For assisted-living facilities
How to become a California ALW provider
The three DHCS steps an RCFE or ARF takes to become a California ALW provider, a readiness check, the 2026 rates, and what enrollment does not guarantee.
Your facility becomes an Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) provider through the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in three steps: an initial application by email, a Medi-Cal provider packet and a verification visit. In 2026 the maximum payable rates are $95.69 to $270.80 per participant per day, by care tier. ALW does not pay room and board. Beta has no part in the approval.
Open the DHCS provider enrollment page (dhcs.ca.gov)
Important: Beta is a Care Coordination Agency (CCA): the state-listed organization that does the ALW assessment and care planning with participants. Beta is not DHCS, does not approve enrollment, and provider enrollment does not guarantee referrals from Beta or any CCA.
The three DHCS steps
You file two applications, one for the ALW program and one to become a Medi-Cal provider. DHCS explains that both are required, and completing one is not the same as completing both.
- Send the initial ALW program application to DHCS by email, at ProFacWAIVER@dhcs.ca.gov. The current form is on the DHCS enrollment page.
- Complete and return the Medi-Cal provider packet that DHCS mails you.
- Pass the DHCS verification visit at your facility.
DHCS then adds your facility to its list of participating facilities. Being listed does not mean a bed is open, that a participant will choose you, or that DHCS or Beta recommends you. DHCS controls the timing; you control a complete packet and a passed visit.
What an ALW facility provides
DHCS describes a participating facility as one that provides or arranges personal and supportive care, help with medication self-administration, meals, housekeeping and laundry, transportation, activities, care and supervision, and skilled nursing as needed, within its license and the program's rules. The DHCS page also covers rooms and bathrooms, staffing, nursing availability, accessibility and safety, privacy and community integration. Take the exact requirements and the forms from that page. What ALW pays per resident is on the costs page.
Readiness check
Confirm each area before you apply.
| Area | Confirm |
|---|---|
| Licensing | The license is current, for the right facility type and in good standing. The facility is in one of the fifteen ALW counties. |
| Ownership and records | The legal name and the ownership match across your records. Tax and provider records are current. One person signs, and one maintains the Medi-Cal enrollment. |
| Operations | You have a staffing model, an on-call nursing arrangement and medication policies. You have a written process for incidents, changes in condition, CCA communication and participant rights. |
| Physical setting | Rooms, bathrooms, accessibility and emergency planning meet the licensing and ALW rules. |
| Finance and billing | You know the ALW service rates. Residential charges stay separate from waiver billing. You bill nothing that ALW already covers. For a resident on SSI/SSP, basic services are provided at the basic rate the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) sets each year. |
After enrollment
Provider enrollment does not guarantee referrals, a number of residents, continuous occupancy, acceptance by every CCA, a particular care tier, or directory visibility.
Keep the license in compliance. Describe what your facility can do accurately. Evaluate each prospective resident. Provide the services assigned to you in each care plan (the Individualized Service Plan, or ISP), and document them. Report changes. Preserve the participant's choice. A public profile on this site is not enrollment and gives no referral status; to correct one, contact the ALW team.
Run the readiness check, then go to the DHCS page. Beta can explain the CCA-facility relationship; nobody at Beta can approve enrollment or tell you how long DHCS will take.
About this informationReviewed August 27, 2026. Program details may change. View official sources and page limitations.
Written by Beta's ALW team and reviewed by Sergio B., Program Coordinator, against the official sources this page lists; facts checked through August 27, 2026. Where this page and an official source differ, the source controls.
This page gives general California ALW information. DHCS decides eligibility after the nurse assessment and releases openings. Each home decides its own admissions. Nothing here is an eligibility decision or a promise of enrollment, and it does not guarantee a place in a home. You may choose any Care Coordination Agency listed by DHCS and any participating home.
Something out of date? Tell Beta's ALW team.