The Assisted Living Waiver Pilot Program (ALWPP)

AB 499 (Aroner, statute of 2000) requires the state to develop a pilot program (the Assisted Living Waiver Pilot Program) to allow up to 1000 individuals to use medi-cal funding to receive care in Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs) and publicly subsidized housing sites.

Eligible patients are anyone 21 years of age or older who is eligible for Medi-Cal without a share of cost and who has been determined to need the level of care provided in a skilled nursing or intermediate care facility. In some instances, ALWPP will remove barriers which currently prevent patients with certain conditions (eg. g-tubes, tracheotomies, etc.) from living in RCFE or public housing settings.  Current RCFE residents are excluded from participation. Expected start date in Los Angeles is March 2006. Approximately, 200 participants in Los Angeles will be allowed to participate. Eligible RCFE providers must have part or full time nurses.
For more information about ALWPP see: http://www.californiaassistedliving.org.

ALWPP is extremely problematic, for our view on this topic, see:

Commonsense Olmstead reform: Fixing the ALWPP

DHS responds to Questions about ALWPP (September 2005)

Summary of Fixes for ALWPP

Olmstead Now Campaign