If “waiver” makes your eyes glaze over, you're in good company. Here's the version we wish someone had handed us on day one.
What a waiver actually does
Normally, Medicaid will cover certain intensive services only if a person receives them in a facility. A waiver “waives” that rule so your Young Hero can get support at home, surrounded by the people and blanket forts they love. Indiana runs several of these Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, the Health & Wellness Waiver is one of them.
“For the Okafor family, the waiver was the difference between a hospital an hour away and their daughter falling asleep in her own bed, under her own glow-in-the-dark stars.”
How the waiver connects to getting paid
Here's the chain, start to finish:
- Your Young Hero enrolls in Indiana Medicaid.
- They're approved for an HCBS waiver that includes Structured Family Caregiving.
- You, the Halo Hero, are approved to provide that care, and receive weekly pay and support.
The waiver isn't the finish line. It's the bridge that lets care and home be the same place.
“Which waiver is mine?”
Indiana has more than one, and the right fit depends on your child's age, diagnosis, and level of need. This is the single most common thing families ask us, and the single easiest thing to get wrong on your own. Rather than guess, let a Care Navigator™ look at the specifics with you.
If there's a waitlist
Some waivers have waiting lists, and waiting is hard when you're already stretched. We'll help you get in line correctly, keep your paperwork current, and understand your options in the meantime, so no time is lost to a missed form.
General information only; waiver availability and rules are set by the State of Indiana and can change. A Care Navigator can confirm what applies to your family today.