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Home and Community-Based Waiver Services

Colorado currently has ten Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver programs. Waivers are vehicles states can use to test new or existing ways to deliver and pay for health care services in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. States can apply for HCBS waivers to provide long-term services and supports in home and community settings rather than institutional settings. These programs are called waivers because they allow states to waive some of the regular Medicaid requirements. Waiver services are not an entitlement like Medicaid State Plan services are. Therefore, these programs may have waiting lists.

 

For assistance with services in your community: View Map of CCBs.

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Additional resources for navigating Colorado’s waiver services:

Developmental Disabilities Waiver (HCBS-DD, formerly "comprehensive services")

 

The DD waiver provides access to 24-hour services for adults who require extensive supports to live safely in the community and who do not have other sources for meeting those needs. Services including residential, employment, transportation, and other day services and supports. This is an all-inclusive program that is designed to ensure that all identified needs in your Individualized Plan (IP) are met. In this program, a service provider will supply living arrangements, which include:

 

  • Host home settings with 1-3 persons

  • Individualized settings of 1-3 persons

  • Group settings of 4-8 persons

 

Individuals may be responsible for paying a portion of the cost, depending on monthly income.

 

Microboard Option

 

A Microboard is an agency created by family members or guardians and incorporated to do business in the State of Colorado. This agency exists to provide DD waiver services to one person with IDD. This person cannot be living with the family. A Microboard can directly control program implementation (such as who is hired or fired), govern what types of incentives are provided to retain good employees and what type of training is required and oversee the quality of services.

 

Supported Living Services Waiver (HCBS-SLS)

 

The SLS waiver provides aid to adults who can live independently with limited help and adults who are principally supported from other sources, such as family. Supported Living Services are not intended to provide 24-hour care. Supported Living Services (SLS) provide:

 

  • Personal care services, including assistance with eating, bathing, dressing, and homemaking needs

  • Employment or other day services

  • Access to the community, transportation, and 24-hour emergency assistance

  • Help with decision-making

  • Assistive technology and home modification

  • Professional therapies

  • And many other services intended to help with day-to-day needs

 

Children's Extensive Support Waiver (HCBS-CES)

 

The CES waiver provides specific targeted services and supports to assist a child with an intellectual and developmental disability to remain in the family home, support the long term stability of the family setting and prevent out-of-home placement of the child. Although the CES waiver provides a variety of services and supports which can be tailored to individual family situations, it is not designed to provide services 24 hours per day to an enrolled child.

 

  • Personal assistance services – assistance with personal hygiene, eating/drinking and toileting

  • Professional services – therapies, training, evaluation, and assessments that are not covered by other sources

  • Behavioral services – intervention or consultation

  • Home modifications – showers, toilets, or doorways

  • Assistive technology – intercom systems, electronic monitoring devices for the home, or mobility devices

  • Childcare services – respite care and supervision

 

These intense services and supports are intended to enable the parents/guardian to keep their child at home. 

 

 

Children's Habilitation Residential Program Waiver (HCBS-CHRP)

 

The CHRP waiver provides assistance to children and youth, age birth through 20 who have been determined to have a developmental disability. These children and youth require high levels of service to remain in the community. The waiver serves as an alternative to placement in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID). The HCBS-CHRP waiver provides the following services to children residing in the home of a parent/guardian:

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  • Respite

  • Hippotherapy

  • Intensive Support Services

  • Massage Therapy

  • Movement Therapy

  • Supported Community Connections

  • Transition Support Services

 

Children/youth may receive Habilitation services in an appropriate foster or group home/center or Residential Child Care Facility.

 

For assistance with services in your community: View Map of CCBs.

 

 

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