MEDICAID ENABLES FAMILY LIFE FOR CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DISABILITIES THROUGH “LIFESHARING”
December 5, 2025
The federal Medicaid (or MA) program gives states an option to provide disability-related home and community-based services (HCBS) that would not otherwise be covered by the MA program to individuals who, without these additional services, would need to live in institutions. All states provide some version of community-based services. While Pennsylvania’s HCBS waivers primarily serve adults, we do have several HCBS waivers that can cover children with certain developmental disabilities including: medical complexity, intellectual disability, autism, and developmental delay in young children that will likely result in a diagnosis of intellectual disability or autism. One of the services that can be offered to children (and adults) is called Life Sharing. To learn more, click here.