Medicaid Waivers for Respite Support

This information is currently being updated. For the most recent information, please visit State Waivers List on Medicaid.gov.

State-by-State Summaries of Medicaid Waiver Information

Author: Kathy Mayfield-Smith, Research Associate Professor, Division of Medicaid Policy Research, Institute for Families in Society at the University of South Carolina

This 2019 updated compilation includes information about state 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Medicaid waivers, Managed Home and Community-based Care 1915(b)/1915(c) Combination Waivers, and Global 1115 Demonstration Waivers that Pay for Respite. Medicaid Waivers provide the largest federal source of funding assistance for respite. Each State develops its own waiver income, age and disability eligibility criteria. Waivers are subject to federal approval. Many states maintain waiting lists for Medicaid Waiver services. Even if eligibility criteria are met, receipt of services through a state Medicaid waiver is not an automatic entitlement, as are services under the Medicaid State Plan program, although states now have the option to convert their Medicaid waivers to state plan benefits.

Download Individual State Medicaid Fact Sheets