What is ALTCS?
The AHCCCS program initially did not provide for (among other groups) impoverished individuals in nursing homes. Beginning in 1989 the federal government required AHCCCS to provide care to those populations not previously covered. The administrative entity created to handle the long term care component of AHCCCS is called the Arizona Long Term Care System, or ALTCS. For most purposes, ALTCS, AHCCCS and Medicaid are interchangeable terms, at least when referring to institutionalized patients. As with AHCCCS itself, most of the regulations governing the ALTCS program are set by federal law, and so residents of other states will see similar issues. The difference between states, however, can be both subtle and profound; the questions and answers here are specifically tailored to Arizona law and practice, and the answer to any given question may not be the same in another state.
