In 2022, California launched one of the most significant expansions of home-based care benefits in the state’s history. CalAIM — California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal — introduced a new category of services called Community Supports, specifically designed to help Medi-Cal members stay out of hospitals, avoid unnecessary facility placements, and receive care in the setting they prefer: home.
Most families who qualify have no idea these benefits exist.
What Are Community Supports?
Community Supports are a menu of non-medical services available to Medi-Cal members through their managed care plan. They address the social and environmental factors that drive health outcomes but fall outside the scope of traditional medical coverage.
Available services in Orange County typically include:
Home Transitions: Support for Medi-Cal members who are in a nursing facility but want to return home, or who are at risk of nursing facility admission — including help finding housing, setting up home care, and coordinating the logistics of transitioning.
Home Modifications: Safety modifications to prevent falls and support independent living — grab bars, ramps, non-slip surfaces — provided at no cost to qualifying members.
Medically Tailored Meals: Medically appropriate meals delivered to the home for members with specific health conditions requiring dietary management.
Respite Services: Temporary in-home care to give family caregivers a break, funded through the managed care plan.
personal Care and Homemaker Services: Assistance with activities of daily living and household tasks, based on assessed need.
Transportation: Non-emergency medical transportation to health appointments.
Who Qualifies?
Community Supports are available to Medi-Cal members enrolled in managed care plans. Eligibility is based on health risk and assessed need — typically individuals with complex health conditions, recent hospitalizations, or risk of nursing facility placement are prioritized.
The challenge is that access is not automatic. The burden often falls on families to know these benefits exist and ask for them.
Call us for a free consultation — we’ll help you understand what your family member is entitled to under CalAIM.