Arizona Long Term Care (ALTCS)

Arizona Long Term Care or ALTCS (All-techs) is an Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCS) Medical Assistance Program. ALTCS provides long term services to eligible individuals who meet financial and medical requirements, are developmentally disabled, and have medical needs.

You can submit your DDD application as well as your ALTCS application at the same time.

When you get approved for ALTCS you will be assigned to a DDD health plan. Either Mercy Care or UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. You can request to change your DDD Health Plans every 12 months.

Eligibility Guidelines

The Eligibility Guidelines for ALTCS, a person may not have more than $2,000.00 in cash or assets; this is your child’s income and assets, not the families. Must have medical and functional needs and be at risk for institutionalization.

This idea can be scary to face, especially shortly after diagnosis.

A medical and financial interview takes place for the approval process. For the medical interview, DES uses the PAS or Pre-Admission Screening and other assessment information to determine eligibility.

PAS- Pre-Admissions Screening by AHCCCS.

To qualify for ALTCS, your child must score 40 points on the PAS assessment. A DES employee will come out and interview you as to your child’s abilities and needs. Your child does not have to be present for the whole interview.

Due to COVID, these interviews might occur via the internet instead of in person.

The advice we received before our son’s interview was:

If your child cannot do something 100 percent of the time, the answer to the question should be no. Also, you can provide any medical documentation to the medical interviewer that you have.

Here is a link to PAS tool information provided by the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix.

Link:

Navigating Autism in AZ

If you get denied ALTCS (or receive an Adverse Benefit Determination Letter), you can request an appeal. The appeal must be requested 60 calendar days from the date of the Adverse Benefit Determination letter. The request for an appeal of the action may be filed, either orally or in writing, with DDD’s Office of Administrative Review.

Phone: 602-771-8163 or 1 (855) 888-3106

E-mail: DDDOfficeofCompliance@azdes.gov

I would recommend doing this in writing just in case you have any issues with the request.

The Office of Administrative Review will:

Acknowledge receipt of the appeal in writing within five calendar days.
Assist you with the completion of forms and other procedural steps, upon request.
Ensure that you are included as a party during the appeal process.
Respond to the appeal with a written Notice of Appeal Resolution (NOAR) within thirty days from the date the appeal was filed.

Additional links:

Here is the link to the ALTCS application

Link:

https://des.az.gov/sites/default/files/dl/FAA-0001A.pdf

Here is the link to the Arizona Long Term Care System Member Handbook 2019-2020. This handbook has all of the covered services on page 10. Page 41 has DDD Approval and Denial Process for services.

https://des.az.gov/sites/default/files/media/DDD-0465_2019-20.pdf?time=1599434658456

If you have private insurance, that insurance will be billed first for services, and AHCCCS will be billed second.