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Can my Medi-Cal health plan help with assisted living? CalAIM Community Supports vs ALW.
Some Medi-Cal plans offer assisted-living help as a CalAIM Community Support. How it differs from ALW, what to ask your plan, and how to pursue both.
Some Medi-Cal managed-care plans offer help moving into or staying in assisted living as a "Community Support" under CalAIM. It's plan-by-plan and county-by-county, it's not the same as the Assisted Living Waiver (ALW), and it can change. You can ask your plan and be on the ALW waitlist at the same time; they just can't pay for the same service twice.
Important: Community Supports policy and what each plan offers can change; confirm with your family member's own health plan and the current policy. ALW does not pay room and board, and don't assume a plan Community Support does either; ask. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) keeps the master ALW waitlist and decides when an opening (the state calls it a slot) is released; nobody can promise how long that takes. Beta's ALW team can't guarantee eligibility, enrollment, an opening, a placement or a date; what we can do is help with the ALW side while you ask your plan.
What to ask your health plan
Call the member-services number on the plan card, ask for Community Supports or Enhanced Care Management (ECM), and note who you spoke to and when. Ask:
- Does the plan offer Assisted Living Facility Transitions in our county, and does my family member meet its rules?
- Is the support for the move only or ongoing, and what would we still pay?
- Can my family member stay on the ALW waitlist, and what if an ALW opening comes first?
- How do we appeal if the plan says no?
Community Supports and ALW, side by side
ALW is a statewide Medi-Cal waiver, currently operating in 15 California counties (as of August 27, 2026).
| CalAIM Community Supports | ALW | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Members of a Medi-Cal managed-care plan that offers it in their county who meet its criteria | Adults 21+ with full-scope Medi-Cal and no monthly share of cost who need nursing-home-level care and can be safe in assisted living |
| What it pays for | Depends on the plan's current policy; not necessarily ALW's services, care tiers or length of stay | Care and coordination in the home; the person pays room and board |
| Where you live | Homes the plan works with | An assisted-living home (licensed as an RCFE or ARF) that takes ALW, in an ALW county |
| Waitlist? | No; the plan's own authorization process applies, | Yes; the statewide waitlist run by DHCS |
| Can you have both? | Yes, at the same time, but they can't pay for the same service at once; if an ALW opening comes, the plan and Beta sort out the handoff |
A plan Community Support is worth asking about when ALW isn't available yet; it follows the plan's rules and doesn't guarantee a long-term place to live.
Before anyone moves
Don't cancel or leave an existing program, provider or living arrangement until the new one is confirmed in writing: eligibility, the effective date, where the person will live, and how medications, equipment and records carry over. The person, or whoever speaks for them, should understand and agree. We can help you line these up so there's no gap in care.
If you're a case manager or ECM provider
Verify the member's plan and the operative Community Supports policy first. Nonduplication applies: if an ALW slot is released for a member receiving a Community Support, notify the plan and Beta and confirm effective dates. Send records through the secure referral form.
Your next step
Ask your plan, and ask us.
Official sourcesChecked against the official sources
Use the official sources below to confirm time-sensitive program details.
This page provides general California ALW information. It is not an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it is not a guarantee of facility placement. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating facility.