MI Choice Waiver is a home and community-based program. Eligible adults must meet financial requirements and be medically appropriate for nursing home care to be a MI Choice participant.  This program allows the individual to access services in the community along with receiving support in their own home or other residential setting.  Each participant can obtain basic Medicaid-covered services and must receive one or more MI Choice Waiver services.  The program includes prescreening, assessments, case management, direct purchase of services, and re-assessment contacts.  MI Choice Waiver is a statewide program funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

Eligibility Requirements: 

Age: Frail adults 65 years of age or older, or p ersons who are disabled age 18 or older

Financial: To be financially eligible for MI Choice, participants must qualify for Medicaid using special income and asset rules. The income limit is 300% of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) allotment set by the federal government each year.  Persons currently receiving SSI benefits or Medicaid services meet the program financial criteria.  A participant's individual income is allowed to be up to $2,313 per month for 2019 (amount subject to change). If the client has a spouse, the spouse's income is not computed in the qualifying amount. Allowable assets for an individual client are limited to $2,000.  If the client has a spouse living in the community, the federal Protected Spousal Asset guidelines are utilized.  The Protected Spousal Asset is one half of the couple's countable assets - in 2019 it is no less than $25,284 and not to exceed $126,420 (amounts subject to change).

Medical:   Medical status must meet the Michigan Medicaid nursing facility level of care determination criteria.

Service Need: In addition to the other requirements, participants must need at least one MI Choice Waiver service on an ongoing basis. These services include:  Adult Day Services, Chore Services, Counseling, Transportation, Environmental Modifications, Medical Equipment and Supplies, Independent Living Skills training, Home Delivered Meals, Personal Care, Homemaker services, In-home Respite Care, Out-of-home Respite Care, Personal Emergency Response System.

Wait list: If you are found to be eligible for this program, your name will be added to the shared wait list for our area.  Senior Resources and Reliance (formerly HHS) are providers of this program and both agencies are able to serve individuals as they are chronologically taken off the wait list. You may express a preference for one of the agencies or choose the first available. Priority is given to open Adult Protective Services cases, Nursing Facility Transitions and Children's Waiver Services.

For more information, call the Senior Resources Options department at 231-733-3585, or 800-442-0054.