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HCBS Waiver Programs

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    HCBS Waiver Programs

    How They Help

    Iowa has seven Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs, each with its own set of services that help you live in your own home or apartment in the community instead of in a hospital, nursing home, or other facility. What services you can get depend on your waiver, your condition, and your needs.

    Here are some waiver services you may be able to get:

    • Attendant Care
    • Counseling services
    • Home-delivered meals
    • Home health aide visits
    • Nursing care
    • Home and vehicle modification
    • Specialized medical equipment
    • Transportation
    • Respite care
    • Adult day care
    • Personal emergency response

    If you have a brain injury or an intellectual disability, you may also get services such as:

    • Supported employment, pre-vocational services, and career exploration
    • Supported community living
    • Day habilitation (Intellectual Disability Waiver only)
    • Positive behavioral supports (Brain Injury only)
    • Family Training (Brain Injury Waiver only)

    Children with mental health disorders can also get in-home family therapy as well as family and community support services.

    If you have a waiver, you also get the full set of services from regular Medicaid.

    You can learn more about the different waivers and the services each one offers on the Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) website.

    You can self-direct some services

    All waivers except the Children’s Mental Health Waiver offer the option to self-direct at least some services, which means that you or a representative, like a family member, can decide who you would like to hire to provide these services. This is called the Consumer Choice Option.

    With the Consumer Choice Option, you hire, train, and supervise your service providers. The Consumer Choice Option can give you more independence and control over your services.

    Learn more

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