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Ohio Medicaid Waivers and Assisted Living

The Assisted Living Waiver, PASSPORT and MyCare Ohio are three different programs. Here is what each actually pays for.

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Short answer

Ohio has no single combined managed-care waiver for seniors. The Assisted Living Waiver pays for care services inside a licensed Residential Care Facility but not room and board. PASSPORT pays for in-home services only. MyCare Ohio coordinates care for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. None of the three pays a family's full monthly assisted living bill.

Three different programs, easily confused

Families researching Ohio senior care funding often assume there is one waiver to apply for, the way some other states run a single combined program. Ohio splits long-term services and supports across three separate programs, two run by the Ohio Department of Aging and one a Medicaid managed care demonstration.

ProgramWhere care happensPays room and board?
Assisted Living WaiverInside a licensed RCFNo — capped resident payment only
PASSPORTAt homeNo — in-home program only
MyCare OhioCoordinates across settingsDepends on the underlying service authorized
How Cleveland families pay for care. Medicare does not cover assisted living. Ohio's long-term supports run through the Assisted Living Waiver, PASSPORT, and MyCare Ohio for dual-eligibles, none of which cover room and board in assisted living. Read the full explanation →

Questions Cleveland families ask

How do I help my parent transition after a dementia diagnosis in Cleveland?

Start with an honest conversation about safety, daily functioning, and the parent's own wishes, and use the diagnosis as an opportunity to establish or confirm powers of attorney while the person can still participate in the decision. From there, evaluate whether in-home support, adult day care, or a memory care special care unit, with its required OAC 3701-16-07(F)(5) disclosure, best matches current needs, since dementia care needs typically evolve over time rather than settling at one level.

What is respite care and how do I access it in the Cleveland area?

Respite care provides short-term, temporary care for a senior so their regular family caregiver can rest, travel, or handle other responsibilities, delivered either in-home, at an adult day program, or as a short overnight stay in a licensed facility. Ohio's PASSPORT waiver covers some respite services for eligible participants, and the Area Agency on Aging serving your county, Western Reserve or Direction Home Akron Canton, can help identify local respite options and any available funding.

What senior care resources exist in Cuyahoga County, Ohio?

Cuyahoga County is served by the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging (WRAAA) and falls under MyCare Ohio's Northeast Ohio region and the Region 10A Long-Term Care Ombudsman, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman of Cleveland. As the region's population center, with about 265,000 residents 65 and older, Cuyahoga also has the largest concentration of assisted living and memory care communities, especially in the East Side inner suburbs and West Side lakefront corridor. The county also runs its own Adult Protective Services line through the Division of Senior and Adult Services, at 216-420-6700.

What senior care resources exist in Lake County, Ohio?

Lake County is served by the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging and is included in MyCare Ohio's Northeast Ohio region and the Region 10A Long-Term Care Ombudsman. With about 24.5% of its roughly 232,000 residents age 65 or older, Lake County has the highest senior population share of this site's seven counties, and it relies on Laketran's Dial-a-Ride and fare-free Seniors on the Go program for transportation, distinct from Cuyahoga's RTA system.

What senior care resources exist in Lorain County, Ohio?

Lorain County is served by the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging and falls under MyCare Ohio's Northeast Ohio region and the Region 10A Long-Term Care Ombudsman. With roughly 72,000 residents 65 and older out of a population of about 323,000, Lorain County has grown modestly in population since 2020, even as some neighboring counties held flat, and its Lake Erie shoreline communities like Avon Lake reflect that growth.

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