State programs
MI Choice Waiver
The MI Choice Waiver is Michigan's Medicaid home and community-based services waiver for adults age 65 or older and adults 18 or older with a disability. It serves people who need a nursing facility level of care but want to live at home. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services oversees it.
Why it matters for your family
Local waiver agencies run the program. MDHHS contracts with 20 of them, and some are Area Agencies on Aging. A person must be Medicaid eligible, meet the nursing facility level of care, and need supports coordination plus at least one other waiver service. Applicants may be placed on a waiting list. A common mistake is to confuse MI Choice with Home Help. They are separate programs, and a person generally cannot use both at once. Contact your local waiver agency to start an assessment. Ask the agency how long the wait is, and what help may be available in the meantime.
Source: michigan.gov
Read more: Home care in Michigan
Related terms
- Michigan Home Help programThe Michigan Home Help program is a Medicaid-funded program that pays for in-home personal care for eligible people.
- Level of care assessmentA level of care assessment is an evaluation that decides whether a person needs the level of care that a nursing facility provides.
- Home and community-based services (HCBS) waiverA home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver is a Medicaid program that pays for care at home or in the community instead of in a nursing home.
- Area Agency on Aging (AAA)An Area Agency on Aging is a public or private nonprofit agency that a state designates to meet the needs of older adults in a local area.
- Medicaid waiver waitlistA Medicaid waiver waitlist is a list of people who qualify for a home and community-based waiver but cannot enroll yet because the state has no open slot.
- Medicaid eligibilityMedicaid eligibility for long-term care depends on need, income, and assets.
