The Transition to Waiver Reset: Upcoming Changes to the Bureau of Disabilities Services (BDS) Waivers
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are an essential part of supporting people with disabilities and older adults live healthy and full lives in their communities. Indiana is working to improve our approach in how we offer these services today.
In response to feedback from the community—specifically, individuals and families accessing and waiting for these services today—we are in the process of laying a new foundation for how our HCBS service system operates.
This waiver reset will result in a new set of waivers, designed from the ground up, to more effectively and equitably serve people across all disabilities and levels of care.
This ambitious Waiver Reset gives BDS the opportunity to clear the slate and create a system that provides the best and most appropriate support for people with disabilities in Indiana. There are several steps along the road to Waiver Reset. The graphic below provides a high-level overview of current and upcoming changes to waivers that help set the stage for Waiver Reset in 2027.
A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the waiver reset are available below. This list reflects common questions submitted to the waiver reset email address or raised during community engagement activities. The FAQs will be updated on an ongoing basis as decisions about the waiver reset are finalized.
- What is Waiver Reset?
“Waiver Reset” is the process of creating new waivers to replace the following four waivers:
- Community Integration and Habilitation waiver (CIH)
- Family Supports waiver (FS)
- Health and Wellness waiver (H&W)
- Traumatic Brain Injury waiver (TBI)
- Are Indiana’s waivers going away?
No, Indiana’s HCBS waivers are not going away. The current BDS waivers (CIH, FS, H&W, and TBI) will be replaced by new waivers that use the same criteria for eligibility as BDS uses today.
- Why is Waiver Reset happening? How will it make services better?
Over the years, people accessing services, families, case managers, and service providers have provided feedback that the current set of HCBS waivers are too:
- Focused on people’s diagnoses.
- Different in what services they offer.
- Hard to understand.
Waiver Reset will make services better by:
- Simplifying the waiver system so it is easier to navigate.
- Improving coordination among all the different types of supports and services a person can access
- Ensuring the services someone receives are right to meet their assessed needs and identified goals
- Using existing resources more efficiently.
- When will Waiver Reset happen?
At this time, the target date to start the new set of HCBS waivers is late 2027. This timeline may change depending on how long it takes to create and get the new waivers approved.
- Is there something I need to do right now?
No, you do not need to do anything about Waiver Reset right now. People accessing services, their families, case managers, and service providers will be notified when they are required to do something.
- What will the new waivers be like?
At this time, decisions are still being made about what the new waivers will be like. The state asked our partners at HSRI and Aligned Consulting to collect feedback from the community about waiver reset and the information that was shared will help to inform the design of these new waivers.
- I am currently on a BDS waiver. Will I need to reapply?
No. Anyone who is currently receiving a BDS waiver will not need to submit a new waiver application.
- Will this Waiver Reset address the current waitlists for waiver services?
There is no additional funding to complete the waiver reset, therefore, it unlikely that this reset will end the need for waitlists. However, one of the goals of waiver reset is to implement a more sustainable service system, which is an important step toward being able to serve those people who are currently waiting for services.
- Why is the state proposing waiver amendments if waiver reset will create new waivers?
The state is committed to ensuring that individuals and families have access to effective and appropriate waiver services now and in the future. Doing waiver amendments now makes sure that the current waivers are working as they should while also preparing for Waiver Reset. For example, the waiver amendments proposed for Summer 2026 will make case management more uniform across all the current waivers and help to make sure case managers are ready to help individuals and families transition to new waivers once Waiver Reset is launched.
- What will happen to Algo Levels under Waiver Reset?
Today, Algo levels only apply on the CIH waiver. Under Waiver Reset Algo levels will go away. Instead, individuals across all new waivers will receive a support level and budget informed by the interRAI assessment.
Stakeholder feedback
BDS thanks individuals, families, providers, advocates, and other community members for their time and efforts to provide valuable and informative feedback as we forward. To submit input about Waiver Reset, please email DDARSWaiverReset@fssa.in.gov and check back for additional opportunities to share your thoughts as we continue to move forward.