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Before you do anything, get all of your kid's school records, therapy logs and medical records. Do not get overwhelmed, just read and understand one number at a time.

Section 1

#0 Sign Your Kids Up for What They Need! 

These are the 7 Texas Medicaid waivers; they are not included in your standard Medicaid policy. Medicaid is not required to join the list; however, you must have Medicaid at the time they contact you for review. There are very long wait times. If you don't qualify for Medicaid now, look into the buy-in options further down the page in section 2. Wait times are estimates provided by google and may vary. 

Call the Texas Health and Human Services Commission at 1-877-438-5658 to join interest lists for #1(CLASS), #2(DBMD), and the #3(MDCP).

#1 CLASS (Community Living Assistance and Support Services)

A home‑ and community‑based program that provides a range of support services to people with disabilities or related conditions, (disabilities other than intellectual disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, autism or spina bifida) helping them stay at home and in the community instead of entering institutional care. Helps children and adults with related conditions that onset before age 22.

Wait time is 15-16 years.

#2 DBMD (Deaf Blind with Multiple Disabilities)

Provides specialized community services and communication support for individuals who are deaf-blind or have a condition leading to deaf-blindness along with another disability, with no age lit.

Wait time 6-7 years.

#3 MDCP (Medically Dependent Children Program)

Offers support services like respite care, adaptive aids, and home modifications for medically fragile children and young adults age 20 or younger.

Wait time 2-3 years.

#4 STAR+PLUS HCBS

Serves adults age 21 and older with physical disabilities or older adults who need long-term care support. Can pay for services that make it possible to live independently.

• Personal attendant care — help with bathing, dressing, eating, and medication reminders

• Adult day care / day activity and health services — social and health activities during the day

• Respite care — short‑term care to give family caregivers a break

• Home modifications — ramps, grab bars, and other safety changes

• In‑home nursing and therapy services

• Other supports — like emergency response systems or assisted living in certain cases

Wait times 0-2 years.

• How to apply.

• Online: Go to Your Texas Benefits and select “Apply for new benefits.” You must meet specific Medicaid and service eligibility rules before it appears as an option.

• Phone: Call 2‑1‑1 (TTY 711) daily, 8:00 AM–6:00 PM Central Time.

• Mail: Request a paper application from HHS or 2‑1‑1 and mail it in.

• In person: Visit a Texas HHS benefits office or a community partner; find locations via 2‑1‑1 or HHS’s “Find an Office” page.

#5 YES (Youth Empowerment Services)

A program that helps young people work with adults to make positive changes in their communities, while building their skills, confidence, and leadership abilities. Provides home and community-based mental health services for children and youth under age 19.

1. Contact Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) – Visit YES Waiver page or call the local HHS office.

2. Request a screening/assessment – HHS will determine eligibility and connect you to a Wraparound facilitator.

3. Participate in Wraparound planning – A Child and Family Team develops a plan with YES services

Wait times 1-2 years.

Make sure to sign up for #6 and #7. These are extremely important for everyone. It involves future housing.  This can be called in and taken care of within the same phone call.

Once again Medicaid is not required to join the list; however, you must have Medicaid at the time they contact you for review. There are very long wait times. If you don't qualify for Medicaid now, look into the buy-in options further down the page in section 2.

#6 Texas Home Living (TxHmL)

Who gets help? People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Where do they live? They get to live in their own home or with their family, not in a care facility: designed for basic to moderate supports.

What kind of help? They get help with daily life, job training, and health care in their local community.

How does it work? Medicaid pays for these services so people can stay safe and independent at home.

(Call your nearest Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority (LIDDA))

Wait times 13-14 years.

#7 Home and Community-Based Services (HCS)

Who gets help? Residents with an intellectual disability or a related condition. / People who qualify for Texas Medicaid financial benefits.

Where do they live? Their own family home / A foster or companion care home (called host homes) / Small group homes with four or fewer residents.

What kind of help? Daily living support and personal care assistance. /Job training and daytime activities / Nursing, dental, and behavioral health support. / Respite care (temporary relief for family caregivers): designed for more extensive or varied services

(Call your nearest Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority (LIDDA)).

Wait times 16-17 years.

Section 2

#8 Medicaid Community First Choice (CFC) Services This includes #9, #10, #11, #12, and #13.

CFC services are basic attendant and habilitation services for people with disabilities and are available to Medicaid or buy-in recipients with an institutional level of care. Here are the 4 types of services.

#9 CFC Support Management. This provides support for #10, #11 and #12.

Support Management is a voluntary training program available to anyone receiving Community First Choice (CFC) personal assistance services (PAS) or habilitation services (HAB). Its primary goal is to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge to effectively manage their service providers or attendants, ensuring that the support they receive aligns with their personal goals and service plans

#10 Community First Choice (CFC)

A Medicaid State Plan option that provides home‑ and community‑based services to people who need an institutional level of care but want to remain at home

#11 CFC Personal Assistance Services (PAS)

PAS helps people perform activities of daily living (such as eating, toileting, grooming, dressing and bathing), activities related to living independently in the community (such as meal planning and preparation, cleaning, managing finances, shopping for food and other essential items), and health-related tasks based on the service plan.

#12 CFC Habilitation (HAB)

HAB teaches people how to accomplish activities of daily living, activities related to living independently in the community and health-related tasks. CFC Support Management

#13 CFC Emergency Response Services (ERS)

Provides an electronic device usually worn by the person that, when activated by the person, alerts the appropriate entity that the person is experiencing an emergency. CFC ERS is available for people who live alone, who are alone for significant parts of the day, or who have no regular caregiver for extended periods of time and would otherwise require extensive routine supervision.

Section 2

If you are over the Medicaid income limit, you may be able to sign up for either (MBIC) for children or (MBI) for adults. It is a buy-in program so you will have to pay for part of the insurance. Once approved for the buy-in, then sign up for (HIPP), you may be able to get reimbursements. No need to sign up if your income is within the Medicaid requirements. Requires either private health insurance or employer-sponsored health insurance.

#14 (MBIC) Texas Medicaid Buy-in for Children

The Medicaid Buy-In for Children (MBIC) program offers low-cost Medicaid services to children with disabilities whose families make too much money to get Medicaid. The website wants you to download what they call an XFA PDF file that requires Adobe to open. Here is a standard PDF file that can be opened by most if not all PDF viewers.

Wait times 45-90 days

#15 (MBI) Texas Medicaid Buy-in for Adults

The Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) program offers low-cost Medicaid services to adults with disabilities who work.

Wait times 45-90 days.

#16. (HIPP) Texas Health Insurance Premium Payment Program

The Texas Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program is a Medicaid service that reimburses eligible families for all or part of their employer-sponsored health insurance premiums when it is cost-effective for the state.

Wait times 30-90 days.

Section 3

Recommended Things To Do

Banking

Open a Able Bank Account

An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged savings and investment account that allows individuals with disabilities to build wealth without losing critical, means-tested government benefits like SSI, Medicaid, HUD, and SNAP. Administered under Section 529A of the Internal Revenue Code, these accounts ensure that money grows completely tax-free and withdrawals are tax-exempt when spent on a wide variety of quality-of-life expenses.

Open a Special Needs Trust (SNT) account

Opening a Special Needs Trust (SNT) account is the process of creating a bank or trust account in the name of the trust — not the beneficiary — to hold and manage assets for a person with disabilities while preserving eligibility for government benefits like SSI and Medicaid

What is the diffrence?

Many families use both: the ABLE account for quick, flexible daily spending, and the SNT to protect larger, long‑term assets specialneedstrustbystate.com.

In short:

• ABLE = “checking account” for daily needs, limited funds, direct access.

• SNT = “vault” for large assets, unlimited funds, trustee‑managed.