Paying for care
The Indiana Medicaid Waiver for assisted living: what families actually need to know
I've worked Indiana Medicaid rules for my whole career, and here is the sentence I say most often: you probably qualify for more help than you think, and the paperwork is more survivable than it looks. This guide covers the program as it works in 2026. Rules change, and your family's numbers are specific, so treat this as a map, not a ruling. My team checks eligibility with families for free, no strings.
By Angela Otis, RCA · Owner & COO, OPS Living
Medicaid Waiver specialist, licensed residential care administrator
The program, in plain English
Indiana used to cover assisted living through the Aged & Disabled waiver. In July 2024 the state replaced it with PathWays for Aging, a managed program for Hoosiers 60 and over. Same idea, new structure: instead of the state directly, you pick one of three managed care companies (Anthem, Humana, or UnitedHealthcare) and services run through them.
For a family looking at assisted living, the point is this: PathWays can pay for the care a resident receives in an assisted living community. The help with bathing and dressing, the medication management, the daily support. That's often the largest slice of the monthly cost.
The part everyone gets wrong
PathWays does not pay for room and board. The rent-and-meals portion of assisted living stays with the resident, usually covered by Social Security and other income.
Communities that gloss over this create ugly surprises. So here's the honest math: at a community like ours, the waiver can take a monthly bill most families assumed was impossible and bring the family's share down to something a Social Security check can realistically carry. Not free. Possible. There's a difference, and possible is usually what families actually need.
Who qualifies, in broad strokes
Three tests, roughly. Age: 60 or older for PathWays (younger Hoosiers with disabilities go through the Health & Wellness waiver instead, and we can help there too). Money: for 2026, income under about $2,982 a month for the applicant, with asset limits around $2,000 for a single person. Married couples get meaningful protections; a spouse staying at home can keep the house and a significant share of assets. Care need: the applicant has to need real help, generally hands-on assistance with at least three activities of daily living, confirmed through a state assessment.
Every one of those sentences has exceptions and planning strategies attached. That's not a sales line. It's why you talk to someone who does this daily before deciding you don't qualify.
The waitlist, honestly
Indiana caps waiver slots, and demand outruns them. As of early 2026 the waitlist held over 11,000 people, with the state releasing invitations monthly and priority going to people transitioning out of nursing homes and hospitals. There's also a set-aside of slots specifically for assisted living access.
What that means practically: start now, even if the move feels a year away. Families who wait until the crisis to start the Medicaid clock end up paying privately during the exact months they could least afford it. Getting on the list costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
The path, step by step
First, a free conversation with our team about your family's numbers, ten minutes, no commitment. Second, the Medicaid application itself, online or by mail, and this is where most of the paperwork lives. Third, contact your local Area Agency on Aging for the level-of-care screening that confirms the care need. Fourth, once approved, pick your managed care company and your community. The state allows itself 45 to 90 days on applications, and real timelines can stretch past that, which is one more argument for starting early.
Families do this alone all the time. They also make expensive, irreversible mistakes alone all the time, usually around asset timing. Free help exists: the state's PathWays helpline (877-284-9294), your Area Agency on Aging, and yes, us.
How it works at an OPS community
We accept waiver residents across our communities, and we built the operation to make the funding work, because both of our owners have administered these rules for decades. When you tour with us, tell us Medicaid might be part of your plan. You'll get the same apartment tour and the same straight answers, plus a realistic monthly-cost picture with the waiver in it. This page is general information, it isn't legal or financial advice, and the rules change. Your specifics are a conversation, and the conversation is free.
Compare the numbers on our pricing page and then call us.
Common questions
Waiver questions families ask first.
Yes, through PathWays for Aging (for seniors 60+): it covers assisted living care services for eligible residents. It does not cover room and board, which the resident pays from income like Social Security.
Roughly $2,982 a month in income for an applicant needing home and community-based services, with about $2,000 in countable assets for a single person. Spousal protections change the math substantially for married couples, and planning options exist. Get your specific numbers checked before assuming anything.
Yes, and it's real: over 11,000 Hoosiers in early 2026. Invitations go out monthly with priority for people leaving nursing homes and hospitals, and there are slots reserved for assisted living access. Getting on the list early is free and binding on nothing.
It became PathWays for Aging in July 2024. Everyone on the old waiver was moved over automatically. Same services, now run through managed care companies.
Yes, free, and whether or not you move in with us. Angela Otis, our co-owner, is a licensed administrator who specializes in Indiana Medicaid. Her team does eligibility conversations every week. Call [PHONE] or use the form on this page.
No charge, no obligation
Ask Angela's team about the Waiver.
Tell us your parent's situation and we'll tell you honestly whether the Waiver is worth pursuing, what to gather, and how long your county is running, whether or not you ever move into an OPS community.