmental accessibility adaptations, family support services, family/ consumer training, housing access services, intensive transition services, non-medical transportation, nutritional consultation, personal emergency response systems, self-directed support services, skilled nursing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, transition/set up expenses, vehicle modifications and adaptations services to individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities ages 0 or older who meet an ICF/IID level of care.
Online State Information: HCBS-DD Page or DDS Waiver Page
Official Federal Information
How to Apply: First apply for Medi-Cal. Then contact your Regional Center to apply for the waiver.

Self-Determination Program for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Description from medicaid.gov: Provides community living supports, employment supports, homemaker, live-in caregiver, prevocational supports, respite services, acupuncture services, chiropractic service, dental services, home health aide, lenses and frames, occupational therapy, optometric/optician services, physical therapy, psychology services, speech, hearing and language services, financial management service, independent facilitator, behavioral intervention services, communication support, community integration supports, crisis intervention and support, environmental accessibility adaptations, family support services, family/consumer training, housing access supports, individual training and education, massage therapy, non-medical transportation, nutritional consultation, participant-directed goods and services, personal emergency response systems, skilled nursing, specialized medical equipment and supplies, technology, training and counseling services for unpaid caregivers, transition/set up expenses: other service, and vehicle modifications and adaptations services to individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities ages 0 or older who meet an ICF/IID level of care.
Online State Information: Self-Determination Program
Official Federal Information
How to Apply: Talk to your Regional Center about enrolling. Then attend an orientation training.

Medi-Cal Waiver Program (MCWP)

Description from medicaid.gov: Provides enhanced case management, homemaker, skilled nursing (licensed vocational nurse), skilled nursing (registered nurse), attendant care, home-delivered meals/nutritional supplements, Medi-Cal supplements for infants and children in foster care, minor physical adaptations to the home, non-medical transportation, nutritional counseling, psychotherapy, and specialized medical equipment and supplies to individuals with HIV/AIDS ages 0 or older who meet a hospital or nursing facility level of care.
Online State Information: HIV/AIDS Waiver Page or the AIDS office
Official Federal Information
How to Apply: First apply for Medi-Cal. Then contact the AIDS office to apply for the waiver.

Online Resources

Telephone Resources

California Department of Developmental Services Information Line: (916)-654-1690

Disability Rights California Hotline: 1-800-776-5746

Ordering Goally with a Medicaid Waiver

Talk with your case manager to see if the waiver program you have will cover Goally. If so, have your case manager email us at: [email protected] to place an order on your behalf.

FAQ’s About California’s Medicaid Waiver Program

Who can apply?

Circumstance/Diagnosis: Any child or adult who is diagnosed with either an intellectual and/or developmental disability (this includes autism). The state requires that individuals need an intermediate care facility level of care to qualify. This just means that the individual is unable to get through their day without a lot of supervision.
Income: Income eligibility is only based on the child’s income and not parent income. This means that your child is financially eligible for the waiver if they don’t have an income.

What do I get?

assistive technology
behavioral intervention services (like ABA therapy)
occupational therapy
optometric/optician services
physical therapy
community living arrangement services
day service
homemaker
prevocational services
respite care
supported employment individual
dental services
home health aide
prescription lenses and frames
psychology services
speech, hearing and language services
financial management service
chore services
communication aides
community-based training service
environmental accessibility adaptations
family support services
family/ consumer training
housing access services
non-medical transportation
nutritional consultation
personal emergency response systems (PERS)
skilled nursing
specialized medical equipment and supplies
transition/set up expenses
vehicle modifications and adaptations

How to apply?

This is our general understanding of how the California Medicaid process works, please add additional information in the comments section if you are a parent who has gone through this process:
Step One: Find a regional center nearest to you.
Step Two: Call the number of your local regional center and ask about their eligibility and intake process.
Step Three: Set up a free appointment with your local regional center. (Note that this may require filling out a brief application form).
Step Four: After eligibility is determined, you will have a meeting with the Individual Program Plan team. At this meeting, you can choose what services and tools your child will receive like Goally.

This post was originally published on 02/16/2023. It was updated on 03/19/2025.

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