Medicaid in Wyoming pays for care at home and in the community through a single program called the Community Choices Waiver (CCW).Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 When people search for Wyoming Medicaid HCBS waivers, this is the program they mean: the state's home- and community-based services (HCBS) waiver for older adults and adults with disabilities, built to give people an alternative to a nursing facility.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
In This Guide
- What Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
- The Community Choices Waiver Up Close
- Who Qualifies for Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Waivers
- What the Community Choices Waiver Covers
- How to Apply for the Community Choices Waiver
What Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Waivers Are
Home- and community-based services are the long-term supports Medicaid pays for outside of an institution, in your own home, a family member's home, or another community setting rather than a nursing facility. Federal law lets states offer these services through several authorities, and Wyoming uses Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, the waiver authority most states rely on for aged and disabled long-term care.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
Under that authority, Wyoming runs one waiver for this population: the Community Choices Waiver. The purpose of the waiver is straightforward. It gives people who would otherwise need a nursing facility an array of services that let them stay in the community instead.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 If you have compared this route to institutional coverage, our guide to Wyoming Medicaid long-term care and nursing homes covers the facility side of the same decision.
So when you see "Wyoming Medicaid HCBS waivers" written in the plural, keep in mind that for older adults and adults with disabilities, the practical answer in Wyoming is this one program. That makes the path simpler to follow than it is in states that juggle half a dozen waivers at once.
The Community Choices Waiver Up Close
The Community Choices Waiver is administered by the Wyoming Department of Health, specifically its Division of Healthcare Financing, with the state's Aging Division and HCBS Section managing day-to-day operations.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 That division structure matters mostly when you apply, because it tells you which office handles your services and which handles your financial eligibility. We come back to those contacts below.
On the federal side, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists the CCW as waiver number 0236.R07.00. The waiver was originally approved on July 1, 1993, and its current renewal runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 A renewal like that is routine housekeeping, states re-up their 1915(c) waivers with CMS on a multi-year cycle, and it does not change the day-to-day program for the people it serves.
Who Qualifies for Wyoming Medicaid HCBS Waivers
Qualifying for the Community Choices Waiver comes down to three things at once: your age or disability status, a functional test, and Wyoming's financial rules. Here is how the population and the shared tests line up.
| Who | Age | Disability requirement | Shared tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older adults | 65 and older | On or eligible for Medicaid | Nursing facility level of care, plus Wyoming Medicaid financial rules |
| Adults with disabilities | 19 to 64 | Confirmed disability meeting Social Security Administration criteria | Nursing facility level of care, plus Wyoming Medicaid financial rules |
The functional test is the same for both groups. To use the waiver, you must meet a nursing facility level of care, which is the state's way of confirming that your needs are serious enough that you would otherwise qualify for a nursing home.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 The waiver exists precisely for people who clear that bar but would rather receive their care at home.
The financial test has two parts. You must be otherwise eligible for Wyoming Medicaid, generally with income at or below 300% of the Federal Benefit Rate and countable resources within Wyoming's Maximum Resource Standard.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 Wyoming publishes the exact dollar figures behind those standards through its eligibility system, and they change year to year, so for the current income and asset numbers see our guide to Wyoming Medicaid eligibility and income limits and confirm them with the state before you plan around them.
What the Community Choices Waiver Covers
The CCW pays for a broad set of community-based services, the kinds of help that let someone manage at home rather than move into a facility. According to CMS and the Wyoming Department of Health, the waiver covers:Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
- Adult day services
- Case management
- Homemaker services
- Home health aide services
- Personal support services
- Respite care
- Skilled nursing
- Assisted living facility services
- Assistive technology
- Companion services
- Environmental modifications (home changes such as ramps or grab bars)
- Home-delivered meals
- Non-medical transportation
- Personal emergency response system (PERS)
- Transition intensive case management and transition setup services, which help someone move from a facility back into the community
Not every person receives every service. The mix is built around what you actually need, and your case manager helps put that plan together. What the list shows is the range the waiver can reach, from a personal emergency response system for someone mostly independent to skilled nursing and assisted living facility services for someone with heavier needs.
How to Apply for the Community Choices Waiver
To use the Community Choices Waiver, you first need to be eligible for Wyoming Medicaid, so the application really has two tracks running side by side: the financial eligibility determination and the waiver services side.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 The Wyoming Department of Health points people to two offices for these:
- The HCBS Section handles the waiver and its services. You can reach it at 1-800-510-0280.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
- The Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit handles financial eligibility. You can reach it at 1-855-203-2936.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
If you still need to apply for Wyoming Medicaid itself, federal rules require the state to accept your application several ways: 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 Our guide on how to apply for Wyoming Medicaid walks through the state's system step by step.
Once your application is in, federal timeliness rules set the outside limit on how long the state can take to decide. A Medicaid agency generally must decide within 45 calendar days, or within 90 calendar days when eligibility is based on disability, except in unusual circumstances the rules spell out.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 Those are ceilings, not typical wait times, but they tell you the point at which you can reasonably follow up.
Because Wyoming runs the CCW through its HCBS Section, the smartest first move is a call to that office to confirm the current process and whether the waiver is enrolling. Starting there saves you from guessing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a waitlist for the Community Choices Waiver?
Wyoming manages Community Choices Waiver enrollment through its home- and community-based services (HCBS) Section. Whether a spot is open when you apply, and what any wait looks like, is exactly the kind of thing that changes over time, so the reliable way to learn the current status is to call the HCBS Section at 1-800-510-0280 and ask directly.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
How is the Community Choices Waiver different from nursing home Medicaid?
Both are Medicaid, but they pay for care in different places. Nursing home coverage pays for care inside a facility, while the Community Choices Waiver (CCW) pays for services in your home or community as an alternative to a nursing facility, for people who meet a nursing facility level of care but want to stay put.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651
Does the Community Choices Waiver pay for assisted living?
Yes. Assisted living facility services are among the services the Community Choices Waiver covers, alongside in-home supports like personal support, homemaker, and respite care.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 Keep in mind that a waiver paying for assisted living services is not the same as it covering every cost of living there, so confirm what your own plan includes with your case manager.
Should I call the HCBS Section or the Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit?
It depends on the question. The home- and community-based services (HCBS) Section, at 1-800-510-0280, handles the waiver and its services. The Long-Term Care Eligibility Unit, at 1-855-203-2936, handles whether you meet Wyoming Medicaid's financial rules.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (1915). Medicaid.gov - WY Community Choices Waiver (CCW) (0236.R07.00): 1915(c) authority, Approved, waiver dates. medicaid.gov. Retrieved Jul 17, 2026, from https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/83651 Because you need both the financial approval and the services side to line up, most families end up talking to each.
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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.