Colorado has three Medicaid waivers specific to intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each covers a different population and a different scope of services. Here’s the distinction in plain English.
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The Home- and Community-Based Services Developmental Disabilities waiver is the comprehensive waiver for adults (18+) with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
HCBS-DD covers:
It’s the waiver to look for when a client needs significant ongoing support and may be moving into residential placement.
The Supported Living Services waiver is the lighter companion to HCBS-DD. Same adult IDD population, but designed for clients who live with family or independently and need less intensive support.
SLS covers many of the same service categories as HCBS-DD (personal care, behavioral supports, transportation, employment) but at lower funding caps and without the full residential services. Colorado has historically maintained a waiting list for SLS.
If you’re referring a client who lives at home and needs supplemental support — not residential placement — SLS is the more common fit than HCBS-DD.
The Children’s Extensive Support waiver covers children with IDD who have extraordinary support needs and live at home with their families. Eligibility is for children under 18 who would otherwise require institutional care.
CES funds in-home care, respite, behavioral services, and related supports for the family. When the child turns 18, they typically transition to one of the adult waivers (HCBS-DD or SLS) depending on need. That transition is changing: Colorado is ending the automatic move from CES to the DD waiver at 18.
The Case Management Agency (CMA) for your region handles the functional eligibility determination, using tools like the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) and clinical judgment. As a referring case manager or family, the practical question is:
The actual waiver enrollment is handled by the CMA, not the provider agency.
We currently serve HCBS-DD only. We do not currently serve SLS or CES clients. If your client is on SLS, your CMA can route you to agencies that accept it.
For HCBS-DD referrals across six counties in the Denver metro and Boulder County, Christina takes every new-client call personally. Response within one business day. For the full referral walkthrough, see Referring a Client to a Colorado Host Home.
A national survey of 524 disability service providers found 55% are turning away new referrals for lack of staff. What it means in Colorado, and the staffing questions to ask any host home agency.
Read →Starting January 1, 2027, if federal regulators approve, kids on CES or CHRP no longer move automatically onto the DD waiver at 18. Who keeps a direct path, what the waiting list means, and what to do this week.
Read →Some adults in host homes and group homes now contribute part of their income toward the cost of their care. What the PETI worksheet means, who's exempt, and the paperwork that now really matters.
Read →Christina personally takes every new-client call. Response within one business day.
