California DDS: Home and Community-Based Services Programs

“Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California, is a jointly-funded, federal-state health insurance program for certain low income and needy people that includes long-term care benefits. In 1981, President Reagan signed into law the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver program, section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. The legislation provided a vehicle for California to offer services not otherwise available through the Medi-Cal program to serve people (including individuals with developmental disabilities) in their own homes and communities. The HCBS Waiver program recognizes that many individuals at risk of being placed in medical facilities can be cared for in their homes and communities, preserving their independence and ties to family and friends at a cost no higher than that of institutional care.”