Medicaid Consumer-Directed Home Care Waivers State by State Guide

As a person with a disability who is living independently, traveling and thriving thanks to Medicaid consumer-directed home care services, many people ask me, “What Medicaid personal care attendant programs are available in my state?” Unfortunately, this information isn’t always easy to find, so I’ve compiled a list of national and state resources on Medicaid waiver home and community-based services.

I’ve chosen to focus this directory on Medicaid consumer-directed services rather than agency-based Medicaid home care because I believe self-directed waiver programs offer the best path to independent living and gaining control over your own life as a person with a disability. With consumer-directed (also known as self-directed) programs, you choose, hire and if necessary fire your own personal care attendants, home health aides, nurses and/or other kinds of caregivers, while the state Medicaid waiver program pays their wages. You can hire a friend or family member to be your caregiver; in some states, parents can be paid to care for their minor or adult child with a disability.

Consumer-directed Medicaid home care is not just for people with physical disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities or memory loss can still use consumer-directed programs with a loved one serving as an authorized representative to help them manage their home care.

To get the most out of Medicaid consumer-directed home and community-based services, it’s important to understand what services are covered, how many hours of home care you can get, and how to advocate for yourself when applying for services and interacting with caseworkers. Some programs are better than others, and some states have waiting lists so long, you may wish to consider moving. So before you apply, please check out my article How to Get Medicaid Personal Care Attendant Services If You Have a Disability.

This page represents hours of research, but is still not complete. Do you know of a Medicaid consumer-directed home care program not included here, or a better source for information on any of these programs? Do you have good or bad experiences to share about the self-directed care program in your state? Please contact me and I will update this list.

General Medicaid HCBS Waiver Information and Directories

Medicaid Home Care Waivers Facebook Group — I am the Admin for this group. Please feel free to join, ask questions and get support from other people who use PCA services.

Family Care Navigator — an excellent directory for finding resources in your state, focused on family members who want to care for loved ones using Medicaid home care services. Includes self-directed and non-self-directed programs.

Medicaid Waiver — directory, mostly covers waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Kids’ Waivers — directory of Medicaid waivers for medically fragile children and children with disabilities

Waiver Waiting Lists by State — list of states and waivers with waiting lists. You may wait years to receive services under these programs.