FSSA Medicaid Waiver Waitlist Raises Concerns for Indiana’s Most Vulnerable

The implementation of a waitlist for certain Medicaid services by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration FSSA has posed significant challenges for Hoosiers, particularly those with complex medical needs.

Currently, over 13,000 individuals are waiting for home- and community-based services through two Medicaid waivers. Josephine Malone, a 103-year-old woman, was one such person on the Pathways Waiver waitlist when she passed away on October 3.

Malone had led a full, independent life, working as a foreman during World War II and living independently until the age of 94. She was in an assisted living facility, Bloom at Kessler, in Indianapolis, but her family was unable to cover her care expenses after she spent down her savings.

The Pathways Waiver would have allowed her to stay in the facility with financial support, but the waitlist left her in limbo.

Despite Malone’s serious health conditions, including congestive heart failure and dementia, FSSA could not provide an estimated wait time for the waiver approval.

Her family feared that transitioning her to a nursing facility would worsen her health due to the adjustment stress.

Bloom at Kessler generously reduced the cost of her care to allow her to remain, though they were not fully reimbursed.

Malone’s granddaughter, Jo Lynn Garing, expressed frustration at the lack of clarity in the waitlist process. Advocates like Dan Kenyon of the Indiana Assisted Living Association have noted that her experience mirrors that of many Hoosiers, who struggle with the uncertainty and delays in receiving the care they need through Medicaid waivers.

The issue has raised concerns about access to essential services for medically vulnerable individuals and the broader impact of the waitlist on families facing similar challenges across Indiana.