Medicaid in Connecticut does pay for care at home instead of in a nursing home, and for adults 65 and older the main pathway is the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE).Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 The CHCPE runs in more than one category, and the category for people who need a nursing-facility level of care is a federally approved home- and community-based services (HCBS) waiver, so when families search for Connecticut Medicaid HCBS waivers, this is almost always the program they are looking for. The waiver is built for someone who needs a nursing-facility level of care but wants to keep living at home, and it is administered by the state Department of Social Services.
In This Guide
- What Connecticut Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
- The CHCPE in Detail
- Who Qualifies for Connecticut Medicaid HCBS Waivers
- What the Waiver Covers
- How Enrollment Works
- How to Apply and What to Expect
What Connecticut Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are and How the Federal 1915(c) Authority Works
Home- and community-based services, usually shortened to HCBS, is the part of Medicaid that pays for long-term care delivered outside an institution: in your own home, a family member's home, or a community setting rather than a nursing facility. States cannot offer these services automatically. They ask the federal government for permission through a specific legal tool, and the most common one is a section 1915(c) HCBS waiver.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140
The waiver's basic bargain is straightforward once you see it. A person has to be sick or frail enough to qualify for a nursing home, which is what "nursing-facility level of care" means, and the waiver then pays for services at home instead. The idea is that home care can serve someone who would otherwise end up in an institution, often at a lower cost and closer to the life they want.
In Connecticut, that federal authority takes the form of a specific approved waiver: the CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders, listed by the federal government as waiver 0140, which runs alongside a concurrent 1915(b)(4) authority.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 You do not apply to a waiver number, though. You apply to the program that carries it, and in Connecticut that program is the CHCPE.
The CHCPE in Detail
The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders is the state's principal Medicaid home-care pathway for older adults, and it is administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS).Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 The program runs in more than one category, and the category for people who need a nursing-facility level of care is the one that operates as the federal 1915(c) HCBS waiver described above.
For a family, the practical takeaway is that you apply to the CHCPE, and "the Connecticut Medicaid HCBS waiver for elders" is the category inside it that this guide is about. The program's job is to assemble a package of in-home and community supports around one person, coordinated so that they can stay safely at home rather than move into a nursing facility.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program | Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) |
| Federal authority | The nursing-facility-level-of-care category is a section 1915(c) HCBS waiver (CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders, waiver 0140), with concurrent 1915(b)(4) authority |
| Administering agency | Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) |
| Age | 65 or older |
| Functional test | At risk of nursing home placement (nursing-facility level of care) |
| Financial test | Must meet the program's financial eligibility criteria; no dollar figure is posted on the program overview, so confirm current limits with DSS |
| How to apply | Through DSS.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 |
Who Qualifies for Connecticut Medicaid HCBS Waivers
Eligibility comes down to three things at once: age and residence, a functional need for care, and financial eligibility. Here is how each one works.
Age and residence. To qualify, an applicant must be 65 years of age or older and a Connecticut resident.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 Younger adults with disabilities are served through different Medicaid pathways, not this one.
The functional test. The applicant must be at risk of nursing home placement, which the program defines as needing assistance with critical daily needs such as bathing, dressing, eating, taking medications, or toileting.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 This is the "nursing-facility level of care" standard in plain terms: the person's day-to-day care needs are serious enough that, without help, a nursing home would be the likely next step.
The financial test. This is the part where the program page does not hand you a single number. An applicant has to meet the program's financial eligibility criteria, but the program's public overview does not state a specific income or asset figure, so the right move is to confirm the current limits directly with DSS rather than rely on a number from anywhere else.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 Our Connecticut Medicaid income and asset limits guide walks through how Connecticut's long-term-care figures are set.
What the Waiver Covers
The waiver is designed to wrap a set of services around one person's specific needs. The services covered under the waiver include care management, adult day health, homemaker services, companion services, personal care assistant services, respite, adult family living, assisted living services, home-delivered meals, environmental accessibility adaptations (home modifications), chore assistance, personal emergency response systems, assistive technology, and transportation.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140
Not every participant receives every service. A care manager assesses what a person actually needs and builds the plan from there, which is why two people on the same program can have very different service packages.
One point families ask about often is paying a relative. Under the program, family members are generally not eligible to be paid for providing personal care attendant (PCA) services to their own relatives, with only very rare exceptions.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 If getting paid to care for a parent or spouse is your goal, ask DSS about the specific exceptions before you count on it.
How Enrollment Works
Enrollment in the CHCPE is handled by DSS, which is also where the application and the level-of-care assessment run through.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 Because the number of people a waiver can serve and the current availability of slots can change over time, the most reliable way to learn where the program stands right now is to ask DSS directly rather than assume based on what was true last year. Treat any figure you find on a third-party site as something to verify with the agency.
How to Apply and What to Expect
You apply for the CHCPE through the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Federal Medicaid rules require the agency to accept an application through more than one channel, including online, by phone, by mail, and in person, so you are not limited to a single door.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (n.d.). 42 CFR 435.907 — Application (eCFR, current). ecfr.gov. Retrieved Jul 13, 2026, from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-435.907
Once your Medicaid application is filed, the state does not have unlimited time to decide. Federal regulations cap the wait: a state agency generally may not take more than 45 days to determine eligibility, or 90 days when the application is based on disability, measured from the date you apply.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2026). 42 CFR 435.912(c)(3) — Timely determination of eligibility (eCFR current text, as revised eff. July 31, 2026). ecfr.gov. Retrieved Aug 7, 2026, from https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/section-435.912 Read those as limits on the agency rather than a promised turnaround, because plenty of long-term-care cases run the full period. Alongside the financial determination, DSS arranges the functional assessment that confirms the nursing-facility level of care. Our how to apply for Connecticut Medicaid guide covers the paperwork and the steps in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am my parent's main caregiver, so can the program pay me for that work?
Usually no. Connecticut's program does not pay family members to serve as the personal care attendant (PCA) for their own relative, and the situations where it does are very rare.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 The program is built to bring outside services in around your parent rather than to fund a relative's caregiving. If a paid role is essential to your plan, ask the Department of Social Services (DSS) directly whether any exception could apply to your situation before you count on it.
Will the program cover assisted living, or only care at home?
Both, within limits. The services covered under the waiver include not only in-home supports but also assisted living services and adult family living, so a participant is not required to remain in their own house to qualify.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 The common thread is that the waiver funds home- and community-based services (HCBS) as an alternative to a nursing home, not the nursing home itself.
Is the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders the same thing as the 1915(c) waiver for elders?
Closely related, but not identical. The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders (CHCPE) is the program you actually apply to, and it runs in more than one category; the category for people who need a nursing-facility level of care is the federal section 1915(c) waiver known as the CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders, listed as waiver 0140.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 You will see both names in official material, and there is no separate second program to chase down, so apply to the CHCPE and let DSS determine which category fits.
Before I count on the program, what should I confirm with the Department of Social Services?
Two things in particular. First, the current income and asset limits: the program page does not post a dollar figure for its financial eligibility criteria, so the reliable numbers come from DSS. Second, current availability, since the number of people the waiver can serve can change over time.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CT Home and Community Based Services Waiver for Elders (0140) - Medicaid.gov Waiver Description Factsheet. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/CT#0140 Confirming both with DSS before you plan keeps you from building around a figure that may already be out of date.
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