Understanding HCBS Waivers: Why Their History Matters Today
Understanding HCBS Waivers: Why Their History Matters Today Over the past several weeks, there has been increasing discussion about Medicaid, home care services, staffing shortages, budgets, and potential cuts. As these conversations continue, I have realized that many people have never heard of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers until they suddenly need one. That is understandable. Most of us do not spend much time thinking about long-term support systems until they become part of our lives. Yet HCBS waivers affect millions of Americans and have fundamentally changed how individuals with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and complex medical needs are able to live. Over the past 21 years, I have had the opportunity to experience this system both as a family member and as a caregiver supporting someone with extraordinary medical complexity. To understand the conversations happening today, it helps to understand where HCBS waivers came from, why they were created,...