Waiver Reimagine Is Delayed What Minnesota Families Should Do Now
Minnesota's planned new Disability Waiver Program will not launch on January 1, 2027. As of September 24, 2026, the Minnesota Department of Human Services has not announced a new launch date.
For people who use disability waiver services, that sentence can create two opposite reactions. Some may assume nothing matters until a new date is announced. Others may worry that current services are about to disappear. Neither conclusion reflects the guidance DHS has released.
Waiver Reimagine remains an active, long-term redesign effort. Minnesota is still developing new waiver plans, budget methods, technology, training and an information portal. At the same time, current waiver programs and current service-planning processes remain in place unless a person receives a specific notice or approved plan change.
The best response to the delay is not panic or inaction. It is informed preparation: keep today's services accurate, document changing needs, participate in assessments and watch official updates.
This guide explains the July 2026 DHS update in practical language. It is not legal advice and does not predict decisions Minnesota or the federal government has not made.
What Waiver Reimagine Is Trying to Change
Minnesota currently operates four disability waivers:
Brain Injury Waiver, often called BI.
Community Alternative Care Waiver, often called CAC.
Community Access for Disability Inclusion Waiver, often called CADI.
Developmental Disabilities Waiver, often called DD.
These waivers allow eligible Minnesotans to receive services in homes and communities as an alternative to institutional care. Each waiver has its own eligibility framework, service rules and administrative history.
Waiver Reimagine is Minnesota's effort to redesign that system. DHS describes the goal as a disability waiver program that is simpler, more equitable and sustainable. The project has included service streamlining, changes to names and definitions, work on assessment-based support ranges and plans for a future unified program.
That vision is still being developed. A broad goal does not answer every person-specific question about budgets, services, exceptions or transition timing. Those details require state policy, public input, federal approval, technology and operational readiness.
What DHS Announced in July 2026
DHS confirmed three important points.
First, the new Disability Waiver Program cannot launch by January 1, 2027.
Second, a new launch date has not been determined.
Third, implementation will be phased and cannot occur until key events happen.
DHS says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must approve the new waiver plans. Before Minnesota asks for that approval, the DHS commissioner must consult with the Olmstead Implementation Office to support alignment with inclusive-living goals.
DHS also states that people will receive an assigned support range and a corresponding budget range through a MnCHOICES assessment at least 12 months before launch. That information will be for planning purposes. This built-in lead time is important because it means the state does not plan to move people into the new program without advance budget-range information.
The state is still developing a budget exception process, preparing waiver applications and public-review materials, designing technology and business processes, planning an accessible information portal and engaging advisory groups.
What the Delay Does Not Mean
It does not mean current waivers ended
The BI, CAC, CADI and DD waivers have not disappeared because the future program is delayed. People should continue following their current support plans, authorizations and renewal processes.
It does not mean every current service will stay identical forever
Waiver policy can change before the new unified program launches. Minnesota updated IHS guidance in July 2026, and legislative or federal decisions can affect service rules independently. “The larger program is delayed” is not the same as “all current rules are frozen.”
It does not mean a person can skip reassessment
Annual or required reassessment remains important. Current eligibility, needs and service planning still depend on accurate assessment information. Future planning will also use MnCHOICES information.
It does not mean a future budget number is final today
Families may hear unofficial estimates or compare experiences with another person. Until DHS gives a person formal planning information under the approved process, do not build a care plan around a rumored support range or budget.
It does not mean providers control the transition
Providers can educate, document services and participate in planning. They do not set the state implementation date, determine waiver eligibility or assign future budget ranges.
Why MnCHOICES Documentation Matters Now
When systems change, accurate documentation protects the person from being reduced to a diagnosis or a list of service hours. A MnCHOICES assessment and support-planning conversation should capture how the person actually lives, what they can do independently, what support they need, what happens when support is absent and what outcomes matter to them.
Prepare examples from ordinary days and difficult days. Describe frequency, intensity and duration. Explain whether a need requires reminders, cueing, direct assistance, supervision, training or overnight presence. Include needs that are easy to miss because a family member has been quietly handling them.
Relevant information may include:
Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.
Communication methods and accessibility needs.
Health and safety risks.
Behavioral patterns, triggers and positive support strategies.
Community participation.
Transportation needs.
Medication-related assistance within the applicable service scope.
Overnight needs and sleep patterns.
Caregiver availability and strain.
Skills the person wants to build or maintain.
Cultural routines, relationships and preferences.
The goal is not to make the person sound incapable. The goal is to describe support needs honestly and in context while preserving strengths, choice and dignity.
A Six-Step Preparation Plan During the Delay
1. Keep the current plan accurate
Do not wait for Waiver Reimagine to report a meaningful change. If needs, risks, living arrangements or caregiver availability have changed, notify the case manager or care coordinator. Ask whether the current support plan, assessment or authorization should be updated.
2. Save the documents that explain the current service mix
Keep copies of the most recent MnCHOICES assessment summary, support plan, service authorizations, provider addenda, notices of action and important correspondence. Organize documents by date. If a future number differs from the present plan, these records will help the team understand the starting point.
3. Learn what each current service is intended to do
Families are in a stronger position when they understand the purpose of IHS, respite, night supervision, homemaker, positive supports and other authorized services. Ask which assessed need each service addresses. Avoid treating service names as interchangeable.
For example, IHS with training and IHS without training are authorized differently based on whether the person needs training or support. Night supervision addresses assessed overnight needs. Respite provides short-term care when a primary caregiver is absent or needs relief. Clear service definitions help the team build a plan that matches actual needs.
4. Track outcomes and unmet needs
Write down what support is helping the person do, not only the hours delivered. Is the person following a safer meal routine? Participating in the community more consistently? Managing appointments with fewer missed steps? Recovering from frustration without a crisis? Maintaining hygiene or household tasks?
Also record unmet needs. If authorized hours are unstaffed, a caregiver is filling the gap or a strategy is not working, the team needs to know. Use neutral, specific language.
5. Follow official updates
Use the Minnesota DHS Disability Waiver Program website and DSD email updates. Social media summaries can raise useful questions, but official guidance should drive action. Note the date on any webpage because implementation information can change.
6. Participate in public input when possible
DHS has identified a Virtual Insight Panel for people with disabilities and families, a Professional Insight Panel and a public feedback form. Participation does not guarantee a particular result, but it gives the state information about real-world concerns, accessibility and unintended consequences.
Questions Families Should Ask Their Case Manager
You do not need to ask every question in one meeting. Choose the questions most relevant to the person's situation:
Has anything changed in the person's current waiver eligibility or services because of the delay?
When is the next MnCHOICES reassessment?
Are current needs accurately reflected in the assessment and support plan?
Which services address each documented need?
Are there needs that are currently supported by family but not visible in the plan?
What notices should the person expect before the future program launches?
How will the person receive accessible information?
What appeal or review rights apply to current service decisions?
Where should the team look for official Waiver Reimagine updates?
Who should be contacted when needs change before reassessment?
Ask for answers in writing when the information affects deadlines, authorizations or required action.
Questions Referral Partners Should Ask Providers
The Waiver Reimagine delay does not remove the need for careful provider selection. Case managers and care coordinators can ask:
Is the agency licensed for the requested service?
What cities or counties does it currently serve?
What schedules can it realistically staff?
What experience does it have with the person's needs?
How does it train staff on the support plan and positive strategies?
How does it communicate changes, missed visits and incidents?
What information is required before the agency can confirm fit?
How does it measure progress toward person-centered outcomes?
An existing license does not guarantee capacity, and a general opening does not guarantee fit for a particular person.
How the Delay Connects to IHS
Individualized Home Supports remains one of the most important service areas for people who live in their own home or family home. Minnesota DHS updated its IHS guidance in July 2026 to clarify the difference between support and training and to help lead agencies choose among IHS without training, IHS with training and IHS with family training.
That update matters during the Waiver Reimagine delay because it shows that current-program clarification continues. Families should not wait for the future Disability Waiver Program to make sure the correct IHS option is being discussed now.
Support may involve assistance, supervision, cueing or maintenance in community-living categories. Training involves structured teaching intended to help the person acquire, improve or maintain skills. The person's age, living arrangement and assessed needs affect which option may be available. The case manager or care coordinator determines authorization through the applicable process.
Avoid These Common Mistakes
Waiting for the future instead of addressing today's need
If the person needs more support now, report it now. A future redesign will not solve an immediate safety issue or staffing gap.
Treating every online explanation as final policy
Look for the publication date, source and official link. Even accurate summaries can become outdated.
Comparing budgets without context
Two people with the same diagnosis can have different functional needs, living arrangements, informal supports and assessed risks. Comparison may create questions, but it does not determine entitlement.
Describing only the person's hardest day
Accurate assessment includes patterns, not exaggeration. Explain how often a need occurs, what support is required and what happens without it.
Describing only the person's best day
People often perform better because support is already present. Explain what the caregiver or staff is doing behind the scenes and whether the skill is consistent across settings.
How Enriching Home Care Services Can Participate
Enriching Home Care Services works with people, families, guardians, case managers and care coordinators to review requests for person-centered home and community-based support. Depending on the authorization, fit and current capacity, services may include Individualized Home Supports, respite, night supervision, homemaker, companion services, positive supports and other licensed options.
Our role is to understand the person's current plan, communicate honestly about capacity, train staff on individualized needs and deliver authorized services in a way that supports dignity, safety and independence. We do not assign waiver eligibility, budgets or future support ranges.
If the person's plan is changing, early communication helps. Share the requested service, general location, schedule, goals and essential support needs through the approved referral process. Detailed protected information should be exchanged securely.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Minnesota's new Disability Waiver Program launch
As of September 24, 2026, Minnesota DHS has not announced a new launch date. DHS has confirmed that the program will not launch January 1, 2027.
Are the CADI DD BI and CAC waivers ending now
No. The current waivers remain in operation while the future program is developed, unless DHS announces an approved transition and a person receives the required planning information.
Will my services change because Waiver Reimagine is delayed
The delay alone does not determine a person-specific service change. Current services can still change through ordinary assessment, planning, authorization or policy processes. Read every notice and contact the case manager or care coordinator.
Should I still complete a MnCHOICES reassessment
Yes. Current eligibility and service planning still rely on assessment information, and DHS says future support and budget-range planning will also use MnCHOICES.
Can Enriching tell me what my future waiver budget will be
No. Enriching is a service provider, not the agency that assigns eligibility, support ranges or budgets.
Use the Delay to Improve the Current Plan
Uncertainty can make people freeze. A better response is to focus on what can be done now: keep contact information current, prepare for reassessment, document needs and outcomes, understand current services and follow official updates.
The future Disability Waiver Program is not ready to launch, but the person's life is happening today. The current support plan should reflect today's routines, strengths, risks and goals.
If you are exploring a Minnesota 245D provider for current authorized services, contact Enriching Home Care Services. We can review the request, explain our process and determine whether the service, location, schedule, needs and current capacity may be a fit.
Sources and Minnesota Resources
Minnesota DHS July 2026 Waiver Reimagine Update
Minnesota DHS Waiver Reimagine
Minnesota DHS Home and Community-Based Service Waivers
Minnesota DHS Service Options for Individualized Home Supports
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