Waiver Information

The Virginia Developmental Disability Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers help people with a developmental disability (DD) to receive a waiver. A waiver is how you actually receive services and supports. Waivers cover a variety of items including:

• services that provide medical care,
• supports for employment,
• supports for community living,
• behavioral interventions, and
• other items like medical goods and assistive technology that help people avoid living in a hospital, nursing home, or other institution.

Virginia applies to the Federal Medicaid agency known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Waivers allow the State to fund certain community-based alternatives to institutional care like hospitals and nursing homes. The term "waiver" comes from waiving the requirement that in order to receive certain services (such as residential supports, nursing supports, employment supports) the individual must live in an institution. Through the waivers, individuals may receive these services while living in the community.

There are three waivers available for individuals with a developmental disability:

• the Building Independence Waiver (BI),
• the Family and Individual Supports Waiver (FI), and
• the Community Living (CL) Waiver.

Virginia currently has a waiting list to receive a waiver.

The first step to learning more about waivers is to contact your local Community Services Board (CSB) or Behavioral Health Authority (BHA). Your local CSB is your first stop to being screened and assessed for waiver services. To request a screening for DD waivers, find your local CSB/BHA by using this link. 

To learn more about all of the waivers and services that apply to each, view the Covered Services by Waiver Type & Glossary of Key Terms chart.