Can my child still get the Medi-Cal waiver at age 18?

If your child is a Regional Center client, they can still qualify for the Medi-Cal institutional deeming waiver at age 18 if they are still living at home and in school and being claimed as dependent.

In order to get the Medi-Cal waiver, your child will need to receive at least one paid Regional Center service per year. Make sure your child's IPP goals support the services you want to request. Remind your service coordinator that your child is still in school and a dependent in case they try to tell you to have your child apply for Medi-Cal on their own.

You may also want to consider applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) once your child is age 18. If an adult receives SSI, they automatically qualify for Medi-Cal. You might want to try both routes (waiver and SSI) because things can take time.