Iowa currently has five waiver programs that serve children. All are 1915(c) HCBS waivers. We are not sure if they waive parental income or not. General information about waivers in Iowa can be found on the Iowa Home and Community Based Services page. A chart comparing waivers is also available. Waiting list information for Iowa waivers can be found here.

Iowa Advocacy Organizations:

Last updated 9/12/23

Programs in Iowa

  • Target Population: Children and adults with physical or other medical disabilities.
  • Ages: 0-64
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility, Nursing Facility
  • Income Waiver: Yes, the waiver is based on the child’s income only. Parent income is not counted.
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 3619
  • Expiration Date: 9/30/2027
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adult day, homemaker, respite, home health aide, nursing, financial management services, independent support broker, self-directed community support and employment, consumer directed attendant care-skilled, consumer-directed attendant care-unskilled, counseling service, home and vehicle modification, home delivered meals, individual directed goods and services, interim medical monitoring and treatment, nutritional counseling, personal emergency response system, and self-directed personal care services to individuals with physical disabilities ages 0-64 years who meet a nursing facility or ICF/IID level of care.  This waiver operates with a concurrent 1915(b)(1), 1915(b)(3), and 1915(b)(4) authority.
  • Online State Information: Health and Disability Waiver Information
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Apply for Medicaid through DHS. Children will then be assessed by Child Health Specialty Clinics.
  • Waiting List: 7995 individuals
  • Target Population: Children with serious emotional disturbance.
  • Ages: 0-17
  • Levels of Care: Hospital
  • Income Waiver: unknown
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 1860
  • Expiration Date: 9/30/2023
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides family and community support service, respite, environmental modifications and adaptive devices, and in-home family therapy to individuals with serious emotional disturbance ages 0-17 years who meet a hospital level of care. This waiver operates with a concurrent 1915(b)(1), 1915(b)(3), and 1915(b)(4) authority.
  • Online State Information: Children’s Mental Health Waiver Information
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Apply for Medicaid through DHS.
  • Waiting List: 895 children
  • Target Population: Children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility
  • Income Waiver: unknown
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 14,780
  • Expiration Date: 6/30/2024
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adult day care, day habilitation, prevocational services, residential based supported community living, respite, supported employment, home health aide services, nursing, financial management services, independent support broker, individual directed goods and services, self-directed community support and employment, self-directed personal care, consumer directed attendant care (CDAC) – skilled, consumer directed attendant care (CDAC) – unskilled, home and vehicle modification, interim medical monitoring and treatment, personal emergency response or portable locator system, supported community living, transportation for individuals with ID, ages 0 – no max age.
  • Online State Information: Intellectual Disabilities Waiver
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Apply for Medicaid through DHS.
  • Waiting List: 6408 individuals

Also known as AIDS/HIV or AH Waiver

  • Target Population: Children and adults with AIDS or HIV.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Nursing Facility, Hospital
  • Income Waiver: unknown
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 39
  • Expiration Date: 6/30/2025
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adult day care, homemaker, respite, home health aide, nursing, financial management services, independent support broker, consumer directed attendant care – skilled, consumer-directed attendant care – unskilled, counseling, home delivered meals, individual directed goods and services, self directed community support and employment, self directed personal care for individuals with HIV/AIDS, ages 0 – no max age.
  • Online State Information: AH Waiver Information
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Apply for Medicaid through DHS.
  • Waiting List: none

Also known as BI Waiver

  • Target Population: Children and adults with brain injury.
  • Ages: all ages
  • Levels of Care: Intermediate Care Facility, Nursing Facility
  • Income Waiver: unknown
  • Waiver Type: 1915(c)
  • Spots: 1747
  • Expiration Date: 9/30/2024
  • Description from medicaid.gov: Provides adult day care, case management, prevocational services, respite, supported employment, specialized medical equipment, financial management service, independent support broker, individual directed goods and services, self-directed community support and employment, self-directed personal care, behavioral programming, consumer directed attendant care (CDAC) unskilled, consumer directed attendant care – skilled, family counseling and training services, home and vehicle modification, interim medical monitoring and treatment (IMMT), personal emergency response system or portable locator system, supported community living, transportation for individuals with BI, ages 0 – no max age.
  • Online State Information: BI Waiver Information
  • Official Federal Information
  • How to Apply: Apply for Medicaid through DHS.
  • Waiting List: 3035 individuals

Additional Information

  • For the Health and Disability Waiver: “A member’s relative or legal guardian may provide services to a member. Payments may be made to any relative who is not the parent of a minor child, a spouse, or a legal representative of the member. Legal representative means a person, including an attorney, who is authorized by law to act on behalf of the medical assistance program member but does not include the spouse of a member or the parent or stepparent of a member aged 17 or younger. The relative or legal guardian may be an Individual CDAC provider, a member under the CCO program, or an employee hired by a provider agency. The relative or legal guardian through the CCO program may provide the following self-directed goods and services.”
  • For the Intellectual Disabilities Waiver: “A person who is legally responsible for a member may provide services to an adult waiver member. This applies to guardians of their adult children or of other adults, age 18 or older, for whom they have been legally appointed as the guardian. Parents and guardians of members age 17 and younger may not be paid providers of service. The person who is legally responsible for an adult member may be a Consumer Directed Attendant Care (CDAC) provider or an employee under the Consumer Choices Option (CCO) program.” (As of 9/2023)
  • During the pandemic, parents/guardians of minors have been able to be paid to care for their children, and Iowa has stated that they hope to make this measure permanent in the future.