State-Funded Home Care in Maine: Section 63 and Section 69

Not everyone qualifies for MaineCare. Your parent might have $18,000 in savings — too much for MaineCare's $10,000 asset limit, but not nearly enough to fund years of private-pay home care at $44.50 per hour. Maine has two state-funded programs specifically for this gap: Section 63 and Section 69. They're smaller than MaineCare, funded by the state's General Fund rather than federal Medicaid dollars, and both carry significant waitlists — but they're real options when MaineCare isn't.

Section 63: State-Funded In-Home and Community Support

Section 63 covers the same core services as MaineCare's Section 19 waiver — personal care, nursing, respite, transportation, and home modifications — but for seniors who don't meet MaineCare's strict financial eligibility.

Clinical eligibility: Your parent must meet nursing facility level of care, the same Maximus MED assessment standard used for Section 19. They need daily assistance with ADLs at a level that would otherwise require nursing home placement.

Financial eligibility: Section 63 uses a sliding-scale copay system based on household income. There's no hard income cutoff like MaineCare's $2,982/month cap, but the program prioritizes seniors with limited financial reserves. If your parent has moderate savings or income above the MaineCare threshold but below the level where private-pay care is sustainable, Section 63 is designed for them.

Services covered:

• Personal care assistance (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting)
• Nursing services
• Respite care for family caregivers
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Home modifications for safety

The waitlist reality: Recent statistics show an active Section 63 waitlist of approximately 398 people. Because the program is funded by Maine's General Fund — not matched by federal Medicaid dollars — its budget is directly vulnerable to state appropriations cycles. When state revenue is tight, enrollment caps don't expand.

Section 69: Independent Support Services

Section 69 is a separate program with a narrower scope. It covers homemaker and instrumental support services — the help your parent needs to maintain a functional household, rather than hands-on personal care.

What it covers:

• Light housekeeping
• Grocery shopping
• Laundry
• Meal preparation
• Basic home maintenance tasks

Who it's for: Older adults who need instrumental help to remain safely at home but whose primary needs are household management rather than personal physical care. If your parent can still bathe and dress independently but can't manage cooking, cleaning, or grocery runs, Section 69 is the appropriate program.

Administration: Section 69 is administered through a single statewide contract with Catholic Charities of Maine. To apply or check waitlist status, contact Catholic Charities directly at 1-888-477-2263.

The waitlist reality: Section 69 currently serves about 1,168 active participants, with approximately 1,269 people waiting. This is the longest waitlist of any state-funded elder care program in Maine. Wait times can extend to a year or longer depending on regional demand and turnover.

How to Apply

Both programs can be reached through the ADRC, but Section 69 also accepts direct intake:

1. Call the statewide ADRC line at 1-877-353-3771 or contact your regional Area Agency on Aging directly. An options counselor will screen your parent's situation and identify which programs they may qualify for.

2. For Section 63: The AAA/ADRC coordinates the intake. Your parent will need a Maximus functional assessment (same as Section 19) and a financial review. The sliding-scale copay is determined during enrollment.

3. For Section 69: Contact Catholic Charities of Maine directly, or ask the ADRC to make the referral. The assessment process is simpler than Section 63 since the clinical threshold is lower.

What to Do While Waiting

Given the waitlist lengths, families need interim strategies:

Apply for multiple programs simultaneously. Ask the ADRC whether your parent can apply to Section 63, Section 69, and MaineCare Section 19 at the same time. If your parent's financial situation changes (assets deplete below $10,000), they may qualify for MaineCare before their Section 63 slot opens.

Use the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Each AAA administers NFCSP funds that can provide temporary respite, supplemental services, and caregiver training while your parent waits for a program slot.

Explore the State Caregiver Respite Program. If your parent has a dementia diagnosis, the $4,500 annual respite reimbursement is available independently of the waitlisted programs.

Consider self-directed MaineCare options. If your parent qualifies financially for MaineCare but is caught in the Section 19 waitlist, Section 96 (personal care services) or Section 12 (CDAS) may offer alternative access without a separate waitlist.

The Maine Home Care, Waivers & Support Guide includes a program comparison worksheet that maps financial and clinical eligibility across all six major programs — so you can see exactly which programs your parent qualifies for and apply to all of them in parallel.

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