A daughter calls because her 78-year-old mother can no longer safely live alone. Her mother has $0 in savings, receives a modest Social Security check, and has Medicare. Another family has a father receiving SSI only. A third has an older adult leaving a skilled nursing facility with Medi-Cal and an Inland Empire Health Plan card. All three families may say the same thing: “We need a government-funded care home.” But those three cases can lead to completely different programs, eligibility rules, payment sources, and placement options.

That is the central problem with low-income senior placement in California: there is no single benefit called “free assisted living.” Instead, California uses several separate systems. Some pay cash income. Some pay health care. Some pay personal-care services. Some pay assisted-living services but specifically exclude room and board. Some operate only in certain counties. Some require a nursing-facility level of care. Some require full-scope Medi-Cal with zero share of cost. Some are available only through a particular Medi-Cal managed care plan. And some help a person stay in their own home rather than move at all.

This guide is designed to make that system understandable. It focuses on adults and seniors in Southern California who may have no income, SSI only, Social Security only, SSDI, a small pension, Medicare, Medi-Cal, or both Medicare and Medi-Cal. It explains what IEHP and CHG actually are, how CalAIM works, how the Assisted Living Waiver differs from CalAIM Assisted Living Facility Transitions, and where programs such as IHSS, PACE, HCBA, WPCS, MSSP, CBAS, Veterans Aid and Attendance, and subsidized housing fit into the picture.

Start with one critical distinction: paying for care is not always the same as paying for housing

Families often use the words care, assisted living, board and care, rent, and facility as if they describe one bill. Government programs do not necessarily see them that way.

The Assisted Living Waiver, for example, can reimburse approved assisted-living services at tiered daily rates, but the California Department of Health Care Services explicitly states that ALW does not pay room and board. The participant remains responsible for room and board and must have enough funds for that expense plus personal and incidental needs.^[11][12] CalAIM's Assisted Living Facility Transitions Community Support can pay for transition-related and ongoing assisted-living services for eligible Medi-Cal managed-care members, but its program rules similarly distinguish the covered service from ordinary room-and-board costs.^[9]

SSI/SSP operates differently. Supplemental Security Income is a cash benefit, and California adds a State Supplementary Payment. California also has a specific Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care payment standard for certain SSI/SSP recipients in licensed settings. In 2026, that payment standard is $1,626.07 per month for an aged or disabled individual in the licensed-facility NMOHC category.^[2] That is why an SSI-only placement is a very different financial search from a private-pay placement.

What do SSI, SSP, Medi-Cal, CalAIM, ALW, IEHP, CHG, IHSS, PACE and the other acronyms actually mean?

California's long-term-care system is full of acronyms. A family can easily be told to “call the MCP about ECM and ALFT while waiting on ALW” without anyone explaining what that sentence means. Here is the language in plain English.

“Low income” is not one category: the starting path depends on what the person actually receives

What SSI-only placement actually means in California

For 2026, the federal maximum SSI payment is $994 per month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple. SSA emphasizes that actual SSI payments can be lower because of other income, household circumstances, and living arrangements.^[1] California then adds a State Supplementary Payment.

California's 2026 SSI/SSP table is especially relevant to placement agencies and residential-care operators because it shows a separate Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care standard. For an aged or disabled individual in a licensed facility or qualifying household, the 2026 total is $1,626.07. DHCS breaks the NMOHC cost standard into room and board, care and supervision, and personal/incidental needs components.^[2]

These numbers should not be read as a promise that any particular RCFE will accept a resident at the SSI/SSP level. They are payment standards, not a statewide inventory of beds. The practical challenge is often finding a licensed provider that is willing and able to accept the payment structure and safely meet the resident's care needs.

That is also why “SSI placement” should not be treated like ordinary private-pay placement with a lower budget. The search is narrower. The facility's licensing, care capability, admission criteria, vacancy, and willingness to work within the resident's income structure all matter. If the resident also qualifies for ALW or a CalAIM assisted-living service, the care-services funding may create a different financial picture—but those programs have their own eligibility and provider rules.

A small pension or Social Security check does not automatically disqualify someone from Medi-Cal

Medi-Cal eligibility is not determined by one single income number for every senior and adult with a disability. Different eligibility categories use different financial methods. Some people qualify under federal-poverty-level programs; some qualify through aged, blind, or disabled rules; some may have a share of cost; some may benefit from spousal impoverishment protections; and certain Home and Community-Based Services waiver rules can affect how income and household finances are treated.

California's current public 2026 FPL chart lists 138% of the federal poverty level at $1,836 per month for a household of one and $2,490 per month for a household of two, but families should not use those figures as a universal “senior Medi-Cal cutoff.”^[5] The correct eligibility category must be identified first.

The 2026 Medi-Cal asset rules are especially important for seniors

California reinstated asset counting on January 1, 2026 for specified Medi-Cal groups, including people age 65+, people with disabilities, nursing-home residents, and certain non-MAGI applicants and members. Through June 30, 2027, the limit is $130,000 for one person, plus $65,000 for each additional household member up to 10. Beginning July 1, 2027, the limits are scheduled to become much lower: $21,000 for one person, $31,000 for two people, plus $1,550 for each additional household member up to 10.^[4]

DHCS currently lists the primary home, one vehicle, household items, and certain retirement funds when regular payments are being received among examples of assets that may not count, while bank accounts, cash, second vehicles, and second homes can count.^[4] Families with substantial assets, transfers, trusts, property, or a spouse at home should obtain qualified eligibility or legal advice rather than attempting an informal “spend-down” based on internet summaries.

Pension-only and Social Security-only cases deserve a full screening

A person receiving only a pension may be over the SSI cash-benefit limit yet still potentially qualify for Medi-Cal under a different category. A person with Medicare and a modest pension may also qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, which can help pay Medicare premiums and, depending on the program, deductibles and copayments. For 2026, California lists the QMB, SLMB, QI, and QDWI programs with different income limits and a $130,000 individual asset limit for MSP eligibility.^[26]

What IEHP, CHG, CalOptima, L.A. Care, Gold Coast and the other Southern California Medi-Cal plans are

Once a person has Medi-Cal, the next important detail is often the managed-care plan. DHCS explains that Fee-for-Service Medi-Cal lets members use providers that accept regular Medi-Cal, while Medi-Cal managed care uses a health-plan network and coordinates benefits. Managed-care plans also offer Community Supports that are not offered through regular Fee-for-Service Medi-Cal in the same way.^[6]

This is why a family saying only “she has Medi-Cal” has not yet given enough information for a CalAIM placement search. We may need to know whether the card says IEHP, Community Health Group, L.A. Care, CalOptima, Molina, Blue Shield Promise, Gold Coast, Kaiser, or another plan—and which county the member lives in.

Southern California Medi-Cal managed-care snapshot

CalAIM is not an insurance company—it is California's transformation of Medi-Cal

CalAIM stands for California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal. It is a statewide initiative to reorganize and expand how Medi-Cal addresses complex health and social needs. For low-income placement, two pieces matter especially: Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports.^[7]

Enhanced Care Management: one person helping coordinate a complicated case

Enhanced Care Management, or ECM, is a statewide Medi-Cal managed-care benefit for eligible members with complex needs. DHCS describes it as giving qualifying members access to a Lead Care Manager who can coordinate medical, behavioral, social, and health-related services across systems.^[7] For a family dealing simultaneously with hospital discharge, medications, homelessness risk, mobility limitations, Medi-Cal, and placement, that coordination can be highly consequential.

Community Supports: 15 services that can address health-related social needs

California currently identifies 15 Community Supports. Not every support is automatically available to every member, and except where state policy makes a support mandatory for a defined population, plan elections and member eligibility matter. DHCS's current Community Supports materials identify the following service categories:^[8]

Assisted Living Facility Transitions: the CalAIM pathway families often mean when they say “IEHP pays for the care home”

CalAIM's Assisted Living Facility Transitions Community Support is one of the most important developments in California's government-funded residential-care landscape. DHCS's policy guide explains that the service is designed to divert or support members who would otherwise receive skilled-nursing-facility level care into assisted living and to provide ongoing assisted-living services during their tenancy. For this purpose, the term assisted-living facility includes RCFEs and ARFs.^[9]

That makes the benefit highly relevant to older adults leaving skilled nursing facilities, people living in the community who are approaching institutional-level care, and some people already residing in assisted living who meet the applicable eligibility rules. But the benefit should not be marketed as “free room and board.” The care and transition service must be distinguished from housing costs, and authorization is case-specific.

Which Southern California plans currently elect Assisted Living Facility Transitions?

The following snapshot is based on DHCS's Community Supports — Managed Care Plan Elections matrix updated June 2026 for July 1, 2026. An “Yes” below means the plan's election matrix shows Assisted Living Facility Transitions. It does not mean automatic member eligibility or guaranteed placement.^[10]

This table demonstrates why county and health-plan identification should happen near the beginning of a low-income placement case. A person in Hesperia with IEHP, a person in San Diego with CHG, and a person in Santa Barbara with CenCal may all have full-scope Medi-Cal, yet the specific managed-care service landscape is not identical.

ALW — the Assisted Living Waiver — is not the same thing as CalAIM

The Assisted Living Waiver is a Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Services waiver approved separately from CalAIM. The current waiver term runs from March 1, 2024 through February 28, 2029. DHCS states that ALW is available in 15 counties and is intended to let eligible people who require nursing-facility-level care live in an assisted-living setting or public subsidized housing instead of a nursing facility.^[11]

Core ALW eligibility rules

According to DHCS, an ALW participant must generally:

• be age 21 or older;
• have full-scope Medi-Cal with zero share of cost;
• have care needs equal to those of Medi-Cal-funded nursing-facility residents;
• want assisted living as an alternative to a nursing facility;
• be able to live safely in assisted living or public subsidized housing; and
• live in an ALW county and complete the waiver enrollment process.^[11]

Southern California counties currently on the official ALW list include Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. Ventura, Imperial, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo are not on the current ALW county list.^[11]

ALW has limited slots and a waitlist

DHCS tells new applicants that ALW has limited available slots and a waitlist, with open slots released to Care Coordination Agencies on a regular basis.^[11] This means ALW should not be presented to a family as an immediate guaranteed payment source simply because the person appears medically and financially eligible.

ALW reimburses services at tiered 2026 rates

Those rates are reimbursement for covered assisted-living services. They are not the resident's rent. DHCS's 2026 ALW rate sheet states directly that the waiver does not pay room and board and that participants remain responsible for those payments.^[12]

Not every RCFE is an ALW facility

DHCS maintains a specific list of ALW participating RCFEs and ARFs.^[33] A licensed RCFE can therefore be perfectly legitimate yet still be unavailable for an ALW placement because it is not enrolled, has enrollment closed, lacks an appropriate vacancy, or cannot meet the person's needs.

Government-funded care is not only about moving into assisted living

For some low-income seniors and adults with disabilities, the strongest plan is not residential placement at all. California has several programs designed to delay or avoid institutionalization by bringing services into the home or coordinating intensive community care.

When the problem is not only care, but also rent, homelessness, or an impossibly small monthly budget

One of the hardest low-income cases is the person whose clinical needs could be managed in the community but whose housing is unstable or unaffordable. In those cases, health programs alone may not solve the placement problem.

CalAIM Transitional Rent

Transitional Rent is the newest Community Support in the CalAIM portfolio. DHCS describes it as up to six months of rent for eligible Medi-Cal managed-care members who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and meet additional program criteria. Beginning January 1, 2026, plans must provide Transitional Rent for the defined behavioral-health population of focus, while plans may cover additional eligible populations under the policy framework.^[32]

Transitional Rent is a bridge, not permanent assisted-living financing. A six-month rent benefit does not eliminate the need for a sustainable long-term housing and care plan.

HUD Section 202 and Section 811 housing

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program supports affordable rental housing for very-low-income adults age 62+ and can include service coordination. HUD also identifies Section 811 supportive housing for low-income adults with disabilities.^[34]

These are housing programs, not substitutes for an RCFE license or 24-hour assisted-living care. But for a person whose medical and personal-care needs can be met through IHSS, PACE, HCBA, CBAS, family support, or other services, affordable housing can be the missing piece that keeps the person out of institutional care.

Veterans Aid and Attendance

For eligible Veterans and survivors already entitled to a VA pension, Aid and Attendance can add monthly payments when qualifying care needs are present—for example, needing help with activities of daily living, being largely bedridden because of illness, being in a nursing home because of disability, or meeting specified visual-impairment criteria. VA also has a Housebound allowance, although the two cannot be paid at the same time.^[35]

VA benefits should be screened separately from Medi-Cal because the programs use different eligibility rules. A Veteran's benefit may also affect means-tested programs depending on how the income is treated, so coordination matters.

Medicare Savings Programs

A low-income Medicare beneficiary may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program even when the immediate care question is not “Where will I live?” California's 2026 MSP programs can help with Medicare premiums and, depending on the category, deductibles and copayments. Reducing out-of-pocket Medicare expenses can free limited monthly income for housing and personal needs.^[26]

What these programs can look like in real-life placement scenarios

The following examples are hypothetical. They are not promises of eligibility. Their purpose is to show why the same “low-income senior” label can produce very different pathways.

Five assumptions that can derail a low-income placement

1. “Medi-Cal pays the entire assisted-living bill.”

Not necessarily. Programs such as ALW and CalAIM ALFT may pay covered care services, but room and board can remain separate. ALW explicitly excludes room and board.^[12]

2. “If someone has SSI, any board-and-care home must take them.”

No. SSI/SSP payment standards do not create a universal bed obligation. A provider still has to be an appropriate licensed setting, have a vacancy, be willing to accept the payment structure, and be able to meet the resident's needs.

3. “If the person has Medicare, Medicare will pay for assisted living.”

Medicare is health insurance, not a general long-term custodial-care funding program. Medicare states that in most cases it does not pay for custodial care.^[27]

4. “If IEHP or CHG offers ALFT, the member automatically qualifies.”

No. A plan election means the service is part of the plan's elected Community Support portfolio. The member still must meet eligibility criteria and receive appropriate authorization, and a qualified provider must be available.

5. “If someone earns too much for SSI, there is no public pathway.”

Also incorrect. SSI, Medi-Cal, Medicare Savings Programs, ALW, CalAIM, PACE, HCBA, and housing programs have different rules. Pension or Social Security income must be analyzed under the program actually being pursued.

Low-income placement is benefits navigation plus placement—not simply a bed search

Rosenthal Adult & Senior Care Connections approaches government-funded and low-income placement differently from a conventional private-pay facility search. The goal is to understand the person's entire situation before treating any one program as the answer.

What this looks like across the regions RASCC serves

A government-funded placement checklist for families

Before driving from facility to facility, gather the facts that determine whether a home is financially and clinically realistic:

• What is the person's exact monthly income, and what are the sources?
• Does the person receive SSI, SSP, Social Security retirement, SSDI, pension, VA pension, or another benefit?
• What is the person's current living arrangement for SSI purposes?
• Does the person have Medicare Part A and Part B?
• Does the person have full-scope Medi-Cal?
• Is there a Medi-Cal share of cost?
• Which Medi-Cal managed-care plan is active?
• What county and ZIP code is the member officially enrolled in?
• Has the person been assessed for nursing-facility level of care?
• Is the person currently in a hospital or skilled nursing facility?
• Does the person already have ECM, IHSS, PACE, MSSP, HCBA, WPCS, CBAS, ALW, or another long-term-service program?
• Has the managed-care plan been asked about relevant Community Supports?
• If ALW is being considered, is the person full-scope Medi-Cal with zero share of cost?
• If residential care is necessary, what money will pay room and board?
• Is the proposed facility actually enrolled with the relevant program or contracted pathway?
• Can the home meet the person's care needs—not merely accept the funding source?
• Are there dementia, behavioral, mobility, transfer, oxygen, hospice, diabetes, medication, or other needs that narrow the placement search?
• Does the family need transportation for tours or assistance collecting documents?

Low-income assisted living and government-funded care: frequently asked questions

Can a senior with no income at all get into assisted living?

Possibly, but zero income alone does not create an assisted-living benefit. The person may need screening for SSI, Medi-Cal, subsidized housing, managed-care Community Supports, ALW, or home/community-based programs. If residential care is appropriate, a sustainable room-and-board source still has to be identified.

Can someone live in an RCFE on SSI only?

California has an SSI/SSP Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care payment standard for qualifying licensed-facility arrangements. In 2026 the aged/disabled individual standard is $1,626.07.^[2] However, not every facility accepts that payment structure, and clinical suitability and vacancy still matter.

What if the person receives only a pension?

A pension can reduce or eliminate SSI because SSI is needs-based and SSA counts non-work income such as pensions.^[1] But pension income does not automatically disqualify a person from Medi-Cal, Medicare Savings Programs, waiver eligibility, or other benefits. A separate eligibility review is necessary.

What if the person receives only Social Security retirement?

Social Security retirement is work-record based and is different from SSI. A person with a modest Social Security benefit may still qualify for Medi-Cal or other assistance depending on the program's rules.

What does IEHP stand for?

IEHP stands for Inland Empire Health Plan. DHCS lists IEHP as a Medi-Cal managed-care plan in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.^[20][21]

What does CHG stand for?

CHG commonly refers to Community Health Group. DHCS lists the organization as Community Health Group Partnership Plan in San Diego County.^[22]

What is CalAIM?

CalAIM stands for California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal. It is a broad transformation of Medi-Cal. Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports are two of the parts most relevant to complex placement and long-term-care cases.^[7]

What is ALW?

ALW stands for Assisted Living Waiver. It is a Medi-Cal Home and Community-Based Services waiver for eligible adults who need nursing-facility level of care but can live safely in an approved assisted-living or public-subsidized-housing setting. It currently operates in 15 counties and has limited slots.^[11]

Does ALW pay the resident's rent or room and board?

No. DHCS's ALW materials state that the waiver does not pay room and board. The participant remains responsible for that cost.^[12]

Is CalAIM Assisted Living Facility Transitions the same as ALW?

No. ALFT is a Community Support administered through participating Medi-Cal managed-care plans. ALW is a separate 1915(c) waiver administered through a waiver enrollment structure and participating facilities. Eligibility and processing differ.

Can someone get ALW if they have a Medi-Cal share of cost?

ALW eligibility requires full-scope Medi-Cal with zero share of cost.^[11] A person with share of cost should obtain a proper Medi-Cal eligibility review to determine whether another category or rule could change that status.

Does IEHP offer a CalAIM assisted-living transition benefit?

As of the DHCS Community Supports elections matrix updated June 2026, IEHP elects Assisted Living Facility Transitions in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.^[10] That does not mean every IEHP member automatically qualifies.

Does Community Health Group offer Assisted Living Facility Transitions?

As of the June 2026 DHCS elections matrix, Community Health Group Partnership Plan elects Assisted Living Facility Transitions in San Diego County.^[10] Member eligibility and provider availability still have to be established.

Can IHSS be used after someone moves into an RCFE?

IHSS requires the recipient to live at home or in an abode of their own choosing, and CDSS specifically says licensed community care facilities and long-term-care facilities are not considered the recipient's “own home” for IHSS eligibility.^[13] Families should therefore not assume IHSS hours simply follow a resident into an RCFE.

What is PACE and who might qualify?

PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. It coordinates comprehensive medical and social care. General eligibility includes age 55+, residence in a PACE service area, nursing-home level of care, and the ability to live safely in the community at enrollment.^[16]

What is HCBA?

HCBA stands for Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver. It coordinates home/community services for people at risk of nursing-home or institutional placement. DHCS currently says HCBA is at maximum capacity and has a waiting list, although applications are still encouraged.^[14]

What is MSSP?

MSSP stands for Multipurpose Senior Services Program. It provides care management and supports for qualifying Medi-Cal beneficiaries age 60+ who are certified or certifiable for skilled-nursing placement, helping them remain in the community when possible.^[17]

What is CBAS?

CBAS stands for Community-Based Adult Services. It is an adult day health program that can provide nursing, therapy, mental-health support, personal care, meals, social services and transportation for qualifying Medi-Cal adults at risk of institutional care.^[18]

What if the person is leaving a hospital or skilled nursing facility right now?

Discharge is exactly when early coordination matters. Ask the discharge team and the Medi-Cal managed-care plan about care management, Community Supports, ALFT where available, PACE, ALW, HCBA and other appropriate long-term-care options. Waiting until the discharge date can sharply reduce the number of realistic choices.

What if the person is homeless?

Medi-Cal managed-care members may have access to housing-related Community Supports such as housing navigation, deposits, tenancy support, recuperative care and, for qualifying populations, Transitional Rent. Transitional Rent can cover up to six months of rent under applicable criteria; it is not permanent assisted-living funding.^[32]

Does Medicare pay for assisted living if the resident is 65 or older?

Medicare does not generally pay for long-term custodial care. It may cover qualifying medical, skilled, home-health, hospice, or rehabilitation services under its rules, but age 65+ does not turn ordinary assisted living into a Medicare-covered benefit.^[27]

Can a Veteran get additional money for care?

Eligible Veterans or survivors who receive a VA pension may qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound additions under VA rules. Aid and Attendance can apply when qualifying help with daily activities or other listed conditions are present.^[35]

Does RASCC decide whether someone qualifies for Medi-Cal, SSI, ALW or CalAIM?

No. Eligibility and authorization decisions belong to the relevant government agency, county, health plan, waiver program, or contracted entity. RASCC can help families organize the situation, understand potential pathways, identify participating care options, coordinate referrals, and navigate the placement process, but RASCC does not replace the agency making the legal benefit determination.

Does RASCC charge families a placement fee?

RASCC provides placement assistance to families without charging them a placement fee. Participating care providers may compensate RASCC after a successful referral or placement. Separate services—such as transportation or services provided directly by third parties—may carry their own charges, which should be disclosed before they are used.

Low income should change the search strategy—not end the search

The public long-term-care system is complicated partly because each program was built to solve a different problem. SSI was not created as a comprehensive assisted-living insurance policy. Medi-Cal is not one uniform benefit for every senior. Medicare was not designed to pay indefinite custodial care. ALW does not pay room and board. IHSS is designed for the person's own home. PACE is geographically limited. HCBA and ALW can have waiting lists. Community Supports depend on eligibility and plan participation. Housing programs solve housing problems, but not necessarily 24-hour care problems.

That complexity is frustrating, but it also means there are more possible pathways than families often realize. A person with no private-pay budget may still have a viable care plan if the case is built correctly: a cash benefit for basic living needs, Medi-Cal for health coverage, a managed-care plan for coordination and Community Supports, a waiver for long-term services, a home-care program to prevent institutionalization, or a participating residential provider whose payment structure matches the person's benefits.

The work is therefore investigative. What does the person receive? What are they eligible for but not receiving? Which plan holds responsibility? Which county's rules and provider network apply? Does the person meet nursing-facility level of care? Is the goal home, assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing? Who pays for care? Who pays for room and board? And which provider can actually accept the person?

Research sources and official references

This article prioritizes federal and California government sources and reflects information available as of October 2026. Program rules, plan elections, provider networks, reimbursement rates, waiting lists and eligibility standards can change.

1. Social Security Administration — 2026 SSI payment amounts. Maximum federal 2026 SSI payment and treatment of other income, including pensions. SSA: How much you could get from SSI.
2. California Department of Health Care Services — 2026 SSI/SSP Payment Standards. Includes independent-living and Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care payment standards and cost components. DHCS SSI/SSP Payment Standards.
3. Social Security Administration — SSDI and SSI overview. Distinguishes work-record-based SSDI from needs-based SSI. SSA Red Book: Overview of Disability Programs.
4. California Department of Health Care Services — Medi-Cal Asset Limit FAQs. Current 2026 asset rules, exemptions and scheduled July 2027 limits. DHCS Asset Limit FAQs.
5. California Department of Health Care Services — 2026 Federal Poverty Level calculation chart. DHCS 2026 Monthly FPL Values.
6. California Department of Health Care Services — Medi-Cal Managed Care FAQs. Explains Fee-for-Service versus managed care, Health Care Options, plan choice and Medi-Medi plans. DHCS Managed Care FAQs.
7. California Department of Health Care Services — Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports. DHCS ECM & Community Supports.
8. California Department of Health Care Services — Community Supports Supplemental Fact Sheet. Current 15-service framework, including Transitional Rent. DHCS Community Supports Fact Sheet.
9. California Department of Health Care Services — Community Supports Policy Guide, Volume 1. Includes Assisted Living Facility Transitions policy and definitions. DHCS Community Supports Policy Guide.
10. California Department of Health Care Services — Community Supports Managed Care Plan Elections, updated June 2026. County-by-county and plan-by-plan election matrix. DHCS Community Supports Elections.
11. California Department of Health Care Services — Assisted Living Waiver. Eligibility, counties, waitlist, current waiver term and 2026 rates. DHCS Assisted Living Waiver.
12. California Department of Health Care Services — 2026 ALW Rate Sheet. Includes assisted-living service rates and room-and-board rule. DHCS 2026 ALW Rate Sheet.
13. California Department of Social Services — In-Home Supportive Services. Eligibility, home requirement and county assessment process. CDSS IHSS.
14. California Department of Health Care Services — Home and Community-Based Alternatives Waiver. HCBA purpose, waitlist and regional Waiver Agencies. DHCS HCBA Waiver.
15. California Department of Health Care Services — Waiver Personal Care Services. DHCS WPCS.
16. California Department of Health Care Services — Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. PACE model and eligibility. DHCS PACE.
17. California Department of Aging — Multipurpose Senior Services Program. Services and current eligibility description. CDA MSSP.
18. California Department of Aging — Community-Based Adult Services. Adult day health services and eligibility. CDA CBAS.
19. California Department of Health Care Services — Los Angeles County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Los Angeles County.
20. California Department of Health Care Services — Riverside County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Riverside County.
21. California Department of Health Care Services — San Bernardino County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS San Bernardino County.
22. California Department of Health Care Services — San Diego County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS San Diego County.
23. California Department of Health Care Services — Orange County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Orange County.
24. California Department of Health Care Services — Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Ventura County.
25. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Housing for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities. Section 202 and Section 811. HUD Senior & Disability Housing.
26. California Department of Health Care Services — Medicare Savings Programs in California. 2026 income and asset limits and covered Medicare costs. DHCS Medicare Savings Programs.
27. Medicare.gov — Long-term and custodial care guidance. Medicare notes that in most cases it does not pay for custodial care. Medicare long-term-care guide.
28. Social Security Administration — SSI eligibility. Current SSI income/resource framework and general $2,000 individual / $3,000 couple resource limits. SSA SSI Eligibility.
29. California Department of Health Care Services — Imperial County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Imperial County.
30. California Department of Health Care Services — Kern County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Kern County.
31. California Department of Health Care Services — Santa Barbara County Medi-Cal Managed Care Directory. DHCS Santa Barbara County.
32. California Department of Health Care Services — Transitional Rent policy information. Up to six months of rental support for eligible populations; mandatory for the designated behavioral-health population beginning January 1, 2026. DHCS Transitional Rent Payment Methodology.
33. California Department of Health Care Services — ALW Participating Facilities. Current enrolled RCFE/ARF facility list. DHCS ALW Participating Facilities.
34. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly. HUD Multifamily Program Descriptions.
35. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits. VA Aid and Attendance.

Tell RASCC the whole story—not just the monthly income

If your loved one has no income, SSI only, Social Security only, a small pension, Medicare, Medi-Cal, IEHP, Community Health Group, CalOptima, L.A. Care, Molina, Blue Shield Promise, Gold Coast Health Plan, or another coverage arrangement, start with the details.

Tell us the county, age, income source, Medi-Cal status, health plan, current living situation, hospital or skilled-nursing status, mobility, memory and behavioral needs, ADL assistance, family support, and what kind of setting you believe may be appropriate. We can help you organize the placement search around the benefits and programs that may actually apply.

Rosenthal Adult & Senior Care Connections (RASCC)
Phone: (888) 272-3301, Option 3
Website: rosenthalcareconnections.com

RASCC is a private placement and care-navigation service and is not a government agency, Medi-Cal eligibility office, health plan, Care Coordination Agency, PACE organization, Social Security office, or Veterans Affairs office. RASCC does not determine eligibility or guarantee authorization, enrollment, waiver slots, provider participation, admission, reimbursement, or benefit amounts. Government programs and managed-care plan offerings can change. Families should verify current eligibility and program rules directly with the responsible agency or health plan. This article is educational information and is not legal, tax, financial, medical, or benefits-eligibility advice.