Idaho Medicaid pays for care at home through the Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver, a nursing-home alternative run by the state.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID The A&D Waiver serves older adults and adults with disabilities who meet a nursing facility level of care, and when families search for Idaho Medicaid HCBS waivers, this is almost always the program they mean.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
The A&D Waiver is a Section 1915(c) home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver that serves adults ages 65 or older and adults ages 18 to 64 with physical or other disabilities, and it pays for the kind of hands-on help that lets someone stay in their own home or a community setting instead of moving into a nursing facility.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
In This Guide
- What Idaho Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
- Inside Idaho's Aged and Disabled Waiver
- Who Qualifies for the Idaho A&D Waiver
- What Idaho Medicaid HCBS Waivers Cover
- How Enrollment Works
- How to Apply Through Idaho Health and Welfare
What Idaho Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
"HCBS" stands for home and community-based services, and it is the part of Medicaid built around a simple idea: many people who qualify for nursing-facility care would rather receive that care at home, and it often costs less to help them do so. Congress created the Section 1915(c) authority so that states can waive some of Medicaid's usual rules and pay for supports in a person's own home or a community setting, as long as the person meets a nursing facility level of care.
Idaho uses that authority to run the Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver, its main home and community-based pathway for older adults and adults with disabilities.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID The waiver is a nursing-home alternative: the person has to be sick or disabled enough that a nursing facility would otherwise be on the table, but instead of moving into one, they get Medicaid-funded help where they live.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
Inside Idaho's Aged and Disabled Waiver
The A&D Waiver is a Section 1915(c) HCBS waiver, formally waiver number 1076, administered by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) Division of Medicaid.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID Think of DHW as the agency that both decides whether you qualify for Medicaid and runs the waiver that pays for your home-based care.
The program is designed for two groups: individuals ages 65 or older, and adults ages 18 to 64 who have a physical or other disability.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID Both groups have to reach the same functional bar, a nursing facility level of care, which we walk through in the next section. The point of the waiver is to keep that care in the community, so the services are the everyday supports that make staying home realistic rather than the round-the-clock institutional care a nursing home provides.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
Who Qualifies for the Idaho A&D Waiver
Qualifying for the A&D Waiver comes down to two separate tests, and you have to clear both.
The functional test. You must be assessed as needing a nursing facility level of care.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID In plain terms, that means your health and daily-living needs are serious enough that you could be admitted to a nursing home if the waiver weren't there to support you at home. DHW handles that assessment as part of enrollment.
The financial test. A&D Waiver applicants are held to the same financial rules as someone applying for Medicaid in a nursing facility.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID For January 2026, that means a monthly income limit of $3,002 for an individual and $5,984 for a couple, together with a countable-asset limit of $2,000 for an individual and $2,000 for each spouse in a married couple.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID Countable assets leave out certain things most families own, so the $2,000 figure is narrower than it first sounds. For the full breakdown of what counts and what doesn't, see our guide to Idaho Medicaid eligibility and income limits.
What Idaho Medicaid HCBS Waivers Cover
The A&D Waiver pays for a broad menu of services, and the ones you actually receive depend on your assessed needs rather than a one-size-fits-all package.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID Covered services include:
- Adult day health
- Attendant care and personal care
- Homemaker and chore services
- Companion services
- Respite care, which gives a family caregiver a break
- Home-delivered meals
- Skilled nursing
- Environmental accessibility adaptations, meaning home modifications such as ramps or grab bars
- Specialized medical equipment and supplies
- A personal emergency response system (PERS), the wearable button that calls for help
- Non-medical transportation
- Adult residential care
- Supported employmentCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
Not everyone gets every service. During enrollment, DHW assesses what you need to stay safely at home and builds your service plan around that. If your needs change over time, the plan can be adjusted.
How Enrollment Works
Enrollment runs on the two tests above, handled together. An applicant is assessed for the nursing facility level of care and applies for Medicaid long-term-care coverage through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID If both the functional and financial pieces check out, DHW develops a service plan and the waiver begins paying for the covered supports you need.
Waiver capacity can change from year to year. When you reach out to DHW, ask whether services are available right away or whether there is a wait for your situation, and the agency can give you the current answer (see the FAQ below for more on this).
How to Apply Through Idaho Health and Welfare
To start, you apply for Medicaid long-term-care coverage through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which then arranges the nursing-facility-level-of-care assessment that the waiver requires.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
Federal Medicaid rules give you several ways to file that application: the agency must accept it online, by phone, by mail, or in person.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 Pick whichever channel is easiest for your family.
Once you apply, the state has a deadline to decide. Under federal rules, a Medicaid eligibility determination generally may not take longer than 45 days, or up to 90 days when eligibility is based on a disability.U.S. Government Publishing Office. (2024). 42 CFR 435.912 Timely determination and redetermination of eligibility (2024 ed.) — govinfo.gov. govinfo.gov. Retrieved Jun 25, 2026, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2024-title42-vol4/pdf/CFR-2024-title42-vol4-sec435-912.pdf If you're weighing the A&D Waiver against a facility, our guide to Idaho Medicaid long-term care and nursing homes compares the two pathways in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a waiting list for the Idaho A&D Waiver?
The published state material this guide relies on doesn't state a current interest-list or waiting-list status for the Aged and Disabled (A&D) Waiver, so the honest answer is that it depends on current capacity. Confirm availability directly with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare when you apply, and ask specifically whether services can start right away for your situation.
How is the A&D Waiver different from nursing home Medicaid?
Both use the same nursing facility level of care and the same financial limits, so the eligibility bar is essentially identical.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID The difference is where the care happens. Nursing home Medicaid pays for care inside a facility, while the A&D Waiver pays for personal care, homemaker help, respite, home modifications, and similar supports so you can stay in your own home or a community setting instead.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
Can the A&D Waiver help pay for a residential setting, not just my own home?
Yes. Adult residential care is one of the waiver's covered services, so the A&D Waiver can support care in a community residential setting as well as in your own home, depending on your assessed needs.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Idaho Waiver Factsheet - Medicaid.gov (ID Aged and Disabled Waiver 1076.R07.00). medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/Waiver-Descript-Factsheet/ID
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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.