Indiana · Application guide
Indiana's BDDS waivers (now the Bureau of Disabilities Services, BDS) split by track. Family Supports Waiver and CIH go through the BDS Gateway portal, with paper State Form 55068 as a fallback. Health & Wellness and PathWays for Aging start with a phone call to the Area Agency on Aging. This page is an organizer for that map — not an eligibility decision. Confirm every requirement with FSSA, BDS, your AAA, or your case manager.
WaiverPath is not a government agency, law firm, Medicaid provider, or benefits advisor. We help you organize information, documents, and follow-up tasks. Always verify requirements with the official agency or a qualified professional.
The portal, the paper form, and the phone line are not interchangeable. Pick the row that matches the applicant's situation, then confirm with BDS or the AAA before you submit.
| Program | Who it is generally for | Where families apply | Organizer note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Supports Waiver (FSW) | People with intellectual or developmental disabilities who need moderate community supports. | BDS Gateway portal at bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov (primary). Paper fallback: State Form 55068 to a local BDS district office. | FSW and CIH reached maximum capacity in December 2025. Applying still establishes your registration. Confirm current slot status with FSSA or your BDS district office. |
| Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH) | People with I/DD who need a more intensive level of care than FSW. | Same BDS Gateway as FSW. Paper Form 55068 remains the fallback. | A 365-day group-home prerequisite for certain CIH pathways took effect in January 2026. Confirm that requirement with your BDS district office before you plan a transition. |
| Health & Wellness Waiver | Adults under 60 with physical disabilities who meet nursing-facility level of care. | Phone intake with your local Area Agency on Aging — statewide line 1-800-986-3505. Not the BDS Gateway. | Per FSSA's official waiting-list page as of June 2026, approximately 7,402 people were waiting. Confirm current counts and intake steps with your AAA. |
| PathWays for Aging | Adults 60 and older who meet nursing-facility level of care and want community supports. | Same AAA phone intake as Health & Wellness. Not the BDS Gateway. | Per FSSA's official waiting-list page as of June 2026, approximately 12,169 people were waiting. Nursing-facility transitions, CHOICE, and hospital discharges get first priority — confirm current rules with your AAA. |
Program-by-program cards live on the Indiana Medicaid waiver programs guide. This page is the BDS Gateway / AAA application path.
Step 1
Indiana splits its waivers by need: FSW and CIH serve people with intellectual/developmental disabilities through BDS, while the Health & Wellness Waiver (under 60) and PathWays for Aging (60+) serve the aged-and-disabled population. Which track you are on determines where you apply.
Official source ↗Step 2
The BDS Gateway portal is Indiana's primary application route for the FSW and CIH waivers, available 24/7. Save your username, submission date, and any confirmation number the moment you submit.
Official source ↗Step 3
If the portal is not workable for your family, FSSA still accepts the paper application (State Form 55068), completed, signed, and returned to your local BDS district office. Keep a copy of everything you send.
Official source ↗Step 4
The Health & Wellness Waiver and PathWays for Aging start with phone intake through your local Area Agency on Aging (statewide line 1-800-986-3505), not the BDS Gateway. Log the date, who you spoke with, and what they asked for.
Official source ↗Step 5
Gather diagnosis records, evaluations, school records (IEP), proof of Indiana residency, and identity documents before intake so nothing stalls the review. Index each document with its date and source.
Official source ↗Step 6
FSSA announced FSW and CIH reached maximum capacity in December 2025, with no new slots expected until at least July 2026. Applying still matters — it establishes your place — but set expectations and note the date you read any capacity update.
Official source ↗Step 7
BDS launched an online waitlist portal/dashboard so families can confirm they are registered and check status (allow about five business days after applying for a registration to appear). Record the date and what you saw each time you check.
Official source ↗Step 8
Waiver invitations go out to the contact information on file. Families with stale addresses, phones, or emails can miss a targeted invitation entirely — verify your details through the waitlist dashboard and after any move.
Official source ↗Step 9
Keep one running log of every BDS, AAA, and FSSA contact: date, person, what was said, and the next action. FSSA directs waiver questions to local BDS offices or BDS.Help@fssa.in.gov — record which channel you used.
Official source ↗Step 10
Families often search for an Indiana Medicaid waiver pick list PDF. WaiverPath does not host official FSSA PDFs. When BDS or your case manager offers a slot or walks through authorized services, save the official materials they give you, the date, and any questions still open. Confirm the current service array and any official pick-list packet with BDS or your case manager — lists change.
Official source ↗If you landed here looking for how to apply through the BDS Gateway, start with the official portal and a dated confirmation — not a third-party reprint of the forms.
FSSA's BDS Gateway portal (bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov) is the 24/7 online application for Family Supports Waiver and CIH. Create the account, save the username and the email attached to it, and record the submission date plus any confirmation number before you close the browser. Confirm current portal steps on the official Gateway site — screens change.
If the portal is not workable for your family, FSSA still accepts the paper Application for BDS Waiver Services (State Form 55068). Print it, complete and sign it, and return it to your local BDS district office (Indiana has eight districts) by fax, mail, or hand delivery. Keep a dated copy of everything you send, then still verify registration in the waitlist portal. Confirm the current form and office with BDS.
Those two waivers do not use the BDS Gateway. Intake starts with your local Area Agency on Aging (statewide 1-800-986-3505). Log the date, who you spoke with, what they asked for, and the promised next step. Follow up in writing so the intake date is on paper. Confirm current AAA intake with FSSA Division of Aging.
Official starting points: bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov ↗ and FSSA BDS Medicaid HCBS waivers ↗.
Organizer list from FSSA's BDS waiver pages. Confirm the current list before you submit or call.
Current IQ and adaptive-behavior evaluation from a qualified psychologist, physician records, any existing functional assessments, Indiana residency and identity, and Medicaid or pending-DFR details. Confirm the current list with BDS.
Physician documentation of the condition that limits daily activities, current medications, records of recent hospitalizations or skilled-nursing stays if any, identity, Indiana residency, and Social Security number. Confirm the current AAA intake list before the call.
Waitlist position is easier to confirm with the agency when you have a dated paper trail. Write these down the day you submit.
These are paperwork and follow-up errors — not legal advice. Confirm process questions with FSSA, BDS, your AAA, or your case manager.
Those waivers start with an AAA phone call, not the Gateway. A Gateway file does not create an aging-track registration. Confirm the channel with FSSA or your AAA before you spend a week in the wrong portal.
FSSA said FSW and CIH reached capacity in December 2025, with no new slots expected until at least July 2026. Applying still establishes your registration date. Confirm current capacity with FSSA — the pause language is a snapshot, not a WaiverPath rule.
BDS asks families to allow about five business days, then confirm the registration appears. If it does not, contact the local BDS district office or BDS.Help@fssa.in.gov and log the answer. An unconfirmed file is easy to lose.
Targeted invitations go to the address, phone, and email on file. Families who move and never update BDS or the AAA can miss a slot after years of waiting. Recheck quarterly and after any FSSA capacity announcement.
Per FSSA's official waiting-list page as of June 2026, approximately 7,402 people were waiting for Health & Wellness and approximately 12,169 for PathWays for Aging. FSSA announced FSW and CIH reached maximum capacity in December 2025, with no new slots expected until at least July 2026. Third-party compilations put combined FSW/CIH around 9,453 — unofficial, because FSSA does not publish a single consolidated I/DD count. These figures change. Confirm current waitlist counts, capacity, and priority rules with FSSA, BDS, or your AAA before you plan around them.
For Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH), apply online through the BDS Gateway at bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov. If the portal is not workable, FSSA still accepts paper State Form 55068 at a local BDS district office. Health & Wellness (under 60) and PathWays for Aging (60+) start with a phone call to your Area Agency on Aging (1-800-986-3505), not the Gateway. Save the submission date and confirmation. Confirm current steps with BDS or your AAA — WaiverPath does not submit the application.
The BDS Gateway (bddsgateway.fssa.in.gov) is Indiana FSSA's 24/7 online portal for FSW and CIH applications. Create an account, complete the application, and record the username, email, submission date, and any confirmation number before you close the browser. Confirm current portal steps on the official Gateway site.
State Form 55068 is the paper Application for BDS Waiver Services. It is the fallback when the BDS Gateway is not workable. Complete it, sign it, and return it to your local BDS district office by fax, mail, or hand delivery. Keep a dated copy, then still verify waitlist registration in the online portal. Confirm the current form and office with BDS.
No. Those waivers are administered through the Area Agency on Aging, not BDS. Intake starts with a phone call to your local AAA (statewide 1-800-986-3505). Log the date, who you spoke with, and the next step. Confirm current intake with FSSA Division of Aging.
Both are Indiana I/DD waivers through BDS. FSW is the moderate-support track. CIH is the more intensive track. Some CIH pathways added a 365-day group-home prerequisite in January 2026. Contact your BDS district office to determine which track fits — WaiverPath does not decide the track.
Yes. FSSA announced FSW and CIH reached maximum capacity in December 2025, with no new slots expected until at least July 2026 — confirm current capacity with FSSA. Per FSSA's official waiting-list page as of June 2026, approximately 7,402 people were waiting for Health & Wellness and approximately 12,169 for PathWays for Aging. Third-party compilations put combined FSW/CIH around 9,453 — treat that as unofficial because FSSA does not publish a single consolidated I/DD count. These figures change. Confirm current counts and priority rules with FSSA, BDS, or your AAA.
For FSW/CIH: diagnosis and evaluation records (IQ and adaptive behavior), physician records, school records such as an IEP if the applicant is school-age, proof of Indiana residency and identity, and Medicaid or pending-DFR details. For Health & Wellness and PathWays: physician documentation of daily-activity limits, medications, and any recent hospital or skilled-nursing records, plus identity and residency. Confirm the current list with BDS or your AAA — this is an organizer list, not an official determination checklist.
WaiverPath does not host official FSSA PDFs. Families often search for a pick-list packet after a slot is offered. When BDS or your case manager walks through authorized services, save the official materials they give you, the date, and any open questions. Confirm the current service array with BDS or your case manager — lists change.
BDS runs an online waitlist portal/dashboard. Allow about five business days after submitting, then confirm your registration appears and note what it shows. Recheck quarterly and after any FSSA capacity announcement. If nothing shows after two weeks, contact your local BDS district office or BDS.Help@fssa.in.gov and log the answer. For Health & Wellness and PathWays, your AAA contact is the status channel. Confirm current dashboard steps with FSSA.
No — WaiverPath is an organizer for families, not an agency, case manager, or representative. Free accounts open the Indiana checklist and remind you of follow-up dates. Plus ($6.99/mo or $49/yr) adds a forms assistant for capturing your BDS Gateway or AAA intake record, document inventory, and waitlist log in one place. Confirm eligibility, program tracks, and timelines with FSSA, BDS, your AAA, or your case manager.
Last reviewed by WaiverPath: August 17, 2026.
WaiverPath is not a government agency, law firm, Medicaid provider, or benefits advisor. We help you organize information, documents, and follow-up tasks. Always verify requirements with the official agency or a qualified professional.
Last reviewed: August 2026.
