Home and Community Based Waivers (HCBS)

The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) offers five Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waivers:

Each of the five waivers provides an array of services tailored to the specific populations they serve. Waiver services provide additional support when Medicaid state plan services and other supports are not sufficient.  For more information about the waiver program, go to the Services and Information Request form, contact your Case Resource Manager, Social Worker, or regional DDA office.

For detailed information about all DDA services, please visit the Informing Families Website. 

Current Approved Waivers

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have approved DDA’s five HCBS Waiver Appendix K applications.  Appendix K provide the state flexibility in existing waiver programs.

Waiver Amendments

Proposed changes to the Individual and Family ServicesBasic PlusCoreCommunity Protection and Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support   effective September 1, 2024, include:

  • Add children and youth in dependency with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families and Tribes in Washington State and children and youth who exited extended foster care or aging out of dependency as an additional eligibility group for waiver enrollment on the Basic Plus, Core, Community Protection, Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support and Individual and Family Services waivers.
  • Add capacity to service additional people on the Individual and Family Services and Basic Plus waivers.
  • Add information about service plan coordination between the Developmental Disabilities Administration, the Department of Children, Youth and Families and Tribes when serving common clients.
  • Add service limitation language to all waiver services that states that waiver services will supplement, not supplant, the child welfare services and supports a child or youth is entitled to or receives from the Department of Children, Youth and Families or from a Tribe in Washington State or from Title IV-E of the Social Security Act or from other sources.
  • Update and revise waiver service descriptions and provider qualifications for multiple services.
  • Permit Residential Habilitation for adults to be delivered via teleservice at the options of the waiver participant.
  • Permit Remote Supports service to be accessed by adult waiver participants using Residential Habilitation.
  • Revise performance measure D-a-6 to be: The number and percent of waiver participants reporting through NCI surveys that they and people they invited are involved in the creation of their person-centered service plan (PCSP).
  • Revise performance measure D-a-7 to be: The number and percent of annual waiver person-centered service plans where waiver participants chose the people who participated in their assessment and person-centered planning meeting.

The proposed changes for the amendments will have no negative impacts on participants on the IFS, Basic Plus, Core, Community Protection and Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support waivers.

To view a draft waiver application, click on the bolded name of the waiver above.

Send your comments to DDAWaiverAmendments@dshs.wa.gov during the comment period.

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