Providing access to home care for disabled children: Minnesota's Medicaid model waiver program

Home care programs for severely disabled, usually technology-dependent, children got a boost in 1981 when the Federal Government gave States permission to use Medicaid to fund home care under the Medicaid model home- and community-based waiver (2176). The model waiver program was unique because it eliminated the bias toward hospitalization by waiving parental income and assets when determining eligibility for children cared for at home and by allowing Medicaid to cover needed home care services. In 1985 Minnesota received Federal approval for the model waiver, and the results are detailed in this report. Although the waiver could provide funding for up to 50 children, after 2 years only 24 children had received approval. Stringent and complex eligibility criteria acted as barriers to accessing the model waiver. In addition, the interaction between the waiver and the State's health care system contributed to inconsistencies in eligibility. This interaction demonstrates the difficulty of administering publicly funded programs in the current health care environment. Recommendations are made for adjusting criteria for eligibility in the waiver program. Unresolved problems facing technology-dependent children on home care programs are discussed.