Medicaid 1915 Waiver Spending At $50 Billion, More Than 70% Is For I/DD HCBS

Total Medicaid expenditures for home-and community-based services (HCBS) through section 1915(c) waiver programs in fiscal year (FY) 2018 totaled $49.7 billion, about 7.5% higher than the $46.2 billion spent in FY 2017. About 72.2% of section 1915(c) waiver expenditures in FY 2018, representing $35.9 billion, were for programs focused on people with intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD), inclusive of those with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and developmental disability. In four states (Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Tennessee), the section 1915(c) waivers served only people with I/DD. Waiver programs . . .