Nebraska Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) Waivers

What are Nebraska Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) Waivers?

If you hear the terms “Developmental Disabilities Waiver” or the “DD Waiver”, that is referring to the Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) Waivers. HCBS Waivers allow the state of Nebraska to use Federal Medicaid funds to provide services to people with disabilities in their homes and communities who would otherwise be served in an institution. Medicaid is a public health insurance program, and a person must receive Medicaid to be on a Waiver. Each waiver has its eligibility requirements. A person can only be on one waiver at a time, though they may receive services on one waiver while waiting for another waiver to become available to them

There are two waivers to serve people with disabilities who meet the Nursing Facility (NF) Level of Care and want to receive services and support in their community:

Aged and Disabled (AD) Waiver: For people of all ages who have a disability and people over 65 years old. Intended to help people live at home.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Waiver: For people ages 18 and older who have had a traumatic brain injury. This waiver is not for acquired brain injury caused by strokes, tumors, and other non-traumatic causes. Intended to help people with TBIs to live at home.

There are three waivers to serve people with developmental disabilities who meet the Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID) Level of Care

Family Support Waiver (FSW): This offers support and services to help children with developmental disabilities continue to live in their family home. This waiver is for people from birth to age 21 years old.
Comprehensive Developmental Disabilities (CDD) Waiver: This offers services for daytime community integration and residential support. The focus is on teaching independent living skills in a person’s home. This waiver is for people of all ages, though day services become available at age 21.
Developmental Disabilities Adult Day (DDAD) Waiver: This offers services focused on daytime community integration and inclusion, including job support or teaching skills for future employment. This waiver is for people ages 21 and older.

For more information about the waivers, including what services are offered on each waiver, here is a helpful info sheet.

Below are individual waiver fact sheets from the Nebraska DHHS Website:

Need some help with the Waiver Application process? We’ve got you!

We’ve recorded a presentation that walks you through how to apply on paper! You can find it on our PTI Nebraska YouTube channel! You can access it here.

You can follow along with step-by-step guidance to complete the Nebraska HCBS Waiver Paper Application.

Click here to download the HCBS Waiver Application.

Click here to download PTI Nebraska’s HCBS Waiver Instruction Guide to accompany the presentation.

Other Important Information You Will Need