The MI Choice Michigan Medicaid waiver gives nursing-home-level care (NFLOC) at home so adults don’t have to live in a nursing facility. Family caregivers can get paid through the Michigan Choice waiver program. Unlike the Home Help Program, the Michigan Medicaid waiver has a waitlist.
Michigan Medicaid waiver caregiver eligibility depends on which Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) apply. A waiver works differently from the Home Help Program State Plan benefit. The Home Help Program applies to any qualified adult with no waiting. The MI Choice Medicaid waiver has a yearly limit and waitlist.
If you want to keep a parent or spouse at home, our practical guide covers every Michigan waiver, if you qualify, what each program covers, and how you can get paid as a caregiver.
The Michigan Medicaid Waiver Program is a home and community-care based program for eligible adults. It helps keep your loved one at home instead of having to live in a nursing home. The program provides the support they need for long-term care to stay independent, safe, and healthy. Your loved one stays connected to their community.
The Department of Community and Health and Human Services funds the program and can pay family caregivers for home care. A waiver is different than State Plan personal Care. The Home Help program is a state plan. There’s no waitlist, and any adult can qualify.
Waiver programs are capped. Limits mean there’s usually a waiting list. Applying early cuts back on waiting time program restrictions.
Michigan has several valuable waiver programs. Your loved one may qualify for one of these available Medicaid Waiver Programs:
For Michigan family caregivers who want to keep their loved one safe at home for long-term care, choose the best program. If you need to keep an aging adult, an adult with disabilities, or a spouse living at home and need support, the MI Choice waiver program, MI Coordinated Health program, or Habilitation Supports Waiver provide the best options.
The MI Health Link program ended in December 2025 and was replaced by the MI Coordinated Health Program. This program offers many medical and behavioral services to qualified adults over age 21 who are enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. They can also provide HCBS, nursing home care, and pharmacy services.
If your loved one has an intellectual or developmental disability, the Michigan Habilitation Supports Waiver (HSW) offers services for any eligible child or adult who needs an institutional level of care. The HSW aims to help your loved one thrive at home instead of being moved to an institution for their long-term care.
The MI Choice Waiver Program provides home and community-based care for Medicaid-eligible adults. The program allows your loved one to receive the support and long-term care they need while staying in their community.
Besides costing less than nursing homes and institutions, the MI Choice Waiver Program improves your loved one’s quality of life and lets them live safely at home. With the MI Choice Waiver, family members can receive nursing facility-level care in their own home. Family caregivers may get paid through the MI Choice Waiver program.
The waiver can apply to eligible adults over age 65 and people with disabilities who have many medical and home service needs. The waiver might provide respite services, adult daycare, or pay family caregivers.
Seniors aged 65 or older or adults with disabilities may qualify for the MI Choice Waiver if they have NFLOC and home service needs to live independently. Your loved one needs to show that they need the Michigan Choice Medicaid Waiver to stay at home and avoid moving to a nursing facility.
Your loved one has to earn less than $2,982 monthly with assets no more than $9,950 a month. Home value and one car don’t count towards the assets. Married couples have to have combined assets less than $14,910 a month.
If your loved one doesn’t meet the income limits, they may have a Medicaid spend-down option. However, the 60-month Medicaid look-back period reviews any possible fraud, like gifting large sums of money or transferring ownership during the same period. Both California and New York have a more lenient 30-month look-back period.
The Michigan Medicaid Waiver program offers many services to keep your loved one living safely and independently at home. Supports can include:
The Michigan Medicaid waiver helps your loved one with their day-to-day needs. With these added supports, your loved one can thrive in the comfort of their own home and community. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, over 12,700 seniors and people with disabilities are helped by the waiver yearly.
Yes. Family caregivers can get paid through the MI Choice Waiver Self-Determination Option (SDO). The SDO can pay family caregivers, including a spouse in some cases. Your loved one chooses who provides their caregiving. They can pick relatives, friends, or a spouse.
Structured Family Caregiving, a new program in 2026, offers a tax-free stipend for live-in caregivers. To meet SFC Michigan Medicaid Waiver caregiver eligibility, the caregiver must live in the same home. The live-in caregiver may be a relative or even spouse, depending on the situation.
The Medicaid Waiver Program in Michigan has two tests for each waiver: a level-of-care medical test and a financial test. Programs have different requirements. The MI Choice waiver requires NFLOC.
The HSW provides care for adults and children with developmental disabilities. The CWP and SED waivers are specifically for minors who need a high level of medical and behavioral care.
Each waiver has its own monetary limits. For example, the child waiver doesn’t count parent income. MI Choice has strict income guidelines. The program typically doesn’t count the primary home or car towards assets. Your loved one needs to earn less than $2,982 monthly and have a limit of $9,950 in monthly assets.
Unlike the Home Health plan, the waivers have a yearly cap. This means your loved one may end up on a waitlist. This is where having help from Givers can cut back on stress by lowering your paperwork load.
Since MI Choice often has a waiting list, many families start Home Help now so they can receive caregiver pay right away. They apply for MI Choice to hold their place in line. The MI Choice Waiver Participant Handbook explains that you can only be enrolled in one program at a time.
Once a spot opens for MI Choice, transfer services to the MI Choice Waiver if it’s a better fit for your loved one. MI Choice usually offers more services and offers the self-directed option. This is usually the best option for family caregivers, especially spouses who provide care.
Here’s a quick overview of Michigan’s programs. While Michigan doesn’t have a CDPAP program like New York, families find that these three programs offer what their loved ones need.
The 2026 income limit for the Medicaid Waiver program is $2,982, with personal assets less than $9,950 monthly for a single person. Married couples have a limit of $9,950 and less than $14,910 in combined assets. Home and car aren’t counted towards assets. Your loved one must meet these financial limits to qualify for the program.
A single person has to have a monthly income less than $2,982 in 2026. If the income limits are more then your loved one might not qualify for the Medicaid waiver in Michigan.
Intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities are eligible for the MI Choice Waiver. In some cases, the waiver can apply to people with autism or severe emotional disturbances. Your loved one needs to demonstrate that they need the waiver for medical and personal care services to stay independent in their home.
Check that your loved one qualifies for Medicaid. If they do, enroll them in Medicaid and finish the Michigan Medicaid waiver application. Contact the intake agency. The agency will do a level-of-care assessment and review your loved one’s finances.
Once your family member is accepted, enroll them in the program online and build a care plan. Designate a caregiver for self-directed plans.
The MI Choice Waiver sometimes has a waitlist, unlike a state plan. The program is limited and has a yearly cap on participants.
With the self-directed option, your loved one can pay the caregiver they choose. This can be a friend or a relative. Once the program participant chooses their caregiver, they can set up payments online.
The Home Help plan is a Michigan state plan. It doesn’t have a waitlist. The MI Choice plan has a self-directed option, so a family caregiver like you can get paid. However, the MI Choice program has a cap, so your family may end up on a waitlist. Some families start with the Home Help program and then move to the Michigan Medicaid waiver program once a space opens up.
Medicaid doesn’t pay for rent and meals in an assisted living facility. The waiver will cover support services and medical services like long-term care, personal care, transportation, and counseling.
The right waiver for your family depends on your loved one’s age, level of care needed, and income. Find out which program fits your family’s needs the best with our easy Givers Medicaid eligibility tool. Get paid for caregiving in Michigan.
