Partially. The STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver covers assisted living care services but explicitly does not cover room and board, which comes from the resident's own income. You must meet nursing facility level of care, income under $2,982 monthly, and assets under $2,000, and usually wait on an interest list.
The detail behind the number
Partially, and the gap is specific. STAR+PLUS covers the care services delivered inside a licensed assisted living community. It does not cover room and board, which Medicaid treats as the resident's own responsibility, paid from Social Security or pension income less the personal needs allowance.
The second constraint is contractual. The community itself must hold a contract with the managed care organisation, and a meaningful share of Austin-area assisted living does not. A family can be financially eligible and still find that the building they chose will not accept the waiver.
Ask any community you are seriously considering two questions: do you contract with STAR+PLUS, and how many current residents are on it. The second answer is the honest one.
Related questions
- Does Medicare pay for assisted living in Texas?
- What's the Medicaid income limit for a nursing home in Texas in 2026?
- How much money can my spouse keep if I go into a nursing home in Texas?
- How much spending money does a Texas nursing home resident keep?
- Will Texas take my mother's house after she goes on Medicaid?
- Does Texas have a state program that pays for assisted living?
- How do I get on the STAR+PLUS waiver list in Austin?