What’s on This Page
One of the first things I learned as a special needs parent — and one of the hardest — is that getting your child on a Medicaid waiver waiting list isn’t the same as getting your child services. Not even close.
These lists keep growing because demand rises faster than states fund slots. For how many students with disabilities leave school each year in your state, drawn from the U.S. Department of Education’s IDEA Section 618 exiting data, see our transition cliff database.
Across the country, nearly 607,000 people with disabilities (606,895) are waiting for home and community-based services through Medicaid waivers. Most of them have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Many of them are children. And in some states, the wait is measured not in months, but in decades.
The data on these waitlists exists — buried in government PDFs, legislative testimony, and policy surveys that most families will never find. I’ve compiled it all here: every state, every DD waiver program, every waitlist number I could verify, and what you can do right now while you wait.
This page is updated with 2025 data from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s annual HCBS survey, supplemented by individual state agency reports. If your state’s numbers have changed, let me know.
The Wait Nobody Talks About
When your child is diagnosed with a developmental disability, people give you a lot of advice. Apply for SSI. Look into special needs trusts. Talk to an attorney. All good advice. But almost nobody tells you the most urgent thing:
Get on your state’s Medicaid waiver waitlist today. Not next month. Today.
Here’s why. In Texas, more than 198,000 people are on waiver interest lists. The wait for HCS (Home and Community-based Services) runs 17 to 18 years. In North Carolina, NCDHHS reports an average wait of 12.26 years on the Innovations Waiver. In Kentucky, new slots have not kept pace with additions to the Michelle P. Waiver at the current funding level.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, there’s no waitlist at all. In Massachusetts, no waitlist. In Nebraska, the entire waitlist was eliminated in June 2025.
Same country. Same federal program. Completely different realities depending on which side of a state line you live on.
Why this matters for trust planning: If your state has a 10-year waiver waitlist, your child may spend a decade or more without Medicaid-funded home services. That makes financial planning through a special needs trust even more critical — because the trust may need to cover services that the waiver would otherwise provide. The longer the wait, the more important the plan.
National Snapshot (2025 Data)
606,895
People on HCBS waitlists nationally
74%
Have intellectual or developmental disabilities
37 months
Average wait for I/DD services
16 states
Have no DD waiver waitlist
These numbers come from the Kaiser Family Foundation’s 2025 survey, the most comprehensive national dataset on HCBS waitlists. KFF’s annual survey is the standard national source for these counts, and most advocacy and policy summaries trace back to it.
A note about the numbers: Six states (Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas) do not fully screen for eligibility before placing people on their waitlists (Iowa uses a voluntary screening tool). This means their “interest list” numbers are inflated — not everyone on the list would actually qualify for waiver services. Texas alone accounts for roughly 30% of the national total. When you see a state’s waitlist number, check whether they screen for eligibility. It matters.
Day programs vs. residential: Most published waitlist counts — including the KFF survey these numbers draw from — primarily reflect waivers for day, employment, and in-home supports. Residential placements (group homes, supported living, host homes) are a different story: because of their higher cost, nearly every state maintains a separate — and usually much longer — wait for residential services, often filling openings only on an emergency basis (for example, when a caregiver dies or can no longer provide care). If your family will eventually need residential placement, ask your state agency specifically about the residential waitlist, not just the general waiver waitlist. (Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader — a special needs financial planner and fellow special needs parent — for pushing us to make this distinction clearer.)
Jump to Your State
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · DC · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
All 50 States + DC at a Glance
This table shows every state’s DD waiver waitlist status. Scroll right on mobile to see all columns. States are sorted by waitlist size (largest first), with no-waitlist states at the bottom.
What these numbers count. Except where noted, each figure is the count for that state’s intellectual and developmental disability waiver population as reported by the state to KFF’s FY2025 HCBS survey (fielded April–July 2025). KFF reports by disability population, not by individual waiver, so the waiver names in the second column are listed for orientation and do not define the count. Five states are shown on a newer state-agency basis instead, and are labelled: Texas (HHSC interest list data, June 2026), North Carolina (NCDHHS Innovations Waitlist Dashboard, March 2026), Connecticut (DDS Management Information Report, March 2026), Florida (APD pre-enrollment list, January 2026) and Oklahoma (OKDHS, June 2026). Some states let one person sit on several waiver lists at once, so those totals count list placements rather than unduplicated people — South Carolina and Texas are the largest examples.
| State | DD Waiver(s) | Waitlist | Avg Wait | Screens? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | HCS, CLASS, TxHmL, DBMD, MDCP, STAR+PLUS | ~198,000 374,044 list placements | Up to 17–18 years | No |
| South Carolina | ID/RD, Community Supports, HASCI | 36,824 | Not reported | No (interest list) |
| North Carolina | Innovations | 21,449 | 12.26 years avg | Yes |
| Florida | iBudget | 15,251 | 7–15 years | No |
| Illinois | Adults with DD | 16,500 | ~44 months | Yes |
| Virginia | Building Independence, FIS, Community Living | 15,472 | Years (varies) | Yes |
| Louisiana | NOW, ROW, Supports, Children’s Choice | 14,586 | Not reported | Yes |
| Kentucky | Michelle P. Waiver, SCL | 13,026 | 8–10 years | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | Consolidated, Community Living, PFDS, Autism | 11,624 | 7+ years | Yes |
| Utah | Community Supports, Limited Supports | 11,402 | 5.4 years | Yes |
| Indiana | CIH, Family Supports | 9,453 | Multi-year | Yes |
| Wisconsin | CLTS (children) | 8,842 | See note | Yes |
| Georgia | NOW, COMP | 7,397 | Decades (100 slots/yr) | Yes |
| Iowa | ID Waiver | 7,147 | Up to 5 years | Voluntary |
| Kansas | I/DD Waiver | 4,706 | ~8–9 years | Yes |
| Maryland | Community Pathways | 3,302 | Multi-year | Yes |
| New Jersey | Community Care Program | 3,184 | Not reported | Yes |
| Connecticut (Autism) | DSS Autism Waiver | 2,652 | 10+ years | Yes |
| Mississippi | ID/DD Waiver | 2,496 | Not reported | Yes |
| Colorado | HCBS-DD | 2,345 | ~8 years | Yes |
| Maine | Section 21, Section 29 | 2,244 | Several years | Yes |
| Montana | 0208 Comprehensive | 2,095 | ~7 years | Yes |
| Ohio | Individual Options, Level One, SELF | 1,887 | Varies by county | Yes |
| Alabama | ID Waiver, LAH, CWP | 1,848 | Several years | Yes |
| Oklahoma | Community, IHSW | 1,763 | ~1 year (was 13) | No |
| Tennessee | ECF CHOICES | 1,754 | Not reported | Yes |
| Arkansas | CES Waiver | 1,632 | ~10 years | Yes |
| Missouri | Comprehensive, Community Support, Partnership for Hope | 1,272 | Varies | Yes |
| Connecticut (DDS residential) | Comprehensive, IFS, EDS | 971 | Emergency/urgent; 637 more on Planning List | Yes |
| West Virginia | I/DD Waiver | 967 | Not reported | Yes |
| New York | OPWDD HCBS | 867 | N/A (med. fragile only) | Yes |
| Alaska | IDD, Individualized Supports | 721 | 14+ years implied | Yes |
| Nevada | IDD HCBS | 582 | Not reported | Yes |
| Wyoming | Comprehensive, Supports | 282 | 1–3 years (adults) | Yes |
| South Dakota | CHOICES | 185 | 1–2 years | Yes |
| North Dakota | IID/DD HCBS, ASD | 0 (52 on ASD waiver) | Short | Yes |
| DC | IDD | Active (Oct 2025) | New | Yes |
| Nebraska | FSW, CDD, DDAD | Eliminated | None (June 2025) | — |
| New Mexico | DD Waiver, Mi Via | ~0 | Eliminated (Super Allocation) | — |
| Arizona | DDD/ALTCS | None | No wait | — |
| California | Regional Centers (Lanterman Act) | None | Entitlement | — |
| Delaware | DDDS Lifespan | None | No wait | — |
| Hawaii | I/DD Waiver | None | No wait | — |
| Idaho | Adult DD Waiver | None | No wait | — |
| Massachusetts | Adult Supports, Community Living, Intensive Supports | None | No wait | — |
| Michigan | Habilitation Supports | ~0 | Minimal | — |
| Minnesota | DD Waiver, CADI, CAC | None | Eliminated 2016 | — |
| New Hampshire | DD Waiver | ~0 | Needs-based priority | — |
| New York | OPWDD HCBS | None (DD) | No DD wait | — |
| Oregon | Comprehensive, Support Services | None | Eliminated 2000 | — |
| Rhode Island | 1115 Global Waiver | None | Provider delays exist | — |
| Vermont | 1115 Global Commitment | None | Entitlement | — |
| Washington | IFS, Basic Plus, Core | ~0 | Minimal formal wait | — |
| Wisconsin | Family Care, IRIS (adults) | None | Entitlement | — |
Sources: KFF State Health Facts, “Number of People Waiting for Medicaid Home Care (HCBS), by Target Population and Whether States Screen for Eligibility” (source note: KFF Medicaid HCBS Waiver Program Survey, FY 2025; published November 20, 2025; fielded April–July 2025), plus individual state DD agency reports where noted. “Screens” = whether the state verifies clinical/financial eligibility before waitlist placement; the six non-screening states (Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas) account for more than half of everyone waiting nationally. New York appears twice: 867 for medically fragile children only; the DD waiver has no waitlist. Connecticut appears twice: 971 on the DDS residential Waiting List (emergency and urgent need) and 2,652 on the separate DSS Autism Waiver list. Texas figures are from HHSC’s Interest List Reduction reporting (June 2026 data file, published under Rider 17); North Carolina’s are from the NCDHHS Innovations Waitlist Dashboard; Connecticut’s DDS figures are from the DDS Management Information Report (March 2026).
States With No DD Waiver Waitlist
If you live in one of these states, your family can access DD waiver services without waiting years. This doesn’t mean the process is instant — eligibility determination, care planning, and provider matching all take time — but there is no funding-based waitlist standing between your child and services.
Entitlement States
These states guarantee services to all eligible individuals — there is a legal right to services:
- California — Lanterman Act entitlement. ~415,000 served through 21 Regional Centers
- Vermont — 1115 waiver entitlement. 4,731 served (FY25)
- Wisconsin (adults) — Family Care and IRIS are entitlement programs
No-Waitlist States
These states serve all eligible applicants, though not by legal entitlement:
- Arizona — Managed care model. 59,000+ served
- Delaware — ~1,650 enrolled
- Hawaii — 3,034 served (FY25)
- Idaho — No waitlist reported
- Massachusetts — ~32,000 served by DDS
- Michigan — Effectively zero wait
- Minnesota — Eliminated waitlist in 2016
- Nebraska — Eliminated June 2025
- New Hampshire — Needs-based priority
- New York — 100,000–130,000 served by OPWDD
- Oregon — No waitlist since 2000 lawsuit
- Rhode Island — 1115 waiver, no formal waitlist
- Washington — ~41,000 in paid services
DC families, take note: The District of Columbia activated its first-ever DD waiver waitlist on October 1, 2025, due to FY2026 budget cuts (the DC Council removed $1.6 million in waiver funding). The IFS waiver remains open, but the IDD waiver now has an active waitlist. If you’re in DC and not yet enrolled, apply immediately.
No waitlist does not mean no challenges. Even in these states, families report delays in finding providers, getting assessments scheduled, and matching with the right services. Rhode Island, for example, has no funding waitlist but faces a severe Direct Support Professional shortage — 33% of provider organizations were still turning away people due to staffing in 2024. The slot exists, but the person to fill it may not.
States With the Longest Waits
These are the states where families face the most severe waitlist crises. If you live in one of these states, getting on the waitlist as early as possible is critical.
Texas — 198,000+ on interest lists | 17–18 year wait
Texas has the largest waiver waitlist in the nation by a wide margin, and it is the clearest example of why these numbers have to be read carefully. HHSC runs six interest lists — HCS (Home and Community-based Services), TxHmL, CLASS, STAR+PLUS HCBS, MDCP and DBMD — and Texans may join every list they qualify for, because the lists are independent and joining one does not affect your place on another.
As of June 30, 2026, HHSC’s own reporting shows 374,044 placements across those six lists: HCS 134,263, TxHmL 117,309, CLASS 98,867, STAR+PLUS HCBS 13,838, MDCP 7,142 and DBMD 2,625. Because one person commonly sits on several lists at once, the number of distinct people is far lower — roughly 198,000, the figure state officials cited to the Texas House in May 2026. We show the people figure, with the placement total beside it. Texas also does not screen for eligibility before list placement, so not everyone on a list would ultimately qualify.
The wait is real and long: HHSC’s own time-on-list data shows people who have been waiting 17 to 18 years on both the HCS and CLASS lists.
How to get on the list: Contact your Local IDD Authority (LIDDA) for HCS/TxHmL. Call HHSC at 1-877-438-5658 for CLASS/DBMD/MDCP.
North Carolina — 21,449 waiting | 12.26 year average
North Carolina’s Innovations Waiver waitlist — the Registry of Unmet Needs — held 21,449 people as of March 31, 2026, according to the NCDHHS Innovations Waitlist Dashboard (last updated July 20, 2026). The state’s own dashboard puts the average wait at 12.26 years — longer than the 9.5-year figure that circulates widely — and in some counties it is worse: Orange 16.92 years, Pasquotank 16.68, Guilford 15.73, Wake 14.15. The average age of someone on the list is 18, and 12,222 of them have an autism spectrum diagnosis. About 14,000 people currently receive services.
How to get on the list: Contact your Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) or call 1-855-262-1946.
New Mexico — DD Waitlist Effectively Eliminated
New Mexico historically had the longest per-person wait in the country: 12 to 16 years for DD Waiver services. Starting in 2021, the state launched a “Super Allocation” initiative that has effectively eliminated the DD waiver waitlist. FY2026 includes funding for a sustained “no waitlist” policy. About 7,849 people currently receive services across three waivers. Note: Non-DD HCBS waitlists remain in New Mexico.
Contact: Pre-Service Intake Bureau at 505-350-0034.
Florida — 15,251 waiting | 7–15 year wait
Florida’s iBudget Waiver pre-enrollment list held 15,251 people as of August 25, 2026, per APD’s own county-level report, down from over 21,000 in 2025 as families opt into the statewide IDD managed-care pilot created by HB 1103 (2025). Almost everyone waiting sits in the two lowest-priority categories: 7,058 adults 21 and older and 7,857 people under 21, against 47 in intensive need and 278 with a caregiver over 60. APD reported 37,645 Floridians enrolled in the waiver as of June 1, 2026. Florida does not screen for eligibility before placement. Enrolling in managed care is voluntary — talk to APD before changing your family’s services.
How to get on the list: Contact the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) at 1-866-273-2273.
Kentucky — 13,026 waiting | 8–10 year wait
Kentucky’s Michelle P. Waiver waitlist is growing faster than new slots are being added. Additions to the list have outpaced new slots for years. The state has allocated 750 new MPW slots over the current biennium, but with 13,000+ waiting, the math remains devastating.
How to get on the list: Call 502-564-1647 (option 4, then option 1).
Georgia — 7,900+ waiting | Only ~100 new slots per year
Georgia funds approximately 100 new waiver slots per year against a waitlist of nearly 8,000. The NOW (New Options Waiver) and COMP (Comprehensive Supports) waivers serve about 14,100 people. At the current funding rate, families face waits measured in decades.
How to get on the list: Apply through your DBHDD regional office.
Pennsylvania — 11,624 waiting | 7+ year wait
Pennsylvania uses a PUNS (Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services) system to triage its waitlist across four waivers: Consolidated, Community Living, PFDS, and Adult Autism. More than 10,000 people are categorized as having Emergency or Critical needs. The waitlist peaked at 24,500 in 2006 and has been slowly declining.
How to get on the list: Contact your local County MH/ID Office. ODP Customer Service: 1-888-565-9435.
Virginia — 15,472 waiting | Varies by priority level
Virginia operates three DD waivers with differing support levels: Building Independence, Family and Individual Supports, and Community Living. The state uses a priority system — about 3,000–3,500 are Priority 1 (need within 1 year). The 2024 General Assembly approved 3,440 new slots for the biennium, the largest single increase in state history.
How to get on the list: Contact your local Community Services Board (CSB).
States That Fixed It
Not every state is stuck. Some have dramatically reduced or eliminated their DD waiver waitlists — proof that this is a policy choice, not an inevitability.
Nebraska — Eliminated (June 2025)
In 15 months, Nebraska moved 3,000+ people off the DD waiver waitlist, investing $18M+ in state and federal funding. Caveat: Only ~46% of families accepted waiver offers, and most received the limited Family Support Waiver ($10,000/year cap) rather than comprehensive services. Severe provider shortages remain — advocates report that many families who accepted still cannot access meaningful services.
Oklahoma — 13 Years to 1 Year
Oklahoma’s DD waiver wait dropped from 13 years to approximately 1 year. The state accelerated application processing and expanded funding. More than 3,000 waitlist families had been approved for or were receiving services as of April 2026, a net increase of 2,851 people served on DDS waivers since May 2022.
Kansas — On Track to Eliminate
Bipartisan legislative action is reducing Kansas’s I/DD waitlist. The list has dropped from ~5,400 to ~4,000 (a 20% decrease), and the legislature capped it at 4,800. A new Community Supports Waiver — CMS-approved in July 2026 and effective October 1, 2026 — will serve about 500 people in its first year (up to 1,500 over three years). Wait times remain long (~8–9 years), but advocates project full elimination within 4–5 years at the current funding pace.
Maryland — Promise Undercut by 2026 Cuts
Maryland passed the “End the Wait Act” (SB 636) in 2022, mandating a 50% reduction in the DD waiver waitlist by FY2028, and consolidated its waivers into the streamlined Community Pathways program in October 2025. But the FY2027 state budget cut roughly $126 million from developmental-disability services, and advocates warn the waitlist is growing again rather than shrinking — the goal is still law, but the funding to reach it is not.
Oregon — No Wait Since 2000
Oregon eliminated its DD waiver waitlist as part of a 2000 lawsuit settlement and has maintained no-waitlist status for over 25 years. About 11,000 people receive services across five waivers.
Minnesota — Eliminated 2016
Minnesota eliminated its DD waiver waitlist in 2016 and has maintained that status through strong county-based service coordination. Provider shortages remain a practical challenge, but no one waits for a funding slot.
The pattern is clear: waitlists are eliminated through legislative action (Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico), legal action (Oregon, Illinois under the Ligas Consent Decree), or structural redesign (Wisconsin’s entitlement model, California’s Lanterman Act). They are never eliminated by doing nothing.
Backsliding in 2026: Where Waits Are Getting Worse
The 2025 data above is the most recent complete national picture — but 2026 brought a wave of budget-driven cuts pushing several states the wrong way. If you live in one of these, the urgency to get on the list (and stay in touch with your agency) is even higher.
- Colorado — The adult 24-hour-services (HCBS-DD) wait already runs ~7–8 years. To help close a ~$1.5 billion state shortfall, the 2026 budget is projected to roughly double that wait toward ~14 years, and adds a 56-hour-per-week cap on paid family caregiving plus a 2% provider rate cut.
- Washington, D.C. — After decades with no waitlist at all, DC activated its first-ever IDD waiver waitlist on October 1, 2025 following a $1.6 million funding cut.
- Maryland — The 2022 “End the Wait Act” set a goal of halving the waitlist by FY2028, but the FY2027 budget cut ~$126 million from developmental-disability services, and advocates say the list is growing again rather than shrinking.
The common thread is state budget shortfalls in 2026 — which is why the national picture matters for every family.
The National Picture: Federal Cuts vs. a New Path
The 2025 federal budget law (H.R.1) cut roughly $911 billion from federal Medicaid over ten years — the pressure behind the state cuts above. The same law created a new waiver option letting states serve people who don’t need an institutional level of care (a potential path for lower-needs waitlisted individuals), but it doesn’t take effect until July 2028 and starts at only $50–100 million a year.
In Congress, the HCBS Access Act was reintroduced in April 2026. It would make home- and community-based services a Medicaid entitlement — no caps, no waiting lists — but it is pending legislation, not law. More than 600,000 Americans are on HCBS waiting lists nationally.
What to Do While You Wait
If your state has a multi-year waitlist, don’t wait passively. There are concrete steps to take right now:
1. Apply for SSI and Medicaid Separately
Waiver services require Medicaid eligibility, but you don’t need the waiver to get Medicaid. Apply for SSI as soon as your child is eligible — SSI automatically qualifies for Medicaid in most states. This gets your child health coverage and establishes the benefits foundation you’ll need when a waiver slot opens.
2. Set Up a Special Needs Trust Now
Don’t wait for the waiver to start planning. A third-party special needs trust protects assets you leave for your child without affecting their benefit eligibility — including future waiver eligibility. If your child is on a 10-year waitlist, the trust may need to supplement services that the waiver would otherwise cover.
3. Open an ABLE Account
ABLE accounts let individuals with disabilities save up to $20,000 per year (2026) without affecting SSI or Medicaid eligibility. Unlike a trust, your child controls the ABLE account directly. Use it for disability-related expenses while waiting for waiver services. Learn how ABLE accounts work alongside trusts →
4. Check Your Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations
If your life insurance names your child with a disability as a direct beneficiary, an inheritance could disqualify them from the waiver when a slot finally opens — after waiting years. Make sure insurance proceeds are directed to the trust, not to your child directly. Use our beneficiary designation audit →
5. Get on Multiple Lists if Your State Has Multiple Waivers
Many states operate several waivers with separate waitlists. In Texas, you can be on the HCS, CLASS, and MDCP lists simultaneously. In Pennsylvania, you can register for all four waivers through the PUNS system. In New Jersey, you can receive Supports Program services while waiting for the Community Care Program. Ask your state DD agency about all available options.
6. Contact Your State Legislators
Every success story on this page — Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Maryland — happened because families and advocates pressured their state legislature to fund more waiver slots. The Arc chapter in your state can connect you with advocacy efforts. Individual stories from families carry more weight than statistics.
7. Explore Pooled Trust Programs
If your child receives a personal injury settlement, inheritance, or back-pay from benefits while waiting, a pooled special needs trust can protect those funds without affecting Medicaid eligibility. Your state page has details on pooled trust programs available in your area.
How Medicaid Waivers Work (Plain English)
If you’re new to this world, here’s what you need to know — without the jargon.
What is a Medicaid waiver?
Regular Medicaid covers doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospital stays. But it doesn’t cover the things many people with developmental disabilities need most: help at home, day programs, job coaching, respite care for families, or supported living arrangements.
A Medicaid waiver is a program where the federal government lets a state “waive” certain Medicaid rules so the state can use Medicaid funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) instead of only institutional care. The idea: it’s better (and usually cheaper) to support someone in their home or community than in a nursing home or institution.
Why is it called a “1915(c) waiver”?
Section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act is the federal law that authorizes these waivers. Most state DD waiver programs operate under this authority. Some states use an “1115 waiver” instead (a broader demonstration waiver) — Rhode Island, Vermont, and a few others. The services are similar; the legal mechanism is different.
Why are there waitlists?
Unlike regular Medicaid, HCBS waivers are not an entitlement in most states. Each state sets a cap on how many people its waiver can serve, based on available funding. When more people are eligible than the cap allows, a waiting list forms. States can request more slots from CMS (the federal Medicaid agency), but this requires state matching funds — which requires state legislative appropriation — which requires political will.
That’s why waitlists are fundamentally a funding decision, not a medical one. Everyone on the list has already been determined to need services. They’re waiting for their state to fund a slot.
What does “screening for eligibility” mean?
Some states verify that a person meets clinical and financial eligibility criteria before adding them to the waitlist. Other states (Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon) add anyone who expresses interest without checking eligibility first. Iowa uses a voluntary screening tool but does not require it. This is why Texas shows 198,000+ on its “interest lists” — only about 67% of those offered a slot actually qualify and accept services.
Coming in 2027: A new CMS rule (from the 2024 HCBS final rule) will require states to report waitlist data to the federal government annually starting July 2027. This will be the first time there’s an authoritative, standardized federal dataset on waiver waitlists. Until then, the KFF survey and individual state reports are the best available data.
What services do waivers cover?
Services vary by state and by waiver, but commonly include:
- Residential habilitation — Support for living in the community (group homes, supported apartments, host homes)
- Day habilitation / day programs — Structured daytime activities, skill-building
- Supported employment — Job coaching, workplace support
- Personal care / attendant services — Help with daily living activities
- Respite care — Temporary relief for family caregivers
- Behavioral support — Behavioral analysis, intervention plans
- Therapies — Occupational, physical, and speech therapy
- Assistive technology and home modifications — Equipment, ramps, environmental adaptations
- Transportation — Non-medical transportation to services
- Case management / support coordination — Someone to help navigate the system
State-by-State Details
Below is additional detail for each state with an active DD waiver waitlist. For states with no waitlist, see the no-waitlist section above. For full special needs trust information for any state, visit your state guide.
Alabama
Waivers: Intellectual Disabilities (ID) Waiver, Living at Home (LAH) Waiver, Community Waiver Program (CWP, 11 counties). Waitlist: 1,848. Wait: Several years. Currently served: ~5,260 (ID Waiver). Contact: Alabama Medicaid at 1-800-361-4491. Alabama SNT Guide →
Alaska
Waivers: IDD Waiver, Individualized Supports Waiver. Waitlist: 721. Wait: Only 50 people drawn from list annually — implied 14+ year wait. Currently served: ~1,900. Contact: Aging & Disability Resource Center at 1-877-625-2372. Alaska SNT Guide →
Arkansas
Waivers: Community and Employment Support (CES) Waiver. Waitlist: 1,632 (I/DD, KFF FY2025); 1,701 across all populations. Earlier compilations circulated a 4,500 figure that no primary source supports. Wait: ~10 years. Contact: Division of DD Services at 501-683-5687. Arkansas SNT Guide →
Colorado
Waivers: HCBS-DD (24-hour residential — only CO waiver with waitlist), HCBS-SLS (no wait), CHCBS (children, no wait). Waitlist: 2,345. Wait: ~7–8 years average for HCBS-DD — and 2026 budget cuts (to close a ~$1.5B shortfall) are projected to roughly double it toward ~14 years. Most people receive SLS services while waiting. Contact: Your local Community Centered Board (CCB). Colorado SNT Guide →
Connecticut
Waivers: DDS Comprehensive, Individual & Family Supports, Employment & Day Supports (all I/DD); separate DSS Autism Waiver.
Connecticut runs two entirely separate systems, and the national surveys miss most of it. KFF’s FY2025 survey records zero people waiting for an I/DD waiver in Connecticut, because the state reports no funding waitlist for day and employment supports. That is true — and it is not the whole picture. DDS maintains a separate residential Waiting List and Planning List that the waiver survey does not capture.
DDS residential (per the DDS Management Information Report, March 2026): 971 people are on the Waiting List — 79 in the Emergency category (immediate need for placement) and 892 Urgent (placement needed within one year). Of those 971, 606 receive no DDS residential funding at all and 365 already receive some services but have additional unmet needs. A further 637 people are on the Planning List, meaning they will need residential support in two or more years. Nearly all of both groups — 99% of the Planning List — are currently held together by In-Home Supports.
DSS Autism Waiver: about 2,652 people waiting as of April 2026, with waits reported beyond 10 years. Enrollment was capped at 120 slots for years and had risen to roughly 690 by the end of 2025. Legislative testimony in the 2026 session put the list at “over 2,500” with only 255 individuals actually receiving services — under 9% of those found eligible. HB 5001 (2023) allocated $30 million to cut the list by at least 600 people; advocates testified that no new money was appropriated in the 2025 budget.
The coverage gap: DDS serves individuals with IQ 69 or below; the DSS Autism Waiver serves people with autism and IQ 70 or above. Someone with an IQ in the 70s and no autism diagnosis can fall between the two — a legislative study is underway. Contact: DDS at 860-418-6000 (I/DD); DSS for the Autism Waiver. Connecticut SNT Guide →
Florida
Waivers: iBudget Waiver. Waitlist: 15,251 (APD, August 25, 2026; down as families opt into the HB 1103 managed-care pilot). Wait: 7–15 years. Currently served: 37,645 (APD, June 1, 2026). Contact: Agency for Persons with Disabilities at 1-866-273-2273. Florida SNT Guide →
Georgia
Waivers: New Options Waiver (NOW), Comprehensive Supports (COMP). Waitlist: 7,397–7,900+. Wait: Decades at ~100 new slots/year. Currently served: ~14,100. Contact: DBHDD regional office. Georgia SNT Guide →
Illinois
Waivers: Adults with DD Waiver, Children/Young Adults with DD Waiver. Waitlist: ~16,500 (PUNS database). Wait: ~44 months (accelerating under Ligas Consent Decree). Contact: Local ISC agency or 1-888-DD-PLANS (337-5267). Illinois SNT Guide →
Indiana
Waivers: CIH, Family Supports. Waitlist: 9,453. Wait: Multi-year; both waivers hit capacity end of 2025, no new slots until July 2026. Contact: BDS Gateway portal (bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov). Indiana SNT Guide →
Iowa
Waivers: Intellectual Disability (ID) Waiver (plus BI, HD, CMH, PD waivers). Waitlist: 7,147–25,536 (Iowa uses a voluntary screening tool, WPNA, to prioritize by need; not all on the list have been screened). Wait: Up to 5 years. Note: Iowa is redesigning all six waivers into two age-based programs (partial rollout October 2026, full completion 2027). Contact: Your MCO or Iowa HHS. Iowa SNT Guide →
Kansas
Waivers: I/DD Waiver. Waitlist: 4,706 (I/DD, KFF FY2025); 6,304 across all populations. Wait: ~8–9 years (reduction efforts underway; new Community Supports Waiver effective October 1, 2026). Contact: Your local CDDO or 1-855-200-2372. Kansas SNT Guide →
Kentucky
Waivers: Michelle P. Waiver (MPW), Supports for Community Living (SCL). Waitlist: 13,026. Wait: 8–10 years. Contact: 502-564-1647, option 4 then option 1. Kentucky SNT Guide →
Louisiana
Waivers: New Opportunities Waiver (NOW), Residential Options (ROW), Supports, Children’s Choice. Waitlist: 14,586. Wait: Not reported. Contact: Local Human Services District or OCDD. Louisiana SNT Guide →
Maine
Waivers: Section 21 (Comprehensive), Section 29 (Community Support). Waitlist: 2,244. Wait: Several years. Note: New Lifespan Waiver aims to eliminate waitlist within 5 years. Contact: HCBS.Waiver@maine.gov. Maine SNT Guide →
Maryland
Waivers: Community Pathways (consolidated Oct 2025). Waitlist: 3,302. Wait: Multi-year; the FY2027 budget cut ~$126M from DDA, stalling End the Wait Act progress. Contact: Maryland DDA. Maryland SNT Guide →
Mississippi
Waivers: ID/DD Waiver. Waitlist: 2,496–2,772. Wait: Not publicly reported. Contact: IDD Regional Program or 1-800-421-2408. Mississippi SNT Guide →
Missouri
Waivers: Comprehensive, Community Support, Partnership for Hope, MOCDD (children). Waitlist: 1,272. Wait: Varies by Priority of Need score. Currently served: ~12,000+. Contact: DMH Regional Office or 800-207-9329. Missouri SNT Guide →
Montana
Waivers: 0208 Comprehensive, Big Sky. Waitlist: 2,095 (I/DD, KFF FY2025); 3,287 across all populations. Wait: ~7 years (0208); ~125 days (Big Sky). Contact: DDP at 406-444-5978. Montana SNT Guide →
Nevada
Waivers: IDD HCBS Waiver. Waitlist: 582. Wait: Not reported. Currently served: 3,100+. Contact: ADSD Intake at 702-486-7850. Nevada SNT Guide →
New Jersey
Waivers: Community Care Program (CCP), Supports Program (available immediately). Waitlist: 2,700–3,184 (CCP only). Wait: Not reported. Note: Supports Program services are available while waiting for CCP. Contact: DDD.NJApply@dhs.nj.gov. New Jersey SNT Guide →
New Mexico
Waivers: DD Waiver, Mi Via (self-directed), Supports. Waitlist: DD waiver waitlist effectively eliminated through “Super Allocation” initiative (began 2021). FY2026 budget funds a sustained no-waitlist policy. Historical wait: 12–16 years (DD), 10–12 years (Mi Via). Currently served: 7,849. Contact: Pre-Service Intake Bureau at 505-350-0034. New Mexico SNT Guide →
North Carolina
Waivers: Innovations Waiver. Waitlist: 21,449 (NCDHHS Innovations Waitlist Dashboard, as of March 31, 2026; KFF FY2025 had 18,000 I/DD / 21,410 all populations). Wait: 12.26 years average per NCDHHS; up to ~17 years in some counties. Currently served: ~14,000. Contact: Your LME/MCO or 1-855-262-1946. North Carolina SNT Guide →
North Dakota
Waivers: IID/DD HCBS Waiver, Autism Spectrum Disorder Waiver. Waitlist: 0 with I/DD in KFF’s FY2025 survey; 141 across all HCBS populations, of whom 52 are on the ASD waiver. The traditional IID/DD waiver has minimal wait. Wait: Short. Contact: DD Section at 701-328-8930 or 800-755-8529. North Dakota SNT Guide →
Ohio
Waivers: Individual Options (IO), Level One (L1), SELF. Waitlist: 1,887. Wait: Varies by county. Currently served: ~71,000 across three waivers. Contact: Your County Board of DD or 800-617-6733. Ohio SNT Guide →
Oklahoma
Waivers: Community, In-Home Supports (children/adults), Homeward Bound. Waitlist: 1,781. Wait: ~1 year (reduced from 13). Contact: DDS Area Office. Oklahoma SNT Guide →
Pennsylvania
Waivers: Consolidated, Community Living, PFDS, Adult Autism. Waitlist: 11,624 (I/DD, KFF FY2025); 12,604 across all populations. Wait: 7+ years. Note: 10,000+ in Emergency/Critical priority categories. Contact: County MH/ID Office or ODP at 1-888-565-9435. Pennsylvania SNT Guide →
South Carolina
Waivers: ID/RD Waiver (461 enrolled), Community Supports (23,140 enrolled). Waitlist: 36,824 with I/DD (37,139 across all populations) — an unscreened interest list summed across the ID/RD, Community Supports and Head & Spinal Cord Injury waivers. South Carolina’s waiver manual confirms a person may be on several of these lists at once, so the figure counts list placements rather than unduplicated people. Note that in January 2026 OIDD stopped automatically adding people to waiver waiting lists at eligibility determination, so later figures are not built the same way. Wait: Not reported. Contact: Local OIDD Board (formerly DSN Board) or 1-800-289-7012. South Carolina SNT Guide →
South Dakota
Waivers: CHOICES, Family Support 360. Waitlist: 185. Wait: 1–2 years. Contact: 605-773-3438 or 800-265-9684. South Dakota SNT Guide →
Tennessee
Waivers: ECF CHOICES (Employment and Community First). Waitlist: 1,754 (I/DD, KFF FY2025); 2,182 across all populations. Wait: Not reported. Note: Governor proposed $36M to serve 2,500 more people. Contact: TennCare Self-Referral Form or Dept. of Disability and Aging. Tennessee SNT Guide →
Texas
Waivers: HCS, CLASS, TxHmL, DBMD, MDCP, STAR+PLUS. Waitlist: ~198,000 people; 374,044 placements across six unscreened interest lists (HHSC, June 30, 2026). Wait: up to 17–18 years on HCS and CLASS. Currently served: ~21,000. Contact: Your LIDDA (HCS/TxHmL) or HHSC at 1-877-438-5658 (CLASS/DBMD/MDCP). Texas SNT Guide →
Utah
Waivers: Community Supports, Limited Supports, ABI. Waitlist: 11,402 (I/DD, KFF FY2025); 12,096 across all populations. Wait: 5.4 years average. Currently served: 7,157. Contact: DSPD at 1-877-568-0084. Utah SNT Guide →
Virginia
Waivers: Building Independence (BI), Family & Individual Supports (FIS), Community Living (CL). Waitlist: 14,168–15,472. Wait: Years (varies by priority). Note: 3,440 new slots approved for biennium. Contact: Your local Community Services Board. Virginia SNT Guide →
West Virginia
Waivers: I/DD Waiver. Waitlist: 967 (I/DD, KFF FY2025). Wait: Not publicly reported. Note: Doubled in 18 months; 76% are children. Waitlist Support Grant available while waiting. Contact: Acentra Health at 304-356-4904 or WVIDDWaiver@acentra.com. West Virginia SNT Guide →
Wisconsin (children)
Waivers: Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS). Waitlist: 8,842 children identified as functionally eligible but not yet enrolled (KFF FY2025). Wait: Wisconsin DHS characterises CLTS as having no waitlist under continuous enrollment, with roughly 70 days from eligibility to enrollment; the 8,842 figure comes from a newer joint state–county effort to count eligible children not yet receiving services, and KFF records it as a new I/DD interest list. Both describe the same program on different terms. Note: Adults are served through Family Care/IRIS entitlement programs with no waitlist. Contact: Your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Wisconsin SNT Guide →
Wyoming
Waivers: Comprehensive, Supports. Waitlist: 282 (per KFF 2025). Wait: 1–3 years. Contact: HCBS Section at health.wyo.gov. Wyoming SNT Guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get on the Medicaid waiver waitlist in my state?
Contact your state’s developmental disabilities agency. In most states, this means calling your local DD office, Community Services Board, or County Board of DD. The table above lists specific contact information for each state. You don’t need an attorney to apply — the process starts with a phone call.
Can I be on the waitlist in more than one state?
Generally, you must be a resident of the state whose waitlist you’re on. Medicaid is state-based, and waiver programs require state residency. If you move, you’ll need to apply in your new state — and you’ll typically start at the back of that state’s waitlist. This is one of the most painful aspects of the system for military families and others who relocate.
Does being on the waitlist give my child Medicaid coverage?
No. The waiver waitlist is separate from Medicaid enrollment. You should apply for Medicaid (usually through SSI) independently. Many people on waiver waitlists already have Medicaid — they’re waiting for the additional home and community-based services the waiver provides, not for basic health coverage.
Will a special needs trust affect my child’s waiver eligibility?
A properly drafted third-party special needs trust does not count as an asset for Medicaid or waiver eligibility purposes. This is one of the core reasons trusts exist — to supplement government benefits without replacing them. However, money paid directly to your child (not through a trust) can affect eligibility. Learn more in your state’s SNT guide.
How often is this data updated?
The KFF conducts its HCBS survey annually, typically publishing data in the fall. Individual state agencies update their numbers on varying schedules — some monthly, some quarterly, some only in legislative reports. Starting in July 2027, a new CMS rule will require standardized annual reporting from all states. We review and update this page at least annually.
What’s the difference between a “waitlist” and an “interest list”?
A waitlist typically means the person has been screened for eligibility and is waiting for a funded slot. An interest list means anyone can sign up without proving eligibility — the list is longer but includes people who may not qualify. Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Iowa, and Oklahoma use interest lists, which is why their numbers appear much larger. Both are worth getting on immediately.
Sources & Methodology
This page compiles data from the following sources, verified as of April 2026:
- Kaiser Family Foundation: HCBS Waiting Lists 2016–2025 (primary national data source)
- Case for Inclusion (ANCOR/UCP state scorecards)
- MACPAC: State Management of HCBS Waiver Waiting Lists
- Individual state DD agency websites and legislative reports (cited per state in our research documentation)
Where state-reported numbers differ from KFF data, both figures are noted. Some state data may reflect slightly different reporting periods.
| Related Guide | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Find Your State Guide | State-specific trust rules, costs, pooled trust programs, and local resources |
| ABLE vs. Special Needs Trust | When to use an ABLE account, when to use a trust, and how they work together |
| Beneficiary Designation Audit | Check whether your life insurance, retirement accounts, and other assets are set up correctly |
| Sibling Planning Guide | Having the conversation, choosing trustees, and protecting family relationships |
| Life Insurance & Special Needs Trusts | How to use life insurance to fund your child’s trust |
| Just Diagnosed? Start Here | First steps after your child’s disability diagnosis — the 90-day action plan and what to prioritize |
| Planning Ahead | The complete planning checklist for your child’s financial and care future |
| Find a Special Needs Attorney | State-specific attorney directories and what to look for |