Eligibility
The Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) offers services that help a limited number of adult Medicaid members with physical disabilities live in their own homes or in the community instead of a hospital or nursing home. ICWP services are also available for persons with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
The Independent Care Waiver is designed for eligible Medicaid members with severe physical disabilities who are between the ages of 21 and 64 when they apply and when services are started and who meet the criteria below. They must:
• Be capable of managing their own services (individuals with a TBI do not have to meet this criteria);
• Have a severe physical impairment and/or TBI that substantially limits one or more activities of daily living and requires the assistance of another individual;
• Do not have a primary diagnosis of a mental disorder (mental retardation/mental illness)
• Be medically stable but at risk of placement in a hospital or nursing facility if communitybased support services are not available; and
• Be safely placed in a home or community setting.
Other factors also help determine whether eligible applicants can receive waiver services, including currently residing in a hospital or nursing facility, length of time on the waiting list, ability to live independently, and the estimated cost of care (based on the projected care plan).