MI Choice Waiver
Michigan’s MI Choice Waiver Program provides Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) for state residents who are elderly or physically disabled and at risk of institutionalization (nursing home placement). Based on an individual care plan, program participants receive long-term services and supports to enable them to continue to live independently. Benefits might include home modifications, adult day care, meal delivery, personal emergency response systems, personal care assistance, and nursing services. Persons can live in their home, the home of a relative, an adult foster care home, or a home for the aged, which can be thought of as assisted living.
Benefits of the MI Choice Waiver
Home Meal Delivery – one to two meals / day
Who Qualifies
The MI Choice Waiver is for Michigan residents who are elderly (aged 65+), or younger (aged 18+) if disabled, and at risk of nursing home placement. Additional eligibility criteria follows:
Income
The applicant income limit is equivalent to 300% of the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR), which increases each January. In 2026, an applicant, regardless of marital status, can have a monthly income up to $2,982. When both spouses are applicants, each spouse is considered individually, with each spouse allowed income up to $2,982 / month. When only one spouse is an applicant, the income of the non-applicant spouse is not counted towards the income eligibility of their spouse. Furthermore, monthly income from the applicant spouse can be transferred to the non-applicant spouse as a Spousal Income Allowance, also called a Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance.
Before you apply
Prior to submitting an application for the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, applicants need to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. Applying when over the income and / or asset limit(s) will be cause for denial of benefits. The American Council on Aging offers a Medicaid Eligibility Test to determine if one might meet Medicaid’s eligibility criteria.
As part of the application process, applicants will need to gather documentation for submission. Examples include copies of Social Security cards, Medicare cards, life insurance policies, property deeds, pre-need burial contracts, bank statements up to 60-months prior to application, and proof of income. A common reason applications are held up is required documentation is missing or not submitted in a timely manner.
Since the MI Choice Waiver is not an entitlement program, there may be a waitlist for program participation. This waiver is approved for a maximum of approximately 20,543 total beneficiaries per year. In the case of a waitlist, priority is given to select groups of persons, such as those residing in a nursing home who wish to return to community living. If an applicant does not fall into a priority group, one’s placement on the waitlist is based on the date of application. Waitlists are agency specific, as each agency is allocated a set amount of participant slots.
Application Process
To apply for the MI Choice Waiver, applicants should contact the MI Choice Waiver Agency that serves the area in which they live. See Waiver Agency regional map and coordinating contact information. An initial over-the-phone interview will take place to determine potential program eligibility and waitlist placement.
Learn more about the MI Choice Waiver. One’s regional MI Choice Waiver Agency can also provide further information.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration (BPHASA) administers the MI Choice Waiver. MDHHS contracts with Waiver Agencies to provide MI Choice benefits.