Qualifying for the Elderly Waiver
Minnesota's Elderly Waiver (EW) is a Medicaid (Medical Assistance) program that helps older adults stay at home or in community settings instead of moving to a nursing facility. If your parent or family member is approaching the point where they'd otherwise need nursing-home care, EW is often what makes home care possible.
This guide walks through eligibility and what to do next.
Who qualifies
To be eligible for the Elderly Waiver in Minnesota, a person generally needs to:
- Be 65 or older.
- Need a nursing-home level of care. This is determined through a state assessment that looks at health, mobility, cognition, and ability to manage daily life independently.
- Be eligible for Medical Assistance. This includes income and asset limits — though the limits for waiver programs are often higher than for regular MA.
- Choose to remain in the community instead of moving to a nursing facility.
The "nursing-home level of care" piece is the one that surprises people. EW is specifically for situations where, without supports, the person would need to move into a facility. The waiver pays for the supports that let them stay home instead.
Alternative Care — for those who don't quite qualify
If someone meets the care-need threshold but doesn't qualify for Medical Assistance (for example, their income is just above the limit), Minnesota's Alternative Care (AC) program may apply. It covers many of the same services as EW, with sliding-scale fees instead of full MA coverage.
If you're not sure which program fits, the assessment process figures it out.
What EW covers
The Elderly Waiver covers a broad range of community-based services, often including:
- Personal care (the same kinds of supports CFSS provides)
- Homemaker services
- Adult day programs
- Respite care
- Home modifications and assistive technology
- Transportation
- Case management
HAAS provides several of these directly: PCA/CFSS, ICLS (Individualized Community Living Supports — tailored to EW recipients), Homemaker services, and Respite.
How to apply
The first step is a contact with your county's Senior LinkAge Line or social services office. They handle EW assessments. You can also call HAAS — we can walk you through who to contact and what to expect.
The assessment itself is a conversation about daily life: what's hard, what's easy, what kinds of help would make a difference. It's not a test. It's information-gathering so the right level of support gets approved.
After approval
Once approved, you choose a provider for each authorized service. You can choose HAAS for ICLS, homemaking, respite, or the combination that fits.
If you're starting to wonder whether the Elderly Waiver might fit your family, get in touch and we'll help you take the next step.