ALTCS in Arizona: What It Covers for Assisted Living
ALTCS — the Arizona Long Term Care System — is the state Medicaid program that helps qualifying Arizonans pay for long-term care, including assisted living and memory care in approved settings. It's one of the most important funding paths in the Valley, and one of the most misunderstood.
What ALTCS covers, at a glance
Care in an ALTCS-contracted assisted living community, residential home, or skilled nursing facility.
In-home care through the ALTCS program's home and community-based services.
Case management and coordination.
It does not cover every community — only ALTCS-contracted providers.
Eligibility, in plain English
Medical: the applicant must need a nursing-facility level of care, evaluated through a Pre-Admission Screening (PAS).
Financial: strict income and asset limits, evaluated by an ALTCS worker. Spousal impoverishment protections may allow the well spouse to keep certain assets.
This is one of the areas most worth an elder-law attorney's help.
Nurse-led senior living guidance — no cost to your family
We tour with you, ask the hard questions, and help your family compare options across Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, and Fountain Hills. We lean toward smaller residential assisted living (RAL) homes when they're the right fit — but we'll guide you through any setting, including larger assisted living, memory care, or independent living.
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Written from the perspective of Mentoring Our Moments' nurse-led senior care and Residential Assisted Living consulting work. MOM supports families navigating senior living decisions and helps care home owners strengthen the systems, communication, and trust that make healthier transitions possible.