I/DD Waivers in Mississippi

All states: Medicaid disability services map

Mississippi I/DD services at a glance

Last verified against state sources: 2026-10-23.

Who runs I/DD services in Mississippi?

Two state agencies share the work. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) administers the Intellectual Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) Waiver and pays providers. The Department of Mental Health (DMH) runs the waiver and the 1915(i) IDD Community Support Program day to day through its Bureau of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (BIDD). People start at a DMH IDD Regional Program, and a support coordinator or case manager helps plan their services.

• Division of Medicaid (DOM): the state Medicaid agency. It administers the waiver, credentials providers and pays claims through its claims system.
• Department of Mental Health, BIDD: operates the programs, certifies providers and approves each person's Plan of Services and Supports. See DMH's IDD Services page.
• Front door: the five DMH IDD Regional Programs, where Diagnostic and Evaluation Teams decide eligibility: North Mississippi Regional Center (Oxford), Hudspeth Regional Center (Whitfield), Boswell Regional Center (Magee), Ellisville State School (Ellisville) and South Mississippi Regional Center (Long Beach).
• Case management: on the waiver, Support Coordination is provided by DMH-certified, Medicaid-enrolled agencies, including support coordination departments at DMH regional programs. Coordinators make monthly contact and a face-to-face visit at least every three months, billed as a flat monthly unit. People in the Community Support Program get IDD Targeted Case Management instead.

What Medicaid waivers and programs serve people with I/DD in Mississippi?

Mississippi has one 1915(c) waiver for people with I/DD, the ID/DD Waiver. A 1915(c) waiver is a federal Medicaid option that lets a state pay for home and community services instead of institutional care. The state also runs the IDD Community Support Program under 1915(i), a federal option that offers home and community services to people who do not need an institutional level of care.

• ID/DD Waiver (1915(c), control number MS.0282.R06.00): the current waiver renewal took effect July 1, 2023 for five years. It serves people of any age with an intellectual disability, a developmental disability or autism who meet the level of care for an intermediate care facility (ICF/IID) and are Medicaid eligible. Services include Support Coordination, Home and Community Supports (in-home help), Supervised Living, Shared Supported Living, Supported Living, Host Home, Day Services Adult, Prevocational Services, Supported Employment and Job Discovery, in-home and community respite, behavior and crisis supports, therapies, specialized medical supplies and transition assistance. The approved waiver allows up to 4,150 people a year, and the Legislature funded 3,125 slots for state fiscal year 2027 (FY27).
• IDD Community Support Program (CSP, 1915(i)): serves adults 18 and older who are out of school, have an intellectual disability, developmental disability or autism, meet the program's needs-based criteria and have full Medicaid, according to DMH Operational Standards Rule 2-16.1. ICF/IID level of care is not required. Services are Day Services Adult, Prevocational Services, Supported Employment, Supported Living, In-Home Respite and IDD Targeted Case Management. The FY27 budget sets a target of 1,100 people enrolled.

Mississippi also has ICF/IID care, the institutional option that the waiver is an alternative to. DMH runs ICF/IID programs at its regional centers and in community ICF/IID homes of 10 beds.

Does Mississippi pay for I/DD services through managed care?

No. Mississippi pays for ID/DD Waiver and Community Support Program services through fee-for-service. Providers bill the Division of Medicaid's claims system (the Medicaid Management Information System, or MMIS) directly, and no health plan is involved. Support coordinators and case managers from DMH-certified agencies coordinate services, and DMH approves each plan.

• Claims: billings for all ID/DD Waiver services flow from providers to the state MMIS, according to the approved waiver.
• EVV services: in-home services that require electronic visit verification (EVV) are billed through the state's HHAeXchange system. See the rates and enrollment section below.

Is there a waiting list for I/DD services in Mississippi?

Yes. DMH keeps a statewide ID/DD Waiver Planning List, and it reported about 2,700 people on the list at the end of FY26 (June 2026), with 2,816 people enrolled in the waiver. Slots are offered first come, first served by referral date, with some slots reserved for people leaving institutions and people at risk of entering one.

• Latest count: about 2,700 people on the Planning List at the end of June 2026, from DMH's FY28 budget request page.
• Reserved slots: the approved waiver reserves 150 slots a year for people moving out of institutions and 50 a year for priority admission of people at risk of institutional care.
• Funded slots: the FY27 DMH budget, Senate Bill 3072 (effective July 1, 2026), keeps funding for 3,000 waiver slots and adds 125, for 3,125. It sets FY27 targets of 2,700 people on the Planning List and 250 people moved from the list into waiver services.
• Community Support Program: we did not find a published waiting list or count for the 1915(i) program.

To ask about a person's place on the list, contact the DMH IDD Regional Program that did the evaluation or the DMH Helpline at 1-877-210-8513.

How do people apply for I/DD services in Mississippi, and how are budgets set?

A person applies by contacting a DMH IDD Regional Program for an evaluation. A Diagnostic and Evaluation Team decides whether the person meets ICF/IID level of care for the waiver. People who qualify can ask to join the Planning List, and Medicaid eligibility is confirmed before they enroll. Support levels are set with the Inventory for Client and Agency Planning (ICAP), not with individual budgets.

• Waiver eligibility: a DMH team with at least a psychologist and a social worker uses standardized intelligence and adaptive behavior tests plus the ICAP to decide ICF/IID level of care. The person must also be Medicaid eligible.
• Community Support Program eligibility: needs-based criteria under the 1915(i), age 18 or older and out of school, and full Medicaid.
• Assessment tool: the ICAP sets a person's support level, which drives the tier for residential and day service rates. Support coordinators readminister it at least once a year, and a Broad Independence standard score of 69 or below meets the recertification criteria.
• No individual budgets: the 2023 waiver renewal removed individual support budgets and replaced ICAP assessments done by an outside contractor with evaluations by DMH staff.
• Self-direction: the waiver has no participant-directed option, and the Division of Medicaid said in the 2023 renewal that it does not plan to add one. We found no self-directed option in the Community Support Program. A family member approved by DMH can be hired by a provider agency to deliver Home and Community Supports.

What day and residential services can I/DD providers offer in Mississippi?

Providers can offer three day and employment services on both the ID/DD Waiver and the Community Support Program, and several residential services on the waiver. Every provider must be certified by DMH and enrolled with the Division of Medicaid, and settings must meet the federal home and community-based settings rule. Day services are billed in 15-minute units tiered by ICAP support level. The research did not find a published staff ratio for any day service.

Day and employment services (ID/DD Waiver and CSP)

• Day Services Adult: scheduled, individualized activities in a community-based, non-residential setting, with a required community component, transportation and help with personal care. For people 18 and older who have finished school. Combined with Prevocational Services, it is capped at 138 hours a month, and the provider must be open at least six continuous hours a day. Billed in 15-minute units up to a maximum. The research did not find a published ratio.
• Prevocational Services: time-limited learning and work experiences, including volunteer work, that build skills toward competitive integrated employment, with a written plan. Mobile crews and small groups of up to three can count. It is not required before Supported Employment. Billed in 15-minute units. The research did not find a published ratio.
• Supported Employment and Job Discovery: job development and job coaching for competitive work or self-employment at or above minimum wage. The support coordinator must first refer the person to the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services. Job Discovery, a separate job exploration service, is capped at 30 hours every three months on the waiver. Billed in 15-minute units, with individual and small group job coaching rates.

Residential services

• Supervised Living (waiver): a group home with at least one staff person present 24 hours a day, staffing tiered by ICAP level and nursing included. Separate rates apply to homes of four or fewer and five or more people, plus behavioral and medical supervised living. No more than two people share a bedroom. Billed per day in a DMH-certified setting.
• Shared Supported Living (waiver): 24-hour support for adults living close together, such as in an apartment complex, with awake staff available around the clock but not direct supervision at all times. Tiered by ICAP level.
• Supported Living (waiver and CSP): intermittent support, less than 24 hours a day with staff on call around the clock, for adults in their own homes or a certified location of four or fewer people. DMH's IDD Services page lists CSP Supported Living at up to 8 hours a day. This is an EVV service.
• Host Home (waiver): one participant age 5 or older lives in a private family home. A DMH-certified, Medicaid-enrolled agency screens, trains and visits the host family each month and covers back-up staffing. Billed per day.

How are I/DD provider rates set and how do agencies enroll in Mississippi?

The Division of Medicaid sets one statewide fee schedule for I/DD services with DMH and its actuarial contractor, and rates do not vary by region or provider type. Residential and day rates are tiered by ICAP support level. The latest rate update we could confirm took effect with the waiver renewal on July 1, 2023. Agencies enroll by getting DMH certification and then enrolling with the Division of Medicaid.

• Rate method: tiered residential and day rates come from independent rate models built with Burns and Associates in 2014 to 2015 and used from a 2017 waiver amendment. For the 2023 renewal, the Division of Medicaid trended rates forward using Mississippi wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2021) and the Medicare Economic Index. It said a full workforce survey and rate study was underway and that it would amend the waiver when the study was done.
• Latest rate change: we did not confirm any ID/DD rate change after July 1, 2023. The Division of Medicaid's website was down when we last checked, so we could not read its current fee schedule or provider bulletins. Ask the Division of Medicaid for current rates.
• DMH certification: review the DMH Operational Standards, complete the online Interested Provider Orientation, then apply. Fees are $150 to apply, $300 for initial certification and $300 per renewal period. Certification now runs on a four-year cycle. Details are on DMH's certification page.
• Medicaid enrollment: after DMH certification, the agency enrolls with the Division of Medicaid, which credentials and pays providers.
• EVV: under the Division of Medicaid EVV rule (Rule 1.14, effective December 1, 2025), ID/DD Waiver Home and Community Supports, In-Home Respite, In-Home Nursing Respite and Supported Living require EVV, as do CSP Supported Living and In-Home Respite. HHAeXchange is the state EVV system. Day, residential and employment services do not require EVV.

What is changing next for I/DD services in Mississippi?

As of October 23, 2026, we did not find a confirmed change with a set date for Mississippi's I/DD services. The most recent confirmed change is the FY27 budget, which added 125 waiver slots on July 1, 2026. The items below are requests or plans, not final decisions.

• FY28 budget request: DMH has asked the Legislature for $4,470,400 in state funds to add about 200 waiver enrollees in FY28. The request is not final until the Legislature passes a budget.
• Rate study: in the 2023 renewal, the Division of Medicaid said it would amend the waiver after a workforce survey and rate study. We did not confirm whether new rates have taken effect. Ask the Division of Medicaid.
• EVV mobile app: HHAeXchange said its HHAeXchange+ mobile app would be required to complete EVV from August 31, 2026. We did not find a source confirming that this took effect.
• Waiver renewal: the current ID/DD Waiver period runs through June 30, 2028, so a renewal is due before then.

Mississippi I/DD sources

• Mississippi Department of Mental Health: IDD Services
• Mississippi ID/DD Waiver renewal (MS.0282.R06.00), effective July 1, 2023
• Mississippi Department of Mental Health: IDD Programs (regional centers)
• Mississippi Department of Mental Health: Legislative updates (FY28 budget request)
• Mississippi Senate Bill 3072 (2026), FY27 DMH appropriation
• DMH Operational Standards Rule 2-16.1 (Community Support Program eligibility)
• Mississippi Department of Mental Health: Provider certification
• Division of Medicaid EVV rule (Rule 1.14), effective December 1, 2025
• Division of Medicaid: Late breaking news (EVV claims edit notice, archived copy)

Related reading

• Disability Services and Independent Living Guide
• Developmental Disabilities vs. Mental Health: Key Differences
• Essential Acronyms in Disability Services: A Quick Reference Guide
• Disability Services DayHab has a dilemma - how to solve it
• I/DD services in every state (map)
• Mississippi EVV requirements

Page history

• October 23, 2026: Page rewritten and checked against state sources.

This page is a reference, not legal advice. State rules change, so confirm details with the state before you act on them.

Ankota provides software for I/DD provider agencies, including EVV, service documentation, goal tracking and billing. If you would like to talk through your program, contact Ankota or read more about Ankota's I/DD software.