Illinois Medicaid for seniors and long-term care

Last verified: June 2026

The Community Care Program: home-based care for seniors, run by the Department on Aging

The Community Care Program (CCP) was established in 1979 under Public Act 81-202. It is operated by the Illinois Department on Aging — not HFS — and functions as a 1915(c) Medicaid home and community-based services waiver. The program currently serves over 133,000 older Illinoisans, per the Department on Aging, making it one of the largest state-run home care programs in the country.

CCP covers four categories of services:

• In-home service — homemaker aides assist with cleaning, meal preparation, laundry, shopping, and personal care (bathing, grooming, dressing)
• Adult day services — structured daytime programs at community centers for seniors who cannot be left alone safely during the day
• Emergency home response — a 24-hour two-way voice communication system (medical alert device) for seniors with documented health and safety needs
• Automated medication dispenser service — a programmable device that alerts or dispenses oral medications and tracks missed doses

To qualify for CCP, a person must be 60 or older, an Illinois resident, have non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less, and have an assessed need for long-term care as measured by the Determination of Need (DON) assessment. The home, car, and personal furnishings are exempt from the asset calculation. Applicants must also apply for and, if eligible, enroll in Medicaid.

How to start the CCP application process

CCP services are coordinated locally by Care Coordination Units (CCUs), which are community organizations that are part of the Department on Aging's Aging Network. Your local CCU handles your needs assessment, service coordination, and ongoing case management.

To find your local CCU, use the Department on Aging's provider search at webapps.illinois.gov/AGE/ProviderProfileSearch. You can also call the Senior HelpLine at 1-800-252-8966 (TTY: 711).

The CCP application process is separate from HFS Medicaid enrollment. If you are not already on Medicaid, you will need to apply through ABE (abe.illinois.gov) as part of the CCP eligibility process.

Nursing facility coverage and Supportive Living Facilities

HFS directly administers nursing facility (nursing home) Medicaid coverage for eligible Illinois residents. To qualify for nursing facility Medicaid, a person must meet both functional requirements (needing nursing-level care) and the financial requirements applicable to long-term care Medicaid — which include asset limits that do not apply to standard MAGI Medicaid.

Illinois also operates the Supportive Living Facility (SLF) program, which covers assisted living-style settings as an alternative to nursing homes. SLFs combine housing with personal care services for seniors and people with disabilities who need help but do not require full nursing home care. HealthChoice Illinois LTSS covers services for people in these settings who have both Medicare and Medicaid.

Spousal protections apply when one spouse enters a nursing facility while the other remains at home. Federal Medicaid law permits the community spouse to retain the Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) and a minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance from the institutionalized spouse's income.

Estate recovery: what Illinois recovers after long-term care

Per federal law (42 U.S.C. § 1396p), Illinois is required to seek recovery of Medicaid costs paid for nursing facility care and related services from the estates of deceased enrollees who were 55 or older when they received services. HFS administers the Medicaid estate recovery program.

Recovery is limited to probate assets — property that passes through a will or intestate succession. Assets held in a revocable living trust may also be subject to recovery in some circumstances. A surviving spouse, a child under 21, or a blind or disabled child can trigger a hardship waiver that delays or reduces recovery.

Estate recovery does not apply to people who received only MAGI-based Medicaid (standard adult or children's coverage). It is specific to nursing facility care, HCBS waiver services, and related hospital and prescription drug costs paid while an enrollee was in an institutional or waiver program.

Long-term care options in Illinois Medicaid

• Community Care Program (CCP) — IDoA-administered HCBS for seniors 60+ who qualify for nursing facility level of care but prefer to live at home
• Illinois Supportive Living Program (SLP) — assisted living-style setting; HFS-administered alternative to nursing facilities
• Nursing facility coverage — HFS pays for skilled nursing and long-term care facility stays after the patient's spend-down
• I/DD Waivers — Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) and other waivers for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) — available in Cook County and select other areas; combines medical and long-term care into one plan
• Medicaid Estate Recovery — Illinois recovers LTC costs from estates of deceased enrollees age 55+ (or any age for nursing facility residents)

Illinois Medicaid long-term care financial eligibility

Source: Illinois HFS. CSRA and MMMNA amounts are adjusted annually. Consult an elder law attorney for complex asset situations.