Indiana Medicaid Waiver Waiting List: Current Wait Times & What to Do While You Wait

You called the Area Agency on Aging, got your parent's name on the waiver list, and were told to wait. That was months ago. The care needs keep escalating, the family is burning out, and nobody can tell you when a slot will open.

Indiana's home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver system has over 12,000 people waiting for home-based long-term care services. The Health and Wellness (H&W) Waiver alone — serving individuals under 60 — has a waiting list exceeding 7,400 people. These aren't quick queues. Families regularly wait 12 to 24 months or longer depending on the waiver type and region.

Why the Lists Are So Long

Indiana restructured its long-term care system in July 2024 with the launch of PathWays for Aging, a mandatory managed care program for Medicaid members aged 60 and older. PathWays was designed to eliminate the traditional waiting list by routing services through three contracted Managed Care Entities (Anthem, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare).

In theory, once your parent is financially and clinically eligible, PathWays enrollment should happen without a waitlist. In practice, MCE-authorized home care hours can still be delayed due to provider capacity — there simply aren't enough home health aides and attendant care workers to fill all authorized hours in many Indiana counties.

The H&W Waiver (for those 59 and under) still operates under the old fee-for-service model with a genuine slot-based waiting list managed by the Bureau of Disabilities Services and local AAAs.

How to Check Your Parent's Position

For the H&W Waiver, contact the Bureau of Disabilities Services (BDS) through the BDS Gateway Portal (bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov) or your local AAA. They can confirm your parent's position on the list and whether any priority categories apply.

For PathWays for Aging, there isn't a traditional numbered waitlist. Instead, contact your parent's assigned MCE directly to ask about the status of authorized services and when a home care provider will be assigned.

What to Do While Waiting

Sitting idle on the list is the worst strategy. Families who use the waiting period to prepare the Medicaid financial application come out ahead:

Organize financial records now. The Medicaid application requires 60 months of bank statements, property deeds, life insurance policies, and tax returns. Gathering these documents takes weeks — start immediately so you aren't scrambling when a slot opens.

Assess whether a Miller Trust is needed. If your parent's gross monthly income exceeds $2,982, they'll need a Qualified Income Trust before the application can be approved. Setting one up takes time — the trust must be drafted, a dedicated bank account opened, and income sources redirected.

Evaluate the CHOICE program. Indiana's Community and Home Options to Institutional Care for the Elderly and Disabled (CHOICE) program provides state-funded home care services to individuals who don't yet qualify for Medicaid or who are waiting for waiver services. CHOICE isn't an entitlement (it depends on local AAA funding), but it can bridge the gap with services like homemaker assistance, personal care, and respite.

Structure any family caregiving arrangements. If a family member is providing unpaid care, consider setting up a written Personal Care Agreement at fair market value before a Medicaid application is filed. Retroactive payments for past care are treated as uncompensated transfers and trigger lookback penalties.

Explore Structured Family Caregiving (SFC). If your parent is already on Medicaid and a live-in family member provides care, SFC pays a tax-free daily stipend through a state-contracted provider agency. For non-live-in family caregivers, Attendant Care (ATTC) provides hourly compensation through a fiscal agent.

Nursing Facility Placement Doesn't Require a Wait

If your parent's needs are urgent — they can't safely remain at home — nursing facility Medicaid doesn't have the same waiting list problem. Once your parent meets the financial and clinical eligibility criteria, any Medicaid-participating skilled nursing facility in Indiana can admit them. The application can even be filed after admission, with Medicaid coverage retroactive up to three months.

The Indiana Medicaid Long-Term Care & Asset Protection Guide walks through every step of the eligibility process, spend-down strategies, and the complete application checklist — so you're fully prepared the moment a waiver slot opens or a facility bed becomes available.

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