Industry
KFF Survey Tracks Medicaid HCBS Waiting Lists From 2016 to 2026
KFF's latest survey of state Medicaid home care programs provides updated data on waiting lists for home- and community-based services (HCBS) spanning 2016 to 2026. The data note explains that waiting lists are an incomplete measure of unmet need, since states vary widely in how they manage, screen, and report individuals awaiting services. KFF cautions that figures are not necessarily comparable across states or over time, even after efforts to standardize the data collection. The note is aimed at helping policymakers and researchers interpret trends in access to long-term services and supports more cautiously.
Why it mattersState Medicaid agencies and LTSS stakeholders rely on this data to gauge unmet demand for home care, but KFF's caveats mean the figures should not be used alone to benchmark state performance or justify funding decisions.