New Choices Waiver
The New Choices Waiver pays for services and supports for those who require nursing home level care but want to live in an assisted living facility. It includes a range of benefits and services to reduce individuals’ out-of-pocket long-term care expenses. This includes:
- Adult day health care
- Assisted living
- Attendant care
- Case management
- Chore services
- Emergency response systems
- Financial management services
- Medication assistance services
- Homemaker services
- Non-emergency medical transportation
- Personal budget assistance
- Respite care
- Specialized medical equipment
To be eligible for this waiver, applicants must be at least 65 years old, legal U.S. citizens or residents and permanent residents of Utah. They must also meet financial limits. Seniors may have up to $2,523 in monthly income and up to $2,000 in countable assets. If spouses are applying, these limits are doubled. If only one spouse is applying, only their income is considered. They may have up to $2,000 in countable assets, and the nonapplicant can have up to $137,400.
Seniors must also have lived in a nursing home for at least 90 days prior to applying for the waiver or at least 365 days in an assisted living facility. The majority of available waiver slots are reserved for those in nursing homes. Only those in this setting can apply for the waiver at any time. Non-reserved slots are open to those in assisted living. There are certain application periods throughout the year. These include:
- March 1-March 14
- July 1-July 14
- November 1-November 14
The individual’s application has to be received within five business days of the end of the application period or it will be denied, even if the date stamped on the application is within the open application period.
Because slots are limited, priority is given to those who’ve been in nursing homes for the longest period of time. Even if someone meets the program’s criteria for financial limits, medical requirements and length of stay, they may still be placed on a waitlist. For those currently in assisted living, the ranking cutoff point is historically considerably longer than 365 days.
Application materials aren’t available online, but seniors can request a paper application by calling (800) 662-9651 and selecting option 6. Seniors in nursing homes request an application for reserved slots, and those in assisted living request an application for non-reserved slots. They can send completed applications to the UDOH Bureau of Long Term Services and Supports by faxing them to (801) 323-1586. Alternately, they can mail them to:
UDOH Bureau of Long Term Services & Supports
P.O. Box 143112
288 North 1460 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84114