What I Wish I Knew Before Starting Medicaid Waivers in Colorado (And How NDC Can Help You Skip the Confusion)
You know that moment when you learn something that changes everything? For me, it happened on a sunny evening when I realized, shocked, that even as a special education teacher, I didn’t know my own son could qualify for a Medicaid waiver. Despite years in the field, information about Colorado’s disability benefits system had been locked in jargon and bureaucracy, waiting for someone to translate it.
That frustration became fuel. It led to the creation of Navigating Disabilities Colorado (NDC), where I vowed to turn that buried system knowledge into usable, life-changing clarity for families like mine.
What’s Hidden Behind the Term “Medicaid Waiver”
I used to think Medicaid only meant medical insurance. I was wrong.
Medicaid waivers in Colorado are powerful tools: they open access to paid caregiving, in-home support, respite, employment coaching, and even community inclusion programs. In some families, that adds up to more than $100K in annual value.
But here’s the catch: these options aren’t automatic. Each waiver has specific criteria which vary based on age, diagnosis, and support needs, and navigating them without help is nearly impossible.
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
Looking back, here’s where many families get stuck:
“I thought Medicaid alone covered everything.”
It doesn’t. Without a waiver, you're still limited in actual services.“I thought the case manager would walk me through it.”
Many case managers manage up to 100 families, often struggling with overloaded systems and turnover. You end up waiting in limbo.“I didn’t realize there are waitlists and transitions.”
And transitioning, like moving from a child-based waiver to an adult one, can jeopardize services and supports, if not done strategically.
That’s why I created the Roadmap for the Waiver Journey, the only Colorado program that teaches families how to apply and maximize their Medicaid waiver over time. From assessments to “shifting money behind the Medicaid curtain,” it’s all in there.
How I Make It Easier Now
On the NDC Resources Page, you’ll find a full toolkit designed to cut through the noise, not add more. Highlights include:
Video Lessons: Apply for a Waiver and Maximize Existing Waiver break down jargon in plain English.
Free Online Assessments: Will You Benefit from a Waiver? or Maximizing Your Existing Waiver? help you plot your next move.
Free Respite Care Guide: Because families need breaks, without the stress of finding and vetting providers.
Live Info Sessions: Every couple of weeks, I go live to walk you through what’s really changing in Colorado Medicaid, and what you can do today.
Your Step Forward
If I could go back and whisper advice to the “me” who sat in that silence of confusion, it would be this:
Stop waiting. Get a clear path. Be the one who knows what to do next, because no one else will give it to you.
If you’re ready to step into that clarity, here are two ways to start:
Or take the free assessments on the NDC Resources Page
You don’t have to navigate this alone anymore. NDC is here to walk beside you, every step of the waiver journey.