MI Choice is capped, so access is not automatic
MI Choice is not an entitlement, and waitlists can form. MDHHS's 2026 numbered letter describing a waiver amendment states an intent to change the maximum number served to 14,000 individuals at any point in time (MDHHS Letter L-26-15).
A Michigan Area Agency on Aging separately reported 12,698 people enrolled statewide as of February 2025. That is a secondary-source enrollment snapshot from an earlier date, not the MDHHS 2026 capacity ceiling, and the two figures should not be treated as the same metric (AgeWays, March 2025 enrollment report; MDHHS Letter L-26-15).
Do not confuse capacity with enrollment: MDHHS's 14,000 figure is a proposed maximum number served at a time, while 12,698 is a secondary report of actual enrollment in February 2025. MI Choice availability should be checked with the local waiver agency (
MDHHS Letter L-26-15;
AgeWays).
PACE is an integrated but more location-specific option
PACE applicants must be at least 55, meet Medicaid LTC level-of-care criteria, live in an approved service area, be able to live safely in the community, and not be concurrently enrolled in MI Choice or an HMO. MDHHS says a person cannot be residing in a nursing facility at PACE enrollment (MDHHS PACE eligibility).
MDHHS lists 29 named PACE centers operated by at least 15 PACE organizations. A secondary industry source's 14-organization/24-location count differs, likely because of timing or counting methods, so MDHHS's current named-center list is the stronger source for statewide scale (MDHHS PACE).
Choose a route based on care, geography, and capacity
Compare Michigan's capped HCBS route with Florida's home-care Medicaid page and see Medicaid (Baseline) (MDHHS MI Choice). A local agency can confirm service area, capacity, and intake timing.
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.
