New Mexico DD Waiver and Mi Via Application for Adults Turning 18

The Waitlist Is Gone

New Mexico previously maintained a Central Registry waitlist for its Developmental Disabilities waiver that exceeded 12 to 13 years. That waitlist has been eliminated. Through the "Super Allocation" initiative and targeted funding via House Bill 2, the state established a sustained no-waitlist policy for both the traditional DD Waiver and the self-directed Mi Via Waiver.

The Supports Waiver — a limited-services program created to provide some coverage to waitlisted individuals — was repealed effective April 1, 2026. All individuals enrolled in the Supports Waiver have been offered direct allocations to either the comprehensive DD Waiver or Mi Via. If your family was on a waitlist or in the Supports Waiver, contact the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD) to verify the allocation offer and current status.

DD Waiver vs. Mi Via: The Core Difference

Both waivers provide home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The difference is in how services are managed:

DD Waiver — Agency-directed. A case management agency coordinates your child's services, selects providers from the state's network, and manages the service plan. You have less direct control but also less administrative burden.

Mi Via Waiver — Self-directed. Your family manages the service budget directly, hires and supervises support workers (including, in some cases, paying family members as caregivers), and makes all purchasing decisions within the approved budget. More control, more paperwork.

When your family receives an allocation, you choose between them through the Primary Freedom of Choice (PFOC) form. You have 30 days to respond.

The PSIB Application Process

To start, submit a Home and Community-Based Services Application to the Pre-Service Intake Bureau (PSIB) under the New Mexico Health Care Authority. PSIB reviews clinical documentation to verify that the individual:

• Has an intellectual or developmental disability
• The disability originated before age 18
• Meets the clinical criteria for services

Documentation to gather before applying:

• Psychological or neuropsychological testing results
• School IEP with disability classification and functional assessments
• Multidisciplinary evaluation reports
• Any prior medical diagnoses related to the qualifying condition

Once PSIB confirms eligibility (a "Yes Match"), the allocation process begins.

The Allocation and Enrollment Sequence

After the match, two parallel eligibility tracks must be completed:

Financial eligibility — An Institutional Medicaid application goes to the HCA Income Support Division's Institutional Care Unit. This is different from regular Medicaid and evaluates waiver financial eligibility using institutional Medicaid rules. At age 18, parental income deeming stops, so only your adult child's individual income and assets are evaluated.

Medical eligibility — A case manager (DD Waiver) or Mi Via consultant coordinates clinical documentation showing your child meets the Intermediate Care Facility Level of Care (ICF-LOC) standard. This confirms that the level of services provided through the waiver is appropriate.

Both tracks must be completed before services can begin.

The Interim Services Gap

Even with the waitlist gone, there is an operational gap between receiving a waiver allocation and actual service delivery. Provider shortages, particularly in rural New Mexico, can delay activation by months. Direct support professional shortages affect the entire state.

While waiting for waiver services to start, other resources can fill the gap:

• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (NMDVR) — Pre-employment transition services for individuals ages 14–21. Priority Category 1 (most significant disabilities) has no waitlist.
• Centers for Independent Living — New Vistas (Santa Fe), ILRC (Albuquerque), and the Ability Center (Las Cruces) provide independent living skills training.
• School-based transition services — If your child is on the Modified or Ability diploma pathway, FAPE entitlement continues through age 21, and a student who turns 22 during the school year may complete that school year.

Timing the Application

File the PSIB application well before your child's 18th birthday. While the application can be submitted at any age, having the eligibility determination in process by the time your child turns 18 positions them to receive an allocation as soon as adult financial eligibility is established (when parental income deeming ends).

Coordinate the waiver application with your SSI redetermination timeline — both processes evaluate the individual's income and assets as an adult, and the financial eligibility determinations can complement each other.

The New Mexico Adult Guardianship & Alternatives Guide includes an eight-month countdown timeline that coordinates the waiver application with guardianship decisions, SSI transitions, and educational rights transfer into a single integrated planning sequence.

See more New Mexico guides →