Utah New Choices Waiver: Utah 2026 Guide
Utah’s New Choices Waiver helps people who are living in a nursing facility, hospital or assisted living facility move to, or stay in, a home or community setting. It is run by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Long-Term Care.
Here is a plain-language walk-through of the New Choices Waiver: who qualifies in 2026, what help it covers, how a family gets started, whether there is a wait, and how it connects to nursing home coverage. For the full statewide rules on income, assets, spouses and the look-back, see our Utah Medicaid guide.
Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.
What the New Choices Waiver is
New Choices is a 1915(c) waiver with about 2,500 slots. Unlike most waivers, it requires a recent stay in a qualifying institution or a long stay in assisted living before enrollment. Case management agencies chosen by the participant arrange services. New Choices can pay for services in assisted living, which makes it Utah’s main Medicaid route for assisted living.
A home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver is a Medicaid program a state runs with federal approval. “Waiver” means the state may set aside some normal Medicaid rules, such as the rule that long-term care is paid only in a nursing home, so it can pay for care at home or in a community setting instead. Because waivers are optional, each one has its own name, service list and, often, a cap on how many people it serves at once. Unlike regular Medicaid, a waiver is usually not an entitlement: qualifying does not guarantee an opening.
Who qualifies in 2026
To get the New Choices Waiver, a person generally has to pass two separate tests, one about care need and one about money, and then receive an opening. In general, an applicant must:
- be 18 or older;
- meet a nursing facility level of care;
- currently live in a nursing facility for at least 90 continuous days, or in a licensed assisted living facility or Type N small health care facility for at least 365 continuous days;
- meet the financial rules; and
- be offered a slot during an open enrollment period.
The money test. the New Choices Waiver uses Utah’s long-term care Medicaid financial rules, which are usually the same income and asset limits used for nursing home Medicaid. Bank and investment accounts count toward the limit, but a home, one vehicle, household goods and limited burial funds generally do not. Gifts made in the five years before applying can trigger a penalty that delays waiver services, just as it would delay nursing home coverage.
New Choices uses Utah’s waiver income standard of $2,982 a month in 2026, and the single-person asset limit is $2,000.
For reference, these are Utah’s key 2026 long-term care Medicaid figures:
| Item | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Income limit (applicant) | Nursing home: no fixed cap (income goes toward the cost of care). New Choices Waiver: $2,982 a month. Aging Waiver: 100% FPL ($1,330 a month) with a spend-down above that |
| Asset limit (single applicant) | $2,000 |
| Asset limit (couple, both applying) | $3,000 |
| Home equity limit | $752,000 |
| Spouse at home: resource allowance (CSRA) | Minimum $32,532 / maximum $162,660 |
| Spouse at home: monthly income allowance | $2,705 to $4,066.50 |
| Personal needs allowance (nursing home) | $45 a month |
| Look-back period | 60 months (5 years) |
Married applicants. When one spouse applies and the other stays at home, spousal impoverishment protections generally apply, so the spouse at home can keep a share of the couple’s assets and may receive part of the applicant’s income. The spousal allowance pages explain how these amounts are figured.
Services the New Choices Waiver can cover
What a participant actually receives depends on the plan of care written after the assessment. The services available under the New Choices Waiver include:
- case management
- assisted living services
- adult day care
- personal attendant services
- homemaker and chore services
- home-delivered meals
- respite
- personal emergency response
- home and vehicle modifications
- medical equipment and supplies
- transition services for setting up a home
- adult residential services
What is usually not covered. Waivers pay for care and support, not rent, food or other living costs, so in an assisted living or residential setting the person usually pays room and board from their own income. Plans of care are built around any unpaid help family already gives, and doctor, hospital and drug coverage continue separately.
How to apply for the New Choices Waiver
The usual sequence for the New Choices Waiver is below. Running the financial application and the care assessment in parallel can shorten the wait.
- Apply during a New Choices open enrollment period, or ask a nursing facility or hospital social worker about a referral.
- Complete the Medicaid application through the Department of Workforce Services.
- A state nurse confirms level of care.
- Choose a case management agency, which writes the care plan.
- Move to the community setting, and services start.
Staying organized. Copy every form before you send it and keep a simple call log. At the assessment, talk about the hardest days, not the best ones, and bring someone who sees the care needs firsthand. Memory problems, falls and the need for supervision all count, even when the person can still do some tasks alone. If the answer is no, the written notice explains how to request a fair hearing and the deadline.
Waiting lists and timing
New Choices fills slots through enrollment periods and keeps a waiting list when slots are full.
Getting on a list early, before a crisis, is usually wise. While waiting, other options can help: state plan personal care, adult day programs, PACE where offered, Older Americans Act services through the Area Agency on Aging, and family caregiver support. The waiver waiting lists page explains common rules.
How it relates to nursing home Medicaid
New Choices is built specifically to help people leave a nursing facility. A person who moves out can return to a nursing facility under Medicaid if needed.
the New Choices Waiver and nursing home Medicaid serve the same group of people; the difference is where care is given. One practical difference: nursing home Medicaid has no enrollment cap in Utah, while a waiver can. If care at home becomes unsafe, a participant can move to a nursing home and keep Medicaid, though the share of income paid toward care changes. Moving the other way is often given priority, and Money Follows the Person can help.
Tips for families
Begin before the situation is urgent; every step takes longer than families expect. Gather five years of bank statements before the caseworker requests them, and keep a two-week care diary before the assessment. Income over the limit can often be handled with a Miller trust or spend-down, and any recent gifts deserve review before filing. A reassessment can be requested whenever needs change.
Many families find it worthwhile to talk with a Certified Medicaid Planner before applying for the New Choices Waiver. A planner who knows Utah’s rules can review income and assets, explain which program fits, map the timing against any waiting list, and help with the paperwork. Fees vary: roughly $500 to $6,000 for application help, $2,500 to $15,000 or more for full planning, and $150 to $600 an hour for advice.
Related pages
- Utah Medicaid guide
- Utah Aging Waiver
- Money Follows the Person
- HCBS waivers explained
- Applying for a waiver
- Nursing home level of care
- Waiver waiting lists
- The five-year look-back
Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.