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See if you qualify for free home care

These rules come from the state and your Medi-Cal health plan. Only the plan can say yes. But 2 minutes here will tell you if it is worth asking. Or skip ahead and call (805) 951-1121.

Illustration of a coordinator showing a checklist to a daughter and her elderly mother

The basic rules

1 · Medi-Cal through a health plan

Your Medi-Cal comes through a managed care plan. Almost all Medi-Cal members in Ventura County already have one. Regular (fee-for-service) Medi-Cal does not include this help.

2 · You need help at home

For PCHS, any 1 of these is enough:

  • You are at risk of a hospital or nursing home stay
  • You struggle with daily activities like bathing and dressing, and no one at home can help enough
  • You already have IHSS

3 · You live at home

You live at home, with family, or in your community. Not in a nursing home or care facility. Leaving a facility soon? PCHS can be part of your plan for going home.

4 · For Respite: a family caregiver

Respite is for the caregiver. A family member or friend does most of the care for free, and they need a break to keep going.

The honest fine print: This help is optional, and joining is your choice. Your Medi-Cal health plan reviews every referral. The plan decides who qualifies and how many hours. No one can promise approval. If the plan says no, or the hours feel too low, you can appeal (see below).

2-minute self-check

This is not an official answer. It just tells you if asking makes sense.

1. Do you (or your loved one) have Medi-Cal?


2. Is your Medi-Cal through a managed care health plan?


3. Where do you live?


4. Which sounds most like you?



Who this helps most

  • Families waiting for IHSS. County approval usually takes 30 to 45 days. PCHS can help during the wait.
  • People whose IHSS hours are not enough
  • People coming home from a hospital or nursing home
  • People living with memory loss, Parkinson's, or another long-term illness
  • Anyone at real risk of moving into a nursing home
  • Worn-out family caregivers who need a break (Respite)
Already have IHSS? PCHS can add hours. It can also cover you while the county reviews your case again. IHSS stays your main program. PCHS works with it, never instead of it.

If the answer is no, you still have options

  • No Medi-Cal yet: apply free at BenefitsCal.com or call the Ventura County Human Services Agency at 888-472-4463. Or look at private-pay care from $45 an hour.
  • Regular (fee-for-service) Medi-Cal: call Health Care Options at 1-800-430-4263 to join a health plan. Or call the Medi-Cal helpline at 1-800-541-5555.
  • Plan said no? You can appeal with your health plan. You can ask the DMHC for an outside review at 1-888-466-2219. You can also ask for a State Hearing. A plan cannot say no just because of your diagnosis.

Ask your Medi-Cal health plan directly: Member Services 1-888-301-1228 (TTY 711) · CalAIM line 1-805-437-5911.

Skip the guesswork. Call us.

We check your plan in about 10 minutes. Then we handle the paperwork with your health plan.

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