What is the fastest way to get on the Medi-Cal waiver for Regional Center clients?

If your child is a Regional Center client, they can qualify for the HCBS-DD waiver that gives them access to Medi-Cal coverage without regard to household income.

One of the qualifications to get the waiver is for your child to receive a paid service from the Regional Center. If your child only recently became a Regional Center client, this can take months, so you should talk to your service coordinator about the fastest way to begin paid services so that your child can be enrolled in Medi-Cal via the waiver. Many service coordinators recommend starting with respite hours, but you could also try requesting Regional Center funding for a parent training conference or medical bracelet. Note that your child needs to actually be using the service and submitting the paid bill; having approval for the service isn't enough to qualify for the waiver.

Note also that some Regional Centers require clients to be using a paid service for a certain number of months before recommending them for the Medi-Cal waiver. You can find out from your service coordinator if your Regional Center has this requirement.