What is a Supports Service Waiver and does it apply to my child?

First, do you have a child on the autism spectrum or some form of intellectual disability. Your child may be eligible if they require some form of residential program. A supports service waiver offers a portfolio of support and services for those in the special needs community. There is a fixed number allocated to the state on an annual basis or as funds are available. The waiver is a program where the federal government “waives” Medical Assistance/Medicaid rules for institutional care in order for Pennsylvania (or other state you reside) to utilize and provide supports and services for people closer to home in their own communities (PAODP, 2019).

There are over 13,300 people on a waitlist for these services in Pennsylvania. From 2018-2019, Pennsylvania received about 1,100 new waiver allocations to assist in relieving this backlog. Unfortunately, new people apply at the same time the and the waitlist. States receive waiver funds through the Federal government. The Federal government supplies these monies to the State and the State in turn matches every dollar with a dollar appropriated by the State. The State can double its resources since it is receiving the 1:1 match from the Federal government.

From a parents perspective, it took a lot of energy to acquire waivers for our sons, but is definitely worth the effort. Documentation is key for justifying your need for services. Recording behaviors such as the frequency, duration, intensity, etc. Describe and record (pictures or video) these instances in a log book as best you can. Work with your supports coordinator to request the waiver using the documentation showing the timeline. Any additional documentation from other caregivers or service workers will help justify your case and ultimately put you higher in queue to receive the waiver.

Start documenting, now, is the best advise I can give any parent. If you have any questions, please connect with us on Facebook.

Here is a summary table of various waivers serving the autism community. PFDS – Person/Family Directed Support, Consolidated, Community Living, and Autism Waiver are listed below.

Waiver type	Funding limit	Age limits	Eligibility criteria	Services available
PFDS	$33K	N/A	For an individual care facility level of care; diagnosed with intellectual disability or autism	Respite, home, community, diverse therapy opportunities, transportation, etc.
Consolidated	No cap	N/A	See PFDS	See PFDS
Community Living	$70K	N/A	See PFDS	See PFDS
Autism	Needs depend- ent	18+	Autism; priority given to those not receiving ongoing state or federal funding for services; no IQ testing required; individual (or guardian) is at heart of planning their services	Residential habilitation available 24/7, as well as a variety of services programmed to support the individual to achieve independence