Washington DDA Waiver Comparison — IFS vs Basic Plus vs Core Waiver

Three Waivers, Three Levels of Support

Washington's Developmental Disabilities Administration operates five Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers; this comparison focuses on three main waivers, each designed for a different combination of living situation and support intensity. An individual can only be enrolled in one waiver at a time, so choosing the right one — or knowing when to request a transfer — matters.

All three are Medicaid-funded through agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Eligibility for any waiver requires DDA programmatic eligibility plus Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage plus a determination that the individual meets the functional criteria for an institutional level of care.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Individual and Family Services (IFS) Waiver

The IFS waiver serves individuals who live in the family home and need moderate, flexible support. It provides a capped annual dollar allocation that the family manages — spending it on qualifying services like respite care, specialized therapies, assistive technology, environmental modifications, or community engagement activities.

The four allocation tiers are based on the CARE assessment:

• Level 1: $1,560/year
• Level 2: $2,340/year
• Level 3: $3,120/year
• Level 4: $4,680/year

The strength of the IFS waiver is flexibility — the family decides how to allocate the budget across qualifying services. The limitation is the cap, which can be modest for families providing daily support.

SB 6163, introduced in the 2026 legislative session, aims to eliminate IFS waitlists by placing projected expenditures directly into the state's maintenance-level budget. If enacted, this would make the IFS waiver effectively an entitlement for eligible clients.

Basic Plus Waiver

The Basic Plus is Washington's largest waiver by slot count — 13,400 authorized slots as of the 2025 CMS amendment. It's designed for individuals living with family or in their own homes who need a broader range of services than the IFS waiver provides.

Aggregate annual funding for community-based services is capped at $6,192, but employment and day services are covered separately and are not counted against this cap. The waiver also provides up to $6,000 in one-time emergency funding for crisis situations (caregiver incapacitation, natural disasters, urgent safety needs).

Services include personal care, respite, specialized therapies, behavior management, transportation, employment and day services, environmental modifications, and assistive technology. The waiver does not cover residential placements — if the individual needs 24/7 staffed care, they need the Core waiver.

Core Waiver

The Core waiver is Washington's most comprehensive program — and the hardest to access. It provides service-based authorizations (no annual dollar cap) tailored to the client's assessed needs, including the full residential services spectrum: supported living arrangements, adult family homes, group homes, and staffed residential facilities.

Eligibility typically requires demonstrating that the individual is at immediate risk of institutional placement — meaning they need a level of support that can't be safely provided in the family home without professional staffing. Service authorizations are capped at the daily cost of care in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID).

The Waiver Redesign (2025–2030)

Washington is currently consolidating its five historical HCBS waivers into two simplified models. The redesign, conducted with CMS oversight, aims to replace the current portfolio with outcome-based waivers structured around where the client lives and their functional support needs. Listening sessions and administrative restructuring continue through 2025, with full transition targeted for 2029–2030.

The eligibility criteria, budget structures, and service categories may change, making it important to stay engaged with DDA communications about the redesign timeline.

Which Waiver to Request

Start with what your child needs, not what seems easiest to get:

• IFS if your child lives at home and primarily needs respite, therapy supplements, or community engagement funding — and the family can manage within the annual cap
• Basic Plus if your child needs personal care hours, employment services, or the broader service menu — and lives with family or independently
• Core if your child needs 24/7 residential support or is at genuine risk of needing institutional care

You can request a waiver transfer as needs change. The Washington SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide maps each waiver to the age-18 transition timeline, showing when to submit the request and how to position the CARE assessment for the waiver level that matches your child's actual support needs.

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