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Managed Care for Medicare/Medicaid Dual-Eligibles in Indiana

Indiana coordinates long-term services and supports for seniors through managed care under the PathWays for Aging program, launched July 1, 2024.

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How Indiana coordinates care for dual-eligibles

Short answer

Indiana restructured how it coordinates Medicare and Medicaid long-term services and supports for seniors on July 1, 2024, when the Indiana PathWays for Aging program launched and split the former Aged & Disabled Waiver into the PathWays Waiver (60+) and Health and Wellness Waiver (under 60).

What PathWays for Aging coordinates

The program is designed to bring managed-care coordination to long-term services and supports for Hoosiers 60 and older, working alongside Medicare rather than replacing it. Because this is a relatively new structure (launched mid-2024), families should confirm current plan details and any further changes directly with FSSA or CICOA rather than relying on older descriptions of Indiana's Aged & Disabled Waiver, which PathWays replaced.

Where to get current, local answers

CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions provides local PathWays case management for every county this site covers and is the most reliable source for how the program is actually functioning in this metro right now.

Questions families ask

What's the difference between independent living and assisted living in Indiana?

Independent living is generally unlicensed housing -- apartments or cottages with dining and activities but no personal care. Assisted living communities in Indiana are licensed as Residential Care Facilities and provide medication administration and help with daily activities.

What's the difference between assisted living and memory care in Indiana?

Both can be licensed as Residential Care Facilities, but a memory care unit must also file Indiana's Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure under IC 12-10-5.5 and meet dementia-specific staff training requirements. There is no separate state cost median for memory care, unlike assisted living.

Is in-home care or assisted living cheaper in Indiana?

It depends on hours needed. At Indiana's 2025 median of $35 an hour, a 40-hour week of home care already costs more than Indiana's assisted living median of $5,639 a month. Below roughly 30-35 hours a week, home care is often cheaper; above it, a community usually wins.

What's the difference between a nursing home and assisted living in Indiana?

A nursing home is licensed in Indiana as a Comprehensive Care Facility, providing 24-hour skilled nursing care and carrying a federal CMS star rating. Assisted living is licensed as a Residential Care Facility, a lower level of care with no CMS rating.

What's the difference between hospice and palliative care?

Palliative care focuses on symptom relief and quality of life, and can run alongside curative treatment at any stage of an illness. Hospice is for a life-limiting illness when a physician expects six months or less if the disease runs its normal course, and generally means curative treatment has stopped.

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