Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

Childhood Cancer Lantern
Search Saved

Texas program

Join the waiting list for long-term home care (MDCP)

Long-term help with caregiver breaks, equipment and home changes for children with substantial nursing needs.

What it is

Long-term help with caregiver breaks, equipment and home changes for children with substantial nursing needs.

MDCP has an interest list before services can start. Joining the list does not establish medical eligibility. Ordinary Medicaid nursing and personal care have a separate route while a child waits.

Eligibility rules
  • The child must be under 21 and meet nursing-facility medical necessity. TMHP uses the STAR Kids assessment to decide.
  • The child-only financial budget is $2,982 monthly income and $2,000 resources, or Medicaid already in place.
  • There were 7,239 children on the interest list on July 31, 2026. That count does not predict an individual waiting time.
What you get
  • Respite care and flexible family support after an opening and approval.
  • Adaptive equipment and minor home changes.
What the help covers
  • Services begin only after release from the list, financial review and medical approval.
  • Home nursing and personal care can be regular Medicaid benefits; they do not require an MDCP opening.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask your social worker to help you join the MDCP interest list at 877-438-5658 if you choose.
  2. Keep the registration date and contact information together. At release, ask the clinic to describe daily skilled care.

Interest list 877-438-5658

After you apply
  • HHSC Program Support controls entry and finances. The plan assesses care needs when an opening becomes available.
  • Letters go to the address on the registration. In July 2026, 28% of list closures were for no response to a letter.
  • After release, the assessment period is 60 days. The medical-necessity finding lasts 120 days.
Good to know

A leukemia diagnosis or a port alone does not meet the nursing-facility test.

Other details
  • Care needs can change during treatment. A release during maintenance still requires current evidence of nursing-facility care needs.

Federal background: Medicaid home-care programs (waivers).

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Is joining the MDCP list worthwhile for our child, and what home-care help could we get while waiting? Could you help us separate those requests?”

Why I’m asking: I want help with care at home without mistaking a waiting-list place for services.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Call 877-438-5658 today, write down the date, keep your address current, and answer every letter.

Your social worker

Registers the child with you and, at release, helps document skilled tasks.

The care team

At release, describes daily skilled care, deterioration risk and equipment in writing.

Who decides
HHSC Program Support Unit controls entry and finances. TMHP decides medical necessity from the plan's assessment
Ask your social worker
“Can you help me register for the MDCP list today, and separately ask our plan for a home nursing and personal care assessment now?”

How to apply

First step: Call 877-438-5658 today and ask for MDCP interest-list registration. Write down the date.

  1. Call 877-438-5658 today and register.
  2. Keep the address current. Answer every HHSC letter.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Interest list 877-438-5658

What to gather

  • Child's name, date of birth and Medicaid number if any
  • Your address and phone
  • Later, at release: a log of skilled tasks and the equipment list

How long: Expect a wait. In July 2026, 63% had waited under one year and 37% one to two years. After release: a 60-day assessment. The medical-necessity finding lasts 120 days.

What a yes looks like

A release letter, then a plan assessment (SK-SAI) and a TMHP medical-necessity decision. Approval names services and a budget, not cash.

What a no looks like, and the next move

“Does not meet medical necessity” is the most common denial. Regular home services through STAR Kids continue regardless.

Watch out

  • Do not wait for MDCP for nursing or personal care: those are regular Medicaid benefits through STAR Kids once MBIC, SSI or Children's Medicaid is in place.
  • Keep your address current and answer every letter. In the July 2026 report, 28% of list closures were for no response to a letter.
  • A leukemia diagnosis, a port and a chemo calendar do not meet the nursing-facility test. A release during maintenance usually ends in a denial.

Dates that change this

2026-08-14: PSU handbook revised August 14, 2026 (PDPM-LTC classification).

2026-07-31: 7,239 on the list at July 31, 2026 (HHSC workbook); refresh monthly.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 8, 2026.

What it is worth

Respite, flexible family support, adaptive aids and minor home changes for a child who meets nursing-facility level of care, once released from a list of 7,239 (July 31, 2026).

  • $7,239 — Children on the MDCP interest list at July 31, 2026

Covers: Respite · Flexible family support · Adaptive aids · Minor home modifications · Transition assistance

What it costs the family: No cost. Services, not cash.

The eligibility facts, as published

Age max exclusive
21
Level of care
nursing-facility medical necessity (TMHP, from the MCO’s SK-SAI assessment, PDPM-LTC)
Financial
child-only budget: $2,982 income / $2,000 resources, or Medicaid already in place
Entry
interest-list release

The trap: Do not wait for MDCP for nursing or personal care: those are regular Medicaid benefits through STAR Kids once MBIC, SSI or Children's Medicaid is in place.

Where I read this

← Back to your options