Medicaid: Washington’s Medically Needy In-Home Waiver (MNIW) and Medically Needy Residential Waiver

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This Washington Medicaid waiver is for individuals that require nursing home level care but choose to receive that care in-home, provided the care services can be obtained at a lower cost to the state.   This program is for individuals that do not qualify for Washington’s COPES program.  The Medically Needy Residential Waiver serves the same purpose but applies to individuals in residential care such as assisted living.

Under MNIW, individuals have the option of consumer direction of their personal care.  This means they can choose their own personal care provider(s) instead of having the state select providers on their behalf.  In this situation, the waiver participant acts as the “employer” of the personal care provider.

In addition to requiring nursing home level care, individual cannot be eligible for the COPES waivers but are still financially qualified for Medicaid.

Qualifying for Medicaid is a complicated process involving a review of a family’s income, assets and asset transfers as far back as 5 years.  Rules change by state and there are many exceptions, but typically monthly income cannot exceed $2,000 and “countable asset” limits, excluding the car and home, range from $2,000 to $8,000.  

Not qualifying for Medicaid can be devastating to the comfort of an individual, their family’s finances and even their health.  For these reasons, Medicaid planners exist to ensure families have the best chance of acceptance into the program.  With care costing $1000’s / month, there is a strong incentive to use a Medicaid Planner.  Find assistance applying for Medicaid.

These programs are available statewide across Washington.