The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established the Community First Choice Option as a new State Plan Option. California opted into the program, which allows States to provide Home and Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports. The feds approved the state’s initial CFCO state plan on August 31, 2012, retroactive to December 1, 2011. This initial plan was based on the draft CFCO federal regulations, with the understanding that a new plan would be submitted to include Nursing Facility Level of Care (NF LOC) eligibility, based on the final CFCO regulations. The new CFCO plan was approved with an effective date of July 1, 2013. California now operates four IHSS programs: IHSS-Residual (IHSS-R), PCSP, IPO and CFCO. This letter reviews the CFCO eligibility criteria and available services. The new CFCO eligibility requirements are more stringent than those in effect from December 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013; therefore, individuals with FS FFP Medi-Cal eligibility who were, but are no longer, eligible for CFCO, due to the NF LOC criteria, will be served in the PCSP or IPO programs, effective July 1, 2013. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations