The Home and Community Based Services (HCB) waiver is part of Missouri’s nursing home diversion program (Missouri Care Options). Missouri Care Options is administered by the Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Senior and Disability Services (DHSS/DSDS). The program offers information to Missouri citizens about the variety of long-term care options available to individuals considering nursing home placement. Through the HCB waivers, individuals are offered in-home services that may allow them to remain in their own homes, rather than going to a nursing home.
Effective January 1, 1993, individuals who receive HCB waiver services are subject to separate eligibility criteria when determining eligibility for MO HealthNet for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (MHABD). The intent of these special criteria is to:
- Give equitable treatment of resources for married couples, by allowing an assessment and division of assets to persons choosing to remain in their own homes rather than entering a nursing facility, and
- Encourage people to remain in their own homes by establishing a higher MHABD income limit for individuals receiving HCB waiver services.