Children's Home and Community-Based Services Waiver (CHCBS)
New Children with Complex Health Needs (CwCHN) Waiver
With the implementation of Community First Choice (CFC) on July 1, 2025, In-Home Support Services - Health Maintenance Activities (IHSS-HMA), was moved from the Children’s Home and Community-Based Services (CHCBS) waiver into CFC. This left the CHCBS waiver with one service, the Wellness Education Benefit (WEB). The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) used this as an opportunity to expand benefits to children by merging the CHCBS waiver with the CLLI waiver, making all services in CLLI available to those members using CHCBS waiver services.
To learn more about the new Children with Complex Health Needs waiver, visit the CwCHN website.
Members currently enrolled in the CHCBS waiver will continue to have access to IHSS-HMA, including parent caregiver, the same as they do now, it will just be offered through CFC instead. There are no additional eligibility requirements for accessing IHSS under CFC.
To learn more about CFC, visit the CFC website.
Implementation
Current CHCBS members
Between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, all existing CHCBS members will transition to the CwCHN waiver and CFC at the time of their Continued Stay Review (CSR). Case Managers are responsible for enrolling CHCBS members into CFC and the CwCHN waiver, explaining the new options that may be available, and going through the service planning process.
New members
New members will need to reach out to their local Case Management Agency after July 1, 2025 to begin the eligibility and assessment process. Members can visit the Case Management Agency Directory page to find contact information for the agency in their area. New members will be assessed for CFC and waiver services at the same time. If a member would have historically qualified for CLLI or CHCBS waivers, they will now qualify for CwCHN and CFC.
Learn more
Visit the CFC Resources webpage for more information on CFC, the CwCHN waiver, and the WEB. If you would like to get involved and stay up to date on information regarding CFC and the CwCHN waiver, please join the CFC Council meetings held monthly.
Additionally, if you have any questions regarding these upcoming changes, please do not hesitate to reach out to the CFC inbox at hcpf_cfc@state.co.us