Community First Choice Option (CFCO)

One of four IHSS eligibility pathways, for Medi-Cal recipients who would otherwise need a nursing-home level of care. Most IHSS recipients are enrolled in CFCO. It allows up to 283 hours per month for severely impaired recipients, including Protective Supervision, and recipients automatically qualify for CFCO if they've been approved for Protective Supervision. CFCO differs from the other subprograms in one respect worth knowing: a non-severely impaired recipient who gets Protective Supervision can be authorized 195 hours of PS plus other services up to a total of 283 a month, where under IPO and IHSS-Residual that recipient would stay at 195.