Alabama Medicaid Resources

• State Medicaid Website: Alabama
• Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities Website
• The Arc of Alabama

Alabama Medicaid Facts: From the Kaiser Family Foundation Medicaid Fact Sheet (2009)

There are 194,500 people with a disability using Medicaid in Alabama. Alabama spent $6,879 on each Medicaid recipient with a disability in 2007.

21% of the people covered by Medicaid in Alabama have a disability. This is higher than the national percentage of 15 percent.

However, 37% of the money Alabama spends on Medicaid is spent on people with disabilities, which is lower than the 42% spent on people with disabilities nationally. So even though there are more people with disabilities using Medicaid in Alabama than elsewhere, the state spends less on them than other states do.

Alabama Patient First

This program provides children with disabilities access to a wide variety of services. You may not get to choose your service provider under this plan.

• Community: transportation
• Health: chiropractic, dental, durable medical equipment, early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment, family planning, hearing, hospice, immunization, hospital, mental health, substance abuse disorders, laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician, podiatry, speech therapy, vision, x-ray, occupational therapy
• Home: home health care
• Social Services: case management

Partnership Hospital Program

This program helps pay for inpatient hospital services, or health needs that require at least one overnight stay in a hospital. It covers adults and children with disabilities, except for those in foster care or those who are also eligible for Medicare.

• Health: Hospital

Community Transition Waiver (ACT)

The Alabama Community Transition Waiver is a newly approved waiver designed to shift from institutional to community-based care for people with disabilities. Eligible people must be living in a nursing home or other care facility, and must be ready to move into the community within 180 days. Unfortunately, this waiver can cover very few people at a time, and so there may be a waiting list.

• Social Services: case management

Living at Home Waiver for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (LAH)

The Living at Home waiver is designed to help people who might otherwise have to live in an intermediate care facility remain at home. It covers people with intellectual disabilities and is operated through the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

Ages: 3 years and older.

Other Restrictions: This waiver can only cover 425 people at a time, and so there may be a waiting list for services.

•  Community: day habilitation, transportation
•  Health: occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physical and behavioral therapy, skilled nursing, and crisis intervention
•  Home: residential habilitation, respite care, personal care, environmental modifications
•  Work: job training and supported employment

Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

This waiver, also known as the ID waiver, is designed to help people with intellectual disabilities get services in their homes instead of moving into residential care facilities. This program is operated by the Alabama Department of Mental Health. This waiver is much larger than some others in Alabama, with 5,260 slots, but there may still be a waiting list.

•  Community: day habilitation, transportation,
•  Health: occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, behavioral therapy, special medical equipment, medical supplies, skilled nursing
•  Home: residential habilitation, respite care, personal care, environmental adaptations, companion services
•  Social Services: community specialist services
•  Work: job training, job coaching, supported employment

State of Alabama Independent Living Waiver (SAIL)

The SAIL waiver is for people with disabilities who and who might otherwise have to move into a nursing home or intermediate care facility. This waiver is operated by the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. It is a relatively small waiver, with only 660 slots.

Ages: 18 and older.

•  Health: personal emergency response systems, medical supplies, some assistive technology and repairs
•  Home: personal care, personal assistance services, environmental adaptations
•  Social Services: case management

Technology Assisted Waiver

This waiver provides services for adults who have lost eligibility for the Medicaid EPSDT program after turning 21. This waiver is administered by the Alabama Medicaid Agency.

Ages: 21 and older

Level of care: Nursing

Restrictions: There are only 40 slots for this waiver.

•  Health: private duty nursing (usually for up to 12 hours a day but more if it is approved), medical supplies, assistive technology
•  Home: personal care services
•  Social Services: case management