The Basics
Minnesota’s MA-Waiver programs provide services that help people with disabilities live in the community rather than in an institution.
These programs are a part of Medical Assistance (MA). You must be eligible for MA or Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) to enroll in a MA-Waiver program.
There are five different MA-Waiver programs in Minnesota, four of which will be discussed in this section. Each individual program serves a different population:
- The Community Alternative Care (CAC) Waiver serves people with disabilities who need the level of care normally provided in a hospital.
- The Community Alternatives for Disabled Individuals (CADI) Waiver serves people with disabilities who need the level of care normally provided in a nursing facility.
- The Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver serves people with developmental disabilities or related conditions who need the level of care normally provided in an Intermediate Care Facility for Persons with Mental Retardation or Related conditions (ICF/MR).
- The Brain Injury (BI) Waiver provides services to people with a documented brain injury who need neurobehavioral hospital or nursing facility level of care.
The Elderly Waiver and the Alternative Care Program serve people age 65 or older and won’t be discussed in this section.
Note: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 will lead to significant changes in our nation’s health care system. The law will take effect over several years, and many of the details are still unknown.
DB101 will continue to keep track of health care changes and update our website as needed. To learn more about the details of health care reform, you can visit healthcare.gov.
