Does Medi-Cal Pay for Residential Care/Assisted Living? Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs), sometimes called “Assisted Living” or “Board and Care,” are not licensed as medical facilities. Accordingly, neither Medicare nor Medi–Cal pay directly for care in RCFEs . However, many low-income and low asset RCFE residents may still be eligible for Medi-Cal, which can be very helpful in paying for doctors, home health, medical equipment, and uncovered medications. Although California does have an Assisted Living Waiver program that will pay for services for RCFE residents who would otherwise qualify for nursing home care, this program is limited to a few counties in California.
Link: http://canhr.org/factsheets/rcfe_fs/html/rcfe_fs.board_care_deduction.htm
Author: California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform