Capacity and the waiting-list reality
Home care through a 1915(c) waiver is not identical to an open-ended nursing-facility entitlement. Indiana's FSSA waiting-list page says 55,969 total slots were approved across the two waivers for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, reports that FSSA reached federally approved capacity in April 2024, and describes invitations from the PathWays and Health and Wellness lists as capacity remains (FSSA HCBS waiting-list information).
The official process flow instructs prospective PathWays waiver participants to contact their local Area Agency on Aging for a preliminary level-of-care screening by telephone and describes the subsequent waiting-list placement notice (FSSA PathWays waiting-list process). Financial Medicaid eligibility is still required even if a person is being screened or waiting.
Planning while care needs increase
Ask whether the person is 60 or older, whether they appear to meet nursing-facility level of care, what services are realistically available, and whether their name is actually on a list. A person may need unpaid family support, private-pay services, a different Medicaid service, or nursing-facility care while waiting; that is an individualized care and benefits decision.
Keep assessment paperwork current, report address changes, and respond promptly to requests for financial or medical information. The program's managed-care delivery model can coordinate benefits, but a plan cannot create a waiver slot beyond approved capacity.
Service authorization should be reviewed alongside the care plan, because the number of hours, providers, and settings may not match a family's preferred arrangement. Capacity, functional eligibility, Medicaid eligibility, and plan-network access are distinct issues for a prospective participant (FSSA PathWays process).
Ask the assessment contact which documents are needed now and whether an updated assessment or financial review is required before services can begin (FSSA LCAR information).
Indiana HCBS: PathWays HCBS for adults 60 and older.
Capacity caution: FSSA documents a waiver waiting-list process and invitations as capacity remains (
FSSA).
Not mutually exclusive. Most families combine two or three funding pillars — this one rarely stands alone.
The
Journey Assessment ranks all ten pillars against your specific situation and
recommends the top three.
