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37.1 Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Waiver Program Introduction 37.1.1 Program Purpose Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) is a Home and Community-Based Waiver (HCBW) Program that enables children and youth with disabilities to live at home and participate in family and community life rather than reside in an institution or nursing home. The CLTS Waiver Program allows Medicaid to pay for supports and services that normally are not covered by Medicaid. The CLTS Waiver Program serves eligible children and youth in the following three target groups: • Developmental disabilities • Physical disabilities • Severe emotional disturbance or mental health disabilities 37.1.2 Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for the CLTS Waiver Program, an individual must meet all of the following: • Be under 22 years old • Meet an institutional level of care, as determined by the CLTS Functional Screen • Meet nonfinancial and financial eligibility criteria for a full-benefit category of Medicaid (see SECTION 21.2 FULL-BENEFIT MEDICAID) • Reside in a setting allowed by CLTS Waiver policy A disability determination is not required for the CLTS Waiver Program. Children in the CLTS Waiver Program qualify for 12 months of continuous Medicaid coverage. If they are disenrolled from CLTS (for example, because they lose their functional eligibility) during their continuous coverage period and they do not qualify for any other form of full-benefit health care, they will keep their HCBW Medicaid and can keep getting Medicaid card services for the rest of their continuous coverage period. If they voluntarily disenroll from CLTS, it will be treated as a voluntary disenrollment from Waiver Medicaid. This page last updated in Release Number: 26-02 Release Date: 04/15/2026 Effective Date: 04/15/2026 37.2 Agency Roles and Responsibilities County waiver agencies (CWAs) complete the level of care assessment and determine functional eligibility for the CLTS Waiver Program. Being enrolled in any form of full-benefit Medicaid (see SECTION 21.2 FULL-BENEFIT MEDICAID) is a prerequisite for participation in the CLTS Waiver Program. If the child is eligible for Foster Care Medicaid, Adoption Assistance Medicaid, SSI Medicaid, or Katie Beckett Medicaid, the child is not referred to IM. For CLTS Waiver Program applicants referred to IM eligibility must first be determined using HCBW Medicaid rules (see SECTION 37.3 HCBW CARES PROCESSING FOR THE CHILDREN’S LONG-TERM SUPPORT WAIVER PROGRAM). If an applicant is ineligible for HCBW Medicaid, they must then be tested for BadgerCare Plus.