Minnesota runs one combined HCBS waiver, the Elderly Waiver, that pays for care services -- never room and board -- delivered inside a licensed assisted living facility through a customized living service plan. A near-eligible senior not yet on Medical Assistance can use Alternative Care, a state-only program with a nearly identical service list, as a bridge.
The room-and-board gap families miss
Even after Elderly Waiver approval, the resident (or their family) is still responsible for the community's room-and-board charge -- rent, meals, utilities. Only the care-services portion is covered. For very low-income residents in certain settings, Minnesota's separate state Housing Support benefit can help offset room and board, but it is not automatic and not available everywhere.
Ask this before you sign
Ask directly whether the community holds a Medicaid waiver provider agreement and how many current residents actually use it under the Elderly Waiver. A community can hold an agreement in principle and still have no waiver capacity currently available.
