Vermont Medicaid Waiver Waiting List: Why There Isn't a Traditional Statewide One and What to Do Instead

Families moving to Vermont from other states often ask where to sign up for the developmental disability waiver waiting list. The answer is disorienting: Vermont does not operate a traditional statewide waitlist where people receive services based on when they applied. Instead, the state uses a priority-based funding system that allocates services according to the severity of the individual's situation — and understanding how that system works is essential for families trying to access adult developmental services.

How Vermont's Funding Priority System Works

Vermont's developmental services are funded under the Global Commitment to Health Section 1115 Medicaid waiver and governed by the State System of Care Plan (SSOCP) for FY 2026–2028. The SSOCP defines which situations receive funded services first.

The funding priorities focus almost exclusively on health-and-safety crises:

• Individuals facing immediate abuse or neglect — documented safety threats in the current living situation
• Loss of a primary caregiver — death, hospitalization, incapacitation, or aging to the point of being unable to provide care
• Imminent crisis upon school exit — transition-age youth whose school-based services are ending and who have no alternative support structure
• Individuals in emergency placements — people placed in crisis or temporary settings who need permanent service arrangements

If your young adult is clinically eligible for developmental services but is not in a documented crisis, they enter the pool of eligible individuals without funded services. There is no statewide queue number or estimated wait time, and no automatic movement up a statewide list; local applicant or tracking lists may still be used. Funding is allocated when a priority situation is identified and resources are available.

Why This Matters More Than a Traditional Waitlist

In states with traditional waitlists, families at least know their position — number 1,247 of 3,000, with an estimated wait of four years. Vermont's system does not provide the same statewide visibility. A family whose situation is stable today may remain in the eligible pool until a priority is identified and resources are available, while a family in crisis may receive priority consideration when resources are available.

The practical implication is that documentation of your young adult's circumstances is not just helpful — it is the mechanism through which services are allocated. The difference between "eligible but unfunded" and "funded" often comes down to whether the clinical record clearly establishes a health-and-safety priority.

What Families Can Do

Document safety concerns systematically. If your young adult's living situation involves any risk factors — caregiver aging, medical fragility, behavioral incidents, lack of supervision during work hours — ensure these are documented in medical records, case management notes, and communications with PCG. Anecdotal concern is not enough; documented clinical evidence of safety risk is what triggers priority review.

Apply early through PCG. Even though clinical eligibility does not guarantee funding, being in the eligible pool is a prerequisite. Contact Public Consulting Group at (833) 426-5668 or [email protected] to start the formal intake process. The eligibility determination itself takes time, so families should not wait until a crisis occurs to begin.

Coordinate with your Care Management Organization. If Benchmark Human Services or The Columbus Organization is assigned, ask the case manager how to document needs and request review under the System of Care Plan.

Explore self-directed and family-managed options. If services are funded, ask your CMO about self-directed and agency-directed options for the service budget.

Connect with advocacy organizations. The Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council and Disability Rights Vermont can help families understand their rights within the SSOCP and navigate the system when they feel stuck in the eligible-but-unfunded category.

The Provider Shortage Compounds the Problem

Even when funding is authorized, Vermont faces an acute shortage of direct care workers and shared living providers. The state's residential model relies heavily on shared living — a contracted adult foster care arrangement — and the number of available providers has declined significantly. Legislative efforts under Act 186 are funding pilot programs for alternative housing models, but new options are still in early development.

For families navigating the priority system, this means that securing a funding authorization is only the first step. Finding and retaining qualified providers is a separate challenge that the CMO manages but cannot always resolve quickly.

For a complete guide to Vermont's developmental services system, PCG intake preparation worksheets, and the funding priority documentation framework, see our Vermont SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide.

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