Accessing Medi-Cal & Generic Resources

Section VIII

Westside Regional Center can not stress enough how important it is to access all generic resources available to yourself or your family members. The City of Los Angeles Housing Authority has instituted a program which makes Section VIII Housing Vouchers available to Medicaid Waiver consumers who meet the Income Requirements of the current Section VIII Program. Many of you know that presently the wait for a Voucher through the regular Section VIII Program can be 8-10 years. The Vouchers through this program are available within a couple months of completing the application process.

Institutional Deeming

We feel that the “Institutional Deeming” process described below is an extremely important benefit that all eligible Consumers should apply for.

Medi-Cal is California’s version of Medicaid, a federally-funded health insurance program, usually for low-income families. Many people are not aware that the Medi-Cal eligibility (income and asset) requirements can be waived for certain portions of our consumer population. This Waiver program allows the Consumer to be separated, through a process called “Institutional Deeming”, from his/her families’ income and assets, and therefore qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal. In order to qualify for the program, the Consumer must be:

• Under the age of 18.
• Living at home with family or in foster care.
• Meet the admission requirements for an ICF-MR facility.
• Be receiving or anticipate receiving a qualifying Medicaid Waiver reimbursable service through the Regional Center.

Many of the Consumers that are eligible for this service already have health insurance through their families. Medi-Cal will be a backup for your primary insurance and is always the “payer of last resort”.