New Mexico · DDSD Central Registry
New Mexico's Medicaid waivers for people with developmental disabilities — the DD Waiver, the Mi Via Self-Directed Waiver, and the Medically Fragile Waiver — all start at one front door: the Central Registry, run by the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD) under the New Mexico Health Care Authority. There is no portal anywhere in the chain; it is phone calls and postal mail from registration to services, and WaiverPath is built to keep that paper trail organized.
The traditional 1915(c) home and community-based waiver, with services delivered through provider agencies and coordinated by a case-management agency the family selects at allocation.
The self-directed alternative: participants and families direct their own budgets, hire their own supports, and design services around their lives. Same front door, different service model.
Serves people with medically fragile conditions who need a hospital or nursing level of care, also administered by DDSD. The former Supports Waiver was terminated September 28, 2025 and is no longer an option.
For decades New Mexico was known for a waitlist of about 5,000 people. The "Super Allocation" effort that began in 2021 effectively eliminated it, and FY2026 funding supports a no-waitlist pace, per 2024-2026 reporting. That flips the old math: the slow part of getting services is no longer waiting for a slot — it is the mail-driven paperwork itself. A packet that sits on the kitchen counter for three weeks delays services by three weeks. WaiverPath tracks the 60-day documentation clock, the 30-day Freedom of Choice window, certified-mail receipts, and every phone call so no envelope ever costs a family time.
Three programs run through the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division (DDSD) under the New Mexico Health Care Authority: the DD Waiver (a traditional 1915(c) HCBS waiver), the Mi Via Self-Directed Waiver, and the Medically Fragile Waiver. The former Supports Waiver was terminated September 28, 2025 and is no longer available.
New Mexico's historic waitlist of about 5,000 people was effectively eliminated through the "Super Allocation" effort that began in 2021, and FY2026 funding supports a no-waitlist pace, per 2024-2026 reporting. In practice that means allocation now moves quickly — and how fast a family finishes the paperwork largely determines when services start.
Everything runs through the Central Registry via the Pre-Service Intake Bureau (PSIB). Step one: register by phone (505-630-9555 or 575-997-7980), by mailed or faxed registration form (fax 505-533-6077), or in person at a DDSD regional office. Step two: DDSD mails an application packet, and the completed packet returns to PSIB by mail.
No. New Mexico's chain is paper and phone end to end — the application packet, the allocation Letter of Interest, the Freedom of Choice form, and the Medicaid financial application all arrive and return by postal mail. Keeping your mailing address current with PSIB is essential.
Both serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The DD Waiver is the traditional agency-delivered model, while Mi Via is the self-directed option where participants direct their own budgets and supports. Families choose between them (or ICF/IID) on the Primary Freedom of Choice form at allocation — with 30 days to respond.
Last reviewed by WaiverPath: July 2, 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.
