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What Is an HCBS Waiver for Home Care?
Date Updated: January 10, 2025
Written by:
Leigh Morgan has more than 15 years of experience writing about senior care. She’s the author of “Financial Safety for Seniors: 77 Tips for Preventing Elder Financial Abuse” and has written hundreds of articles about Medicare, Medicaid, assisted living communities, nursing homes and memory care. Morgan developed an interest in senior care while recruiting home health nurses, certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians for a large health care system.
Reviewed by:
Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
An HCBS waiver for home care is a Medicaid program that allows older adults to receive long-term care services at home. HCBS waivers reduce costs and help seniors maintain their independence, providing a viable alternative to residential care.
What Is Home Care?
Home care, also known as in-home care, gives seniors access to the services and support they need to stay at home or move to assisted living instead of entering a nursing home. In-home care usually takes the form of personal care services or companion services.
Personal care assistance helps seniors perform basic activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming, dressing and eating. Some families use personal care services as a form of respite care, ensuring family caregivers have time to tend to their own needs. Paid companions prepare light meals, drive to medical appointments and perform other household tasks.
How Do HCBS Waiver Programs Work?
Every state administers its own Medicaid program, so not all HCBS waiver programs work the same way. However, every HCBS waiver must meet the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. All services provided under a waiver program must protect a beneficiary's health and welfare. Each service must also follow an individualized plan of care.
To qualify for an HCBS waiver, an individual must meet the basic eligibility requirements for Medicaid coverage. Many waiver programs also have additional criteria, such as a minimum age or an ongoing need for long-term care services. The services covered by an HCBS waiver program depend on the guidelines in each state. Some programs cover only basic personal care, while others pay for transportation, case management, medical alert systems and other services to help Medicaid beneficiaries maintain their health and independence.