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Free home care through Medi-Cal
Do you have Medi-Cal in Ventura County? A program called CalAIM may pay for home care and for breaks for family caregivers. You pay $0. We check if you qualify, and we do all the paperwork. Call (805) 951-1121 to start.
What is CalAIM?
CalAIM is a Medi-CalMedi-Cal is California's free or low-cost health insurance for people with lower incomes. program. It can pay for extra help at home, so you pay nothing. In Ventura County, Medi-Cal is run by a managed care health plan. Your plan decides who qualifies and how many hours you get. We provide 2 kinds of CalAIM help:
Personal Care & Homemaker Services (PCHS)
Your health plan may call this benefit "Personal Homemaker Services."
Hands-on help with daily life, so your loved one can stay safe at home:
- Bathing, dressing, grooming, and using the toilet
- Moving around the house safely
- Meals, groceries, cleaning, and laundry
- Reminders to take medicine, and company at doctor visits
Respite Care
A break for family caregivers.
Respite means a short break. A trained caregiver steps in so a family caregiver can rest, run errands, or handle an emergency.
- Visits by the hour, or day coverage, at home
- Your loved one keeps their daily routine
- Up to 336 hours per calendar year, as the plan approves
PCHS and IHSS work together
Many families also use IHSSIHSS is short for In-Home Supportive Services. It is a county program that pays someone, often a family member, to help you at home.. IHSS stays your main program. PCHS never replaces it. The health plan can approve PCHS in 4 cases:
1 · While you wait
The county takes 30 to 45 days to approve IHSS. PCHS can start during the wait and last until IHSS begins.
2 · Extra hours
If your IHSS hours are not enough, PCHS can add more help.
3 · Reassessment wait
If your condition changes, the county reviews your IHSS hours. PCHS keeps helping during that wait.
4 · Short-term help
If you do not qualify for IHSS, PCHS can still help for up to 60 days. The goal is to keep you out of a nursing home.
| CalAIM PCHS | IHSS | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Home care paid by your Medi-Cal health plan | Home care paid by the county |
| Who decides | Your Medi-Cal health plan | A county social worker, after a home visit |
| How to start | We send a referralA referral is a request asking the health plan to approve services for a patient. to the plan for you | You apply to the county IHSS office (form SOC 295) |
| How fast | Can start soon after the plan says yes | Usually 30 to 45 days |
| Who gives the care | An agency like Divine Agape | A helper you pick, often a family member |
| How long it lasts | For the time the plan approves | Ongoing, as long as you qualify |
| Together? | Yes. You can have both at the same time | |
What it costs
$0 for eligible members. No copay. No bills. Joining is your choice. Your Medi-Cal health plan reviews each referral. The plan decides who qualifies and how many hours. No one can promise approval.
Questions about your coverage? Call your Medi-Cal health plan's Member Services at 1-888-301-1228 (TTY 711) or the plan's CalAIM line at 1-805-437-5911. Or call us at (805) 951-1121 and we will help you find out where you stand.
How we help
- We check your plan and county in 1 call
- We send the referral and do the paperwork so the plan can say yes
- We do the free home visit that goes with it
- We match you with a caregiver and check in often
Find out if CalAIM can cover your care
A 10-minute call usually answers it.