Maryland runs eight separate Medicaid 1915(c) waiver programs, according to the state's January 2026 End the Wait report, aimed at groups ranging from older adults to people with disabilities to medically fragile children. Administration is split across three agencies: the Office of Long Term Services and Supports runs the Community Options and Model Waivers; the Developmental Disabilities Administration runs Community Pathways, Community Supports, and Family Supports; and the Maryland State Department of Education runs the Autism Waiver with OLTSS oversight.
Rounding out the eight are the Brain Injury Waiver and the Medical Day Care Services Waiver. Of the full set, six carry a registry or waitlist — including the Community Options Waiver — while the Brain Injury and Medical Day Care Services Waivers currently do not. The report separately flags Community First Choice as a home-and-community Medicaid pathway that isn't counted among the eight 1915(c) waivers. The takeaway for families: don't treat "home care" as one program with one set of rules — ask specifically which service authority, care plan, and eligibility group actually applies.
Sources and official resources
- Maryland Department of Health: Nursing Facility Residents, Recipients and Families
- CMS: 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards
Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.