Georgia Medicaid's four main Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers pay for care in your own home instead of a nursing facility or institution. Each one serves a different population, and the developmental-disability waivers carry a long planning list, so picking the right one and applying early matters.

In This Guide

Compare Georgia's Main Medicaid HCBS Waivers

All four waivers operate under Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, which lets a state pay for community-based long-term care for people who would otherwise need institutional care. They differ by who they serve, which agency runs them, and the level of care they require.

Waiver Who it serves Agency Level of care Waiting for a slot
EDWP, delivered through the CCSP and SOURCE service models Frail older adults and adults with physical disabilities; SOURCE adds enhanced case management DCH Nursing facility Ask your Area Agency on Aging
ICWP Adults who apply between the ages of 21 and 64 with severe physical disabilities or traumatic brain injury DCH Hospital or nursing facility Serves a limited number of adults
NOW People with I/DD, lower support needs DBHDD ICF/IID Yes, shared NOW and COMP planning list
COMP People with I/DD, higher support needs DBHDD ICF/IID Yes, shared NOW and COMP planning list

CCSP and SOURCE are not separate waivers. They are the two service-delivery models found within Georgia's Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP), the aged-and-disabled waiver the Department of Community Health administers. This guide is the hub for all four waivers; each program above links to its own detailed page, and the federal mechanics behind them are covered in Georgia's Section 1915(c) waivers framework.

What Is a Georgia Medicaid HCBS Waiver?

A Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver lets Medicaid pay for personal care, day services, and other supports in your home or community rather than in a nursing facility or an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID). Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act lets a state offer a defined package of community services to people who would otherwise qualify for institutional care, using the more generous institutional income rules described below. Georgia Medicaid's Waiver Programs page describes four such waivers as operating programs and lists the Georgia Pediatric Program alongside them.

Waiver places are limited. ICWP serves a limited number of adults, and NOW and COMP put applicants found pre-eligible on a planning list (waitlist) until a funded slot opens.

Two beneficiary groups have separate pathways. Children who are medically fragile or have developmental disabilities reach services through the Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) and the Katie Beckett pathway; they are covered below. The deeper federal framework, including the Money Follows the Person transition program and Electronic Visit Verification, lives in dedicated guides.

CCSP and SOURCE: Help for Frail Older Adults

CCSP and SOURCE are the two service-delivery models found within the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP), Georgia's aged-and-disabled waiver, administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health. Neither is a separate 1915(c) waiver. The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) network is the front door, determining both eligibility and the services a person needs; a person who already has full Medicaid can contact either the AAA or a SOURCE site for assessment.

Who CCSP serves. DCH lists twelve EDWP eligibility criteria, among them age 21 or older, a functional impairment caused by physical limitations, an unmet need for care, an approved intermediate nursing-facility level of care, a physician-approved care plan, choosing community over institutional care, and being Medicaid eligible or potentially eligible after admission. Dementia counts as a physical condition, and you need not be homebound. If you are not already on Medicaid, you apply at your county Division of Family and Children Services office. EDWP services include case management, adult day care, alternative living services, personal care, home-delivered meals, and respite care for family caregivers.

Who SOURCE serves. SOURCE serves the same EDWP population but adds enhanced case management coordinated through a primary care physician. That can suit someone whose care is spread across several doctors, including people on both Medicare and Medicaid. SOURCE applies the same EDWP income and resource limits as CCSP; the DCH fact sheet sets one EDWP-wide income table, not a separate, stricter SOURCE limit.

Because both models sit inside EDWP, choosing between them does not change the eligibility test. For details on each, see the CCSP waiver guide and the SOURCE waiver guide.

ICWP: Help for Working-Age Adults With Physical Disabilities

The Independent Care Waiver Program serves adults who apply between the ages of 21 and 64 with severe physical disabilities or a traumatic brain injury (TBI), who meet a hospital or nursing-facility level of care. Its focus is independent community living for working-age adults, a group that falls between the aged-and-disabled waivers and the developmental-disability waivers. ICWP covers personal support, home health services, specialized medical equipment and supplies, counseling, emergency response systems, and home modifications. It serves a limited number of adults, and the Department of Community Health administers it. The dedicated ICWP waiver guide covers eligibility, services, and the current intake route in full.

NOW and COMP: Help for People With Developmental Disabilities

The New Options Waiver and the Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program are Georgia's two waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Department of Community Health oversees both, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities runs them day to day through six regional offices. To qualify, a person must have an intellectual disability, or a closely related developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, or epilepsy, that substantially impairs intellectual or adaptive functioning, with onset by age 18 for an intellectual disability or by age 22 for a developmental disability. The person must meet an ICF/IID level of care and be Medicaid eligible.

NOW supports people with less intensive needs, helping them stay in their homes or live independently; COMP serves people with more intensive needs and often provides residential support or high-level in-home services. Both can cover community access, supported employment, community living supports, respite, behavioral supports, skilled nursing, and support coordination. The community residential alternative (a group home) is offered under COMP only.

The planning list is the central reality here. Roughly 7,900 people were on the combined NOW and COMP planning list as of September 2025. About 3,000 of them (38%) were under age 22, and of the 4,900 who were 22 or older, about 2,100 (43%) had been waiting at least six years; on average, those 4,900 adults had been waiting nearly five years. DBHDD typically prioritizes the individuals with the greatest unmet needs, and those in more urgent circumstances under DBHDD's criteria may receive services first, but prioritization is based on need rather than on how long you have been on the list. New-slot funding for fiscal year 2025 totaled about $4.68 million. The full NOW and COMP waivers guide walks through eligibility, services, and how DBHDD prioritizes slots.

GAPP and Katie Beckett: Coverage for Children

Two pathways serve children rather than adults.

The Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) is Georgia Medicaid's program for medically fragile children. Georgia Medicaid lists it among its waiver programs, but it is not one of the four Section 1915(c) waivers described above. Its current age limits and covered services are set by the Department of Community Health; the Georgia long-term care guide covers how it fits alongside the waivers.

The Katie Beckett pathway, also called TEFRA, is not a waiver but a Medicaid eligibility category. It lets a child with a severe disability qualify for Medicaid on the child's own income and resources, with the parents' income and resources not deemed to the child, when the child needs an institutional level of care but can be served safely at home. Under Georgia's DFCS policy manual Katie Beckett is available to children 18 years of age and younger, and the child must meet all five conditions: the child's age does not extend past the month they turn 19; the child is chronically impaired to the extent of being a suitable candidate for institutional care; the child is financially ineligible for SSI in a private living arrangement because of the child's own income or resources, or income or resources deemed from the parents; the child meets the level-of-care criteria; and the child meets all other basic and financial eligibility criteria. A separate cost-effectiveness step then compares the physician's estimated monthly cost of home care against the institution's monthly Medicaid billing rate, and the application is denied if home care would cost more. In the month after the child turns 18 the child must be advised to apply for SSI, but no action is taken on the Katie Beckett case either way: coverage stays open through the month the child turns 19 and closes the month after, and a caseworker reviews eligibility under every other Medicaid class of assistance before the case is closed. Katie Beckett is not the only door: in some situations a child may be eligible for EDWP, NOW, COMP, or Katie Beckett, and the caseworker is directed to explain the benefits of each to the family. See the Katie Beckett guide for the application forms and process.

Do You Qualify? Income, Resources, and Level of Care

Every Georgia adult HCBS waiver requires two things at once: the right level of care and Medicaid financial eligibility.

Level of care. CCSP and SOURCE require a nursing-facility level of care, and ICWP accepts either a nursing-facility or a hospital level of care. NOW and COMP require an ICF/IID level of care.

Income. Waiver applicants can use the institutional income standard, which is 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate. In 2026 that standard is $2,982 per month for a single applicant, because the SSI Federal Benefit Rate is $994 per month. Georgia applies this figure as its "Medicaid CAP" across the long-term-care classes of assistance, which cover all four waivers.

Being over the cap is not the same as being ineligible, but it does not resolve itself either. An applicant whose gross income is at or above the Medicaid CAP is income ineligible for every one of those classes until they establish a Qualified Income Trust, also called a Miller trust, to shelter income above the cap; without one, the case is budgeted as Medically Needy instead of as a waiver case. The mechanics are in the Georgia Miller trust guide.

Resources. The countable-resource limit is $2,000 for an unmarried applicant, matching the SSI limit, and $3,000 when both members of a couple are in EDWP., Not everything you own counts: Georgia's Medicaid manual excludes the home and surrounding land the applicant occupies, along with household and personal goods, for the waiver classes of assistance. For strategies that protect assets within the rules, see asset spend-down strategies.

Protecting a Married Couple's Finances

When one spouse needs HCBS waiver services and the other does not, federal spousal impoverishment rules under Section 1924 of the Social Security Act protect the at-home (community) spouse. Georgia applies them beyond nursing-facility Medicaid: for an EDWP applicant whose spouse is not in EDWP or an institution, DCH counts the couple's assets together and lets the applicant divert income to that spouse.

The community spouse can keep a Community Spouse Resource Allowance. The 2026 federal resource standards are $32,532 and $162,660, and each state elects its standard in that range, but a fair hearing or court order can set the allowance higher. On income, Georgia's standard for diverting income to the community spouse is $4,066.50 a month in 2026, with the spouse's own income deducted first. That equals the federal maximum monthly maintenance needs allowance, and a fair hearing can allow more if exceptional circumstances cause significant financial duress. A transfer of assets for less than fair value within the 60 months before the application can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid will not pay for waiver services, though a transfer to the applicant's spouse is exempt., An elder law attorney can help a couple plan before applying. For the full mechanics, see Georgia spousal impoverishment.

How to Apply

The first step is reaching the right intake point for the waiver you need, then completing a functional assessment and a Medicaid eligibility determination. Each waiver has its own front door.

Area Agency on Aging (CCSP or SOURCE) The entry point for the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program; it determines both eligibility and the type of services you need. A person with active full Medicaid can contact either the AAA or a SOURCE site for assessment. Helps with: applying for the CCSP and SOURCE service models of the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program. aging.georgia.gov
DBHDD Intake and Evaluation (NOW or COMP) Apply through the Georgia Collaborative ASO's Individual IDD Connects portal: create an account and upload the required documents. DBHDD prefers the online route because paper applications have to be transcribed by hand, but you may submit a paper application and fax or mail it to your DBHDD Regional Field Office, which can also help you apply. Regional Field Office intake and evaluation staff review the application, and applicants found pre-eligible go onto the I/DD planning list. Helps with: applying for the NOW and COMP developmental-disability waivers and joining the planning list. dbhdd.georgia.gov
Georgia Department of Community Health (ICWP, GAPP, or Katie Beckett) DCH administers ICWP and the children's pathways. For Katie Beckett, apply through the Centralized Katie Beckett Medicaid Team at 678-248-7449, at any local DFCS office by mail, telephone, or fax, or online at gateway.ga.gov; the level-of-care packet goes to Alliant Health Solutions, which makes the level-of-care determination. Helps with: the ICWP waiver and children's pathways (the Georgia Pediatric Program and Katie Beckett eligibility). dch.georgia.gov
Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (eligibility and appeals) The Customer Contact Center answers Medicaid questions Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Request a hearing within 30 days of the notice. To keep Medicaid going while it is pending, a separate request must be received within 10 days of the date on the notice (extra days apply only if the notice arrived late in the mail). You may have to repay continued benefits if you lose. Check the deadlines on your notice; manage your case at gateway.ga.gov. Helps with: Medicaid eligibility determinations, denials, and fair hearings. 1-877-423-4746https://dhs.georgia.gov/contact

Apply early even if a planning list is long, because you cannot be placed on the list until your application has been reviewed and you have been found pre-eligible. For NOW and COMP, keep in mind that DBHDD prioritizes by unmet need rather than by time on the list, and priority can shift as assessed needs change, so let your Regional Field Office know if your circumstances become more urgent, such as the loss of a caregiver. For free civil legal help, the Georgia Legal Services Program serves the 154 counties outside metro Atlanta at 1-833-457-7529, for people who meet its requirements. The step-by-step process is in how to apply for Georgia Medicaid and appeals and fair hearings.

Two Worked Examples

These illustrations are hypothetical and meant only to show how the waivers work in practice.

An older adult avoiding a nursing home. Eleanor, 78, is widowed and lives alone in Macon. She uses a walker, has early dementia, and needs help bathing, dressing, and preparing meals. Her survivor benefits are modest and her savings are under the $2,000 resource limit, so she qualifies for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Medicaid. Her daughter contacts the Area Agency on Aging, which conducts an assessment and confirms an intermediate nursing-facility level of care. Her dementia counts toward the physical-impairment criterion. She enrolls in CCSP, and her case manager builds a plan of personal care, adult day care, and home-delivered meals, keeping Eleanor at home.

A young adult with a progressive disability. Marcus, 45, has multiple sclerosis, uses a power wheelchair, and needs help with transfers and bathing. His income is modest but above the regular Aged, Blind, and Disabled standard, so his caseworker routes him through the institutional income pathway, which uses the 300% SSI standard of $2,982 a month in 2026., Because he is applying between 21 and 64 with a severe physical disability, ICWP fits. ICWP serves only a limited number of adults, so he applies promptly; once enrolled, personal support and home modifications let him avoid a nursing facility and keep up part-time consulting work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Georgia Medicaid HCBS waiver is right for an older parent?

For most older adults who need help at home, the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program is the pathway, reached through the Area Agency on Aging. It has two models: CCSP, and SOURCE, which adds enhanced case management coordinated through a primary care physician and can suit a parent seeing several doctors. Both use the same income and resource limits.,

What is the income limit for a Georgia HCBS waiver?

Waiver applicants can use the institutional income standard of 300% of the SSI Federal Benefit Rate, which is $2,982 per month for a single applicant in 2026, with a countable-resource limit of $2,000 for an unmarried applicant., Georgia calls this figure the Medicaid CAP. If your gross income is at or above it, you are income ineligible for the waivers until you establish a Qualified Income Trust (a Miller trust) to shelter the income above the cap.

How long is the NOW and COMP planning list?

About 7,900 people were on the combined NOW and COMP planning list as of September 2025, roughly 43% of those age 22 or older had been waiting at least six years, and those adults had waited nearly five years on average. DBHDD prioritizes by unmet need rather than by time on the list, and priority can shift as assessed needs change, so a family facing the loss of a caregiver or a similar emergency should tell their Regional Field Office.

What is the Katie Beckett pathway, and what is the age cutoff?

Katie Beckett (TEFRA) is a Medicaid eligibility category that lets a child with a severe disability qualify on the child's own income, not the parents', when the child needs an institutional level of care but can be served at home. In Georgia it covers children 18 years of age and younger, and eligibility does not extend past the month the child turns 19. In the month after the child turns 18 the child must be advised to apply for SSI, but the Katie Beckett case stays open regardless of what Social Security decides; it closes the month after the child turns 19, and a caseworker must consider every other Medicaid class of assistance before that happens.

Can a married person get a waiver without spending down the healthy spouse?

Yes. Federal spousal impoverishment rules protect the at-home spouse, and Georgia applies them in EDWP. In 2026 the federal resource standards run from $32,532 to $162,660 (a fair hearing or court order can set the allowance higher), and the income allowance can reach $4,066.50 a month, or more after a fair hearing.,

What if I am denied a waiver or my services are cut?

Request a fair hearing within 30 days of the notice; DFCS's Customer Contact Center at 1-877-423-4746 can answer questions. To keep Medicaid during the hearing, your continuation request must be received within 10 days of the date on the notice, so do not wait. You may have to repay continued benefits if you lose. Check the deadlines printed on your notice. The Georgia Legal Services Program offers free civil legal help outside metro Atlanta, to people who meet its requirements, at 1-833-457-7529.

Your next step Ready to start? You cannot join a planning list until you have applied, so start now. For CCSP or SOURCE, contact your Area Agency on Aging at aging.georgia.gov; for NOW or COMP, apply through the Georgia Collaborative ASO's Individual IDD Connects portal, or ask your DBHDD Regional Field Office for help.

Learn More

MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Programs OverviewGeorgia Medicaid 2026: income and asset limits, the EDWP waiver (CCSP and SOURCE), Pathways to Coverage, Miller Trusts, estate recovery, and how to apply. MedicaidMedicaid HCBS Waivers by StateMedicaid HCBS waivers pay for care at home instead of a nursing facility. How 1915(c) waivers work, who qualifies, why waitlists happen, and your state's guide. MedicaidGeorgia Section 1915(c) Waivers FrameworkFederal law lets Georgia cap a Medicaid 1915(c) waiver's slots, so you can qualify and still wait. How the EDWP, ICWP, NOW, and COMP waivers work. MedicaidGeorgia CCSP WaiverGeorgia CCSP Waiver 2026: who qualifies for the Community Care Services Program, what it covers, and how to apply through your Area Agency on Aging. MedicaidGeorgia SOURCE WaiverHow the Georgia SOURCE waiver works in 2026: a delivery model inside the 1915(c) Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program, eligibility, sites, and how to apply. MedicaidGeorgia ICWP WaiverGeorgia's Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) funds home care for adults 21-64 with severe physical disabilities or TBI. Eligibility, services, how to apply. MedicaidGeorgia NOW and COMP WaiversGeorgia's NOW and COMP I/DD waivers have a Planning List of about 7,900 people that moves by need, not time. Who qualifies, how to apply, and denials. MedicaidGeorgia Katie Beckett (TEFRA)Georgia's TEFRA/Katie Beckett Medicaid Program covers a child with a significant disability on the child's own income, through the month the child turns 19. MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Community First ChoiceWhat Community First Choice (CFC) is, how it differs from Georgia Medicaid's EDWP and ICWP waivers, and how to apply for attendant care in Georgia. MedicaidGeorgia Money Follows the PersonGeorgia Money Follows the Person funds nursing facility, ICF/IID, and hospital transitions back to the community, with the current 60-consecutive-day stay rule. MedicaidGeorgia Spousal ImpoverishmentHow Georgia Medicaid spousal impoverishment rules protect the at-home spouse in 2026: a $164,660 resource limit, a $4,066.50 income standard, and an income cap. MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Eligibility & Income LimitsGeorgia Medicaid income limits in 2026: the $994 ABD limit, $2,982 long-term-care cap, $2,000 asset limit, Miller Trust, CSRA, and Pathways to Coverage. MedicaidHow to Apply for Georgia MedicaidHow to apply for Georgia Medicaid in 2026: Georgia Gateway, your local DFCS office, Form 700, the documents you need, processing timelines, and how to appeal.

Find personalized help navigating Georgia's HCBS waivers at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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