Medicaid waivers allow states to use Medicaid dollars in ways that federal rules do not typically allow.
States use waivers to pay for services with Medicaid dollars that health insurance would not normally pay for. Waivers usually serve special populations. Some examples include people with developmental disabilities, older adults, and people with traumatic brain injuries.
States submit an application to ask the federal government to “waive,” or let go of, the rules that normally apply to the Medicaid program. Waivers can be temporary or can last for two to five years. They can renew or change over time.
What is New York State’s waiver for people with developmental disabilities?
The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver helps older adults and people with disabilities have independent, healthy and safe lives outside of nursing homes or state-run institutions.
OPWDD uses the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver to pay for many services for New Yorkers with Developmental Disabilities that they could not otherwise get through their health insurance, school or private resources.
