General Program Information

The New Choices Waiver program is designed to serve individuals who are residing long term in a nursing facility, licensed assisted living facility, licensed small health care (Type N) facility or another type of Utah licensed medical institution (except institutions for mental disease). The program offers an option for these individuals to move into integrated community-based settings if they wish to do so and if their needs can be safely met in the setting that they have chosen. When an individual is enrolled in the New Choices Waiver program, they may receive an expanded package of supportive services through Medicaid which are intended to help with community-based living. The complete list of services can be found below this section. (Individuals can only access the services that they have been assessed to need.)

PLEASE NOTE: Individuals who are not currently living in one of the types of facilities listed above are not eligible to apply to the New Choices Waiver program. There is a minimum length of stay requirement in each type of setting. For more information, please contact the New Choices Waiver program office at (800)662-9651, option 6.

​Because the New Choices Waiver program periodically updates its application materials and outdated materials are not valid, we strongly advise applicants to obtain a current application before applying to the program. ​Application materials are not available online. To obtain a current copy, please call (800)662-9651, option 6.

There are two application pathways for the New Choices Waiver program as described below:

Reserved Slots:

• The majority of available waiver slots are reserved for people wishing to move out of ​institutional settings such as ​skilled nursing facilities, hospitals and other Utah licensed medical institutions (except for institutions for mental disease). This application pathway can only be accessed by active residents of these types of ​settings​.
• Applications are accepted for this group anytime throughout the year and are not subject to open application periods.
• While there is a minimum length of stay requirement for applicants in this group, there is ​no collective length of stay ranking process​. All applicants who meet the minimum length of stay criteria (and all other eligibility criteria) can enroll.​
• The New Choices Waiver program will continue to enroll all eligible applicants​ from this group​ until the reserved slots are full.
• For a complete list of eligibility criteria including medical and length of stay criteria, please contact the New Choices Waiver program office at (800)662-9651, option 6.

Non-Reserved Slots:

• Individuals wishing to access one of the remaining non-reserved slots may apply through this application pathway. The most common applicants for this pathway are people residing in licensed assisted living facilities and small health care (Type N) facilities. However, people residing in nursing facility or hospital settings may also apply through this pathway if the reserved slots are full.
• There are limited slots available for this application pathway. Because of this, if the New Choices Waiver program office receives more applications than can be enrolled, all applicants will be ranked based on length of stay in a qualifying type of setting and the applicants with the longest length of stays will be given preference. Please be aware that even though the minimum length of stay is 365 days, after the ranking process has been completed the actual ranking cut-off point has historically been much longer than the minimum 365 days.

  People wishing to access one of the non-reserved slots may only apply during the following open application periods:

  • March 1 - March 14
  • July 1 – July 14
  • November 1 – November 14

  Applications must have an official date stamp that falls within the application period dates in order to be considered. Acceptable date stamps include fax date stamp (preferred), secure email date stamp, in-person delivery date stamp or USPS post mark. Please note,USPS is the least preferred method of delivery because of the extra 5-7 days that a parcel takes to get through the State Mail system. Applications that are not received within 5 state business days after the closing of the open application period will be denied even if the date stamp on the envelope/parcel was timely.