There is a Central Registry
HCA says a person who needs long-term services but does not currently qualify for full-coverage Medicaid may still be able to obtain a Community Benefit allocation. The agency says there is a registry and that slots are available based on need; it directs people to the Aging and Long-Term Services Department to join the Community Benefit waiting list, called the Central Registry (HCA Community Benefit Program).
The Community Benefit policy manual describes the Central Registry as a database for people interested in Community Benefits who may be eligible for an allocation. It says financial eligibility is determined by HCA’s Income Support Division and medical eligibility is determined through an MCO NF LOC assessment as part of the comprehensive needs assessment (HCA Community Benefits policy manual).
Other HCBS programs have their own rules
New Mexico also has a Developmental Disabilities Waiver. HCA’s current DD Waiver page directs people to the Central Registry and pre-service intake to apply or check status (HCA Developmental Disabilities Waiver page).
HCA’s 2025 proposed Supports Waiver rule explains that the Supports Waiver was developed for people on the DD Waiver waitlist and states that the waitlist exceeded 13 years when the waiver began in 2020. That historical fact is not a current individual wait-time estimate, and the current registry status should be checked directly before planning around it (HCA Supports Waiver proposed-rule notice).
Home care still uses a serious care threshold
Community care is not simply a financial benefit. The Community Benefit policy identifies both financial eligibility and an NF LOC assessment, so an applicant must prepare medical records and functional information as well as financial proof (HCA Community Benefits policy manual).
Key home-care planning point: Community Benefit can support care outside a facility, but an allocation may involve the Central Registry and services require the published financial and NF LOC components (
HCA Community Benefit Program).
Not mutually exclusive. Most families combine two or three funding pillars — this one rarely stands alone.
The
Journey Assessment ranks all ten pillars against your specific situation and
recommends the top three.
