Last Updated September 2023
This Fact Sheet is available for download in the following languages:
- English: Medicaid Waivers in Illinois for Children with Disabilities
- Spanish Español: Exenciones de Medicaid para Niños con IDD y/o Enfermedades Crónicas
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- About Medicaid Waivers
- General Eligibility
- To Apply
- Resources If Unable to Access a Waiver
- Illinois Advocacy Organizations & Waiver-Related Organizations
- Related Fact Sheets and Information
About Medicaid Waivers
A waiver is a program that provides services that allow individuals to remain in their own homes or live in a community setting, instead of in an institution. Each waiver is designed for individuals with similar needs and offers a different set of services. Illinois currently has nine waivers. Six of them serve children: https://hfs.illinois.gov/medicalclients/hcbs.html
A child generally needs to be income eligible for Medicaid (where parental income is counted up to age 18) to access a Medicaid waiver, but in Illinois parental income is not a factor for three child Medicaid waivers:
- Medically Fragile Technology Dependent Waiver, managed by the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) at the University of Illinois (UIC)
- Support Waiver for Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities (DD)
- Residential Waiver for Children and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities (DD)
Family income and assets are a factor (and therefore the child under age 18 must be low income/Medicaid eligible – parental income is counted) for these three waivers managed by the DHS Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) for persons under age 60:
- Persons with Brain Injury
- Persons with HIV or AIDS
- Persons with Disabilities
Illinois also has several adult waivers, including the Supportive Living Program, Waiver for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, and Persons Who are Elderly.
General Eligibility
- Must be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen (non-qualified non-citizens, i.e. undocumented individuals are not eligible)
- Low income or Medicaid eligible, except where parental income is not counted in the MFTD waiver, Child DD Support Waiver, Child DD Residential Waiver
- Resident of Illinois
To Apply
- Medically Fragile Technology Dependent Waiver (MFTD), must enter waiver before age 21 – contact DSCC: https://dscc.uic.edu/ or call 1-800-322-3722
- Child DD Support or Child DD Residential Waiver, age 3 -21. Register your child on the waiting list (PUNS) through your Independent Service Coordination (ISC): Find your ISC here (use Developmental Disabilities as “office type” in dropdown: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=12
- DRS waivers that children of any age may access (includes Persons with Disabilities, Persons with Brain Injury, and Persons with HIV/AIDS) contact local DRS office: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=12 and select as “office type” “Rehabilitation Services” from drop down menu and You can apply for DHS-DRS services online here: Rehabilitation Services Web Referral
To apply for Medicaid (all must apply, even where parental income is waived as in the MFTD waiver, Child DD Support and Child DD Residential waivers) apply online: https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/; or apply by mail, in person at your local Family Community Resource Center (FCRC), or by phone: 1-800-843-6154.
Resources If Unable to Access a Waiver
- Illinois Respite Coalition has emergency voucher stipends for caregiver emergencies including stress-reduction up to $500.00: http://www.illinoisrespitecoalition.org/emergency-respite.html See also http://www.illinoisrespitecoalition.org/ for In-Home Respite Care up to 180 hours annually for individuals with an intellectual or developmental who have not been pulled from the PUNS list.
- DHS operates 6 Crisis Nurseries for children up to age 6: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=35563
- Some communities/regions may offer support services for families in a specific locale. Examples include:
- Community 708 Boards: https://www.fsaelgin.org/blog/page-4/what-is-a-708-board.php
- Respite care for family caregivers age 60 and older (grants from Illinois Department on Aging): Caregiver Support Program: https://ilaging.illinois.gov/programs/caregiver.html
- Department of Aging (DoA) Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Caregiver Resource Centers: https://ilaging.illinois.gov/programs/caregiver/crc.html
- Some Special Recreation programs may offer after school and/or school vacation services: https://www.specialrecreation.org/ Financial assistance may be available.
- CRSA (Community and Residential Services Authority): https://crsa.illinois.gov/ works with families of children with behavioral disorders or severe emotional disturbances, schools and communities to develop a support plan by means of Family Support Grants.
Illinois Advocacy Organizations & Waiver-Related Organizations
- The Arc of Illinois: https://www.thearcofil.org
- Equip for Equality: https://www.equipforequality.org/
- Access Living: https://www.accessliving.org/
- MFTD Waiver Families: http://www.mftdwaiver.org
Related Fact Sheets and Information
- PUNS, The Basics [English, Spanish, Arabic, Polish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, and Urdu]
- PUNS Pathway Flowchart [English and Spanish]
- What’s next after an Autism Diagnosis? [English and Spanish]
- Resources while on an ABA Waiting List [English and Spanish]
- General Medicaid Questions [English and Spanish]