Medicaid Waver Service

Home and Community-Based Waiver Service (HCBS)

Imagine’s Home and Community-Based Waiver Service provides case management and habilitation services to individuals with physical disabilities who have access to a HCBS waiver. As of April 1st, 2012, Imagine is no longer providing this service. We apologize for the inconvenience.

What is HCBS?

HCBS Waivers allow states that participate in Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California, to develop creative alternatives for individuals who would otherwise require care in a nursing facility or hospital. Medi-Cal has an agreement with the Federal Government, which allows for waiver services to be offered in either a home or community setting. The services offered under the waiver must cost no more than the alternative institutional level of care. Recipients of HCBS Waivers must have full-scope Medi-Cal eligibility.

The services available under these HCBS Waivers include case management, community transition services, private duty nursing, family training, home health aides, life-sustaining utility reimbursement, habilitation services, and respite care.

How do I request services?

The beneficiary or their representative must contact IHO and request a HCBS Waiver application. Based upon the information on the Waiver application, the Nurse Evaluator II will determine if the individual meets the criteria for the HCBS waiver and schedule a home visit to discuss the waiver and waiver services that are available. Each HCBS waiver can only serve a limited number of individuals. Once that limit is reached, the names of individuals requesting waiver services will be placed on a waiting list based upon the date IHO received their completed HCBS Waiver application.

For more information about IHO:

Sacramento: (916) 552-9105
Los Angeles: (213) 897-6774
Email: IHOwaivers@dhcs.ca.gov

For more information about Imagine’s HCBS:

Contact: Julie Rienhardt
Phone: (831) 464-8355 ext. 1
Email: julie@imaginesls.org