Illinois license type
Supportive Living Program (SLP)
The Illinois Medicaid assisted-living alternative (no Texas equivalent)
The Supportive Living Program (SLP) is the Illinois Medicaid alternative to nursing-home care, run by Illinois HFS, that pays for assisted-living-style services for low-income seniors (65 or older) and adults 22 to 64 with physical disabilities at nursing-facility level of need. The service rate must be at least 54.75% of the regional nursing-facility per-diem; the Chicago regular daily rate is about $151.81 effective January 1, 2026. Residents pay room and board separately. SLP is a competitive, capacity-limited certification through HFS, not an open IDPH license, and it is the major Illinois feature that Texas does not have.
Reviewed by Erika Crossley, senior living AI specialist · Information last verified June 2026
License fee
No license fee; certification by HFS (apply through the program)
SLP is a Medicaid certification, separate from the IDPH establishment license. Many operators hold both.
Capacity
Apartment-style; residents are 65 or older (or 22 to 64 with a physical disability), Medicaid-eligible, at nursing-facility level of need
Model
A Medicaid home and community-based services program run by Illinois HFS, not an IDPH license. It pays for assisted-living-style services as a nursing-home alternative. The resident pays room and board separately.
License term
Certification by HFS; approved sites must be operational within 24 months.
Governing law
305 ILCS 5/5-5.01a; 89 Ill. Adm. Code 146
Best for
Operators who want a Medicaid-backed census to hedge vacancy, and can win a competitive HFS certification slot.
Building and physical plant
- —Apartment-style units, consistent with the assisted living physical plant, not a shared-bedroom house.
- —The building must be certified by HFS, including an architect-signed certificate that it meets all applicable codes.
- —Approved development sites must become operational within 24 months of approval.
Staffing and training
- —Staffing consistent with the assisted living model, including 24-hour on-site coverage.
- —Same Health Care Worker Background Check and training rules apply.
How residents pay
- —Medicaid pays the service rate: at least 54.75% of the regional nursing-facility per-diem. The Chicago regular daily rate is about $151.81 effective January 1, 2026.
- —The resident pays room and board separately (about $847 per month for single occupancy in 2025) and keeps a $120 monthly personal-needs allowance.
- —This turns filled beds into a Medicaid-backed annuity, at a lower but reliable rate than private pay.
Strengths
- A guaranteed Medicaid census that hedges the number-one risk in a small home: vacancy.
- Opens the much larger low-income senior market that private pay cannot reach.
- A genuine Illinois moat; there is no clean Texas equivalent.
Watch-outs
- Certification is competitive and capacity-limited; HFS approves sites by geographic distribution and slot availability, which functions like a development cap in saturated areas. Confirm current openings with HFS before underwriting Medicaid revenue.
- Requires an apartment-style building, not a converted shared-bedroom house.
- The rate is lower than private pay, and approved sites must open within 24 months.
The official Illinois sources
Straight to the regulator and the statute, verified June 2026.