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STAR+PLUS HCBS, Explained

Texas's STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver pays for care services inside a participating assisted living facility -- room and board remains the resident's own responsibility.

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Short answer

STAR+PLUS HCBS, delivered through the STAR+PLUS Medicaid managed care program, is Texas's waiver that pays for care services -- not room and board -- inside a participating assisted living facility or adult foster care home.

What it covers

  • Personal assistance with daily activities, in-home nursing, respite care, emergency response systems.
  • Placement in an assisted living facility or adult foster care home that holds a current HCBS provider agreement.

What it does not cover

Room and board remains the resident's own financial responsibility. Apply through Your Texas Benefits (yourtexasbenefits.com) or by calling Texas 2-1-1; a Texas HHSC caseworker completes a nursing-facility level-of-care assessment as part of eligibility.

Questions families ask

What does assisted living cost in the Fort Worth area?

The 2024 CareScout Cost of Care Survey puts Texas's statewide median assisted living cost at $5,250 a month. No primary source publishes a Fort Worth- or Tarrant County-specific figure separate from that state median, so local pricing likely runs close to or somewhat above it given the metro's growth.

What does memory care cost in Fort Worth?

There is no published memory-care median anywhere in the country -- CareScout does not survey memory care as its own category, in Texas or any other state. Any specific memory-care dollar figure you see online is an estimate or an extrapolation, not a sourced statistic.

How much does in-home care cost in Tarrant County?

The 2024 CareScout survey puts Texas's home health aide median at roughly $28/hour, which works out to about $4,850 a month at 40 hours a week. Non-medical home care (companionship, help with daily tasks) and skilled home health are priced and covered differently, so confirm which you're actually being quoted.

What does a nursing home cost in the Fort Worth area?

The 2024 CareScout Cost of Care Survey puts Texas's median private nursing home room at $7,087 a month statewide. No Fort Worth-specific figure is separately published, and semi-private room pricing (often lower, and often Medicaid-weighted) was not broken out in the most recent survey.

How do families in Fort Worth actually pay when private funds run out?

Options generally include transitioning to the STAR+PLUS HCBS waiver if the community holds a provider agreement, moving to Medicaid-covered nursing facility care, or relocating to a different community that accepts STAR+PLUS HCBS -- ask about this before moving in, not after funds run low.

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