Medicaid waivers for autism in Montana
Montana children, young people and adults with developmental disabilities, including those diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
- Main program
- 0208 Comprehensive Waiver
- Typical wait
- About seven years, with roughly 2,095 waiting
- Administered by
- Montana DPHHS, Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP), with regional offices in Glasgow, Great Falls, Billings, Helena and Missoula, and satellites in Miles City, Bozeman and Kalispell
- Phone
- 406-444-5978
How to get on the list
Call your regional DDP office — Glasgow, Great Falls, Billings, Helena or Missoula, or a satellite in Miles City, Bozeman or Kalispell — or the central office on 406-444-5978, and ask to begin eligibility determination.
Open the official Montana page →Does autism qualify?
Autism is explicitly included. Montana runs a single 1915(c) waiver — the 0208 Comprehensive Waiver — so there is no choice of program to navigate and no smaller alternative waiver to fall back on.
How the waiting list works
Montana is unusually candid in its own documentation, and families should take it at face value: waiver services are limited and are not entitled services for all eligible people. A person may be found eligible and still, in the department's own words, likely be placed on a waiting list. Roughly 2,095 people are waiting, with waits around seven years. Because Montana runs only one waiver, there is no second, smaller program to ask about as an interim — which makes it more important than usual to ask what is available outside the waiver entirely while you wait, through Medicaid state plan services and school-based supports.
- People waitingroughly 2,095
- Typical waitabout seven years
- Entitlementno — eligibility does not guarantee service
What it can pay for
- Community-based supports
- Respite
- Supported employment
- Residential habilitation
- Behavioral supports
- Adaptive equipment and environmental modifications
Montanaproviders & resources →
Local help you can access now, while you wait.
Waivers explained →
What to do while you're on the list, and what to ask.
Sources · last checked August 2026
Waiting lists and eligibility rules change. Always confirm current details with the agency before making decisions. If something here is out of date, tell us.