| JurisdictionFederal | StatusIn effect or in use | Key detail5 rows on record. Show all and sourcesFederal Medicare hospice benefit guidanceActive, Implementation Jul 4, 2026 Medicare.gov explains that Part A covers hospice care when eligibility conditions are met, describes two 90-day benefit periods followed by unlimited 60-day periods, lists covered hospice services, and identifies short-term respite care for a usual caregiver. CMS's hospice provider page supplies the current provider and payment-policy anchor. Who it affects: Medicare beneficiaries, terminally ill people, family caregivers, hospice providers Why it matters: Hospice guidance is a high-frequency caregiver need because families must distinguish comfort-focused hospice coverage, respite, uncovered services, and provider-arranged care before a crisis. Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 Federal Medicare hospice benefit statutory authorityEffective, Effective Jul 4, 2026 Section 1861(dd) defines hospice care for terminally ill individuals, including nursing care, medical social services, counseling, physicians' services, and short-term inpatient care for respite, pain control, and symptom management. It also defines hospice program requirements such as 24-hour availability and bereavement counseling for immediate family. Who it affects: Medicare beneficiaries, terminally ill people, family caregivers, hospice providers Why it matters: The caregiver policy corpus needs the statutory basis behind Medicare hospice guidance so summaries do not treat benefit manuals or consumer pages as the source of the underlying federal benefit. Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 Lifespan Respite Care reauthorized through FY2030Effective, Implementation Feb 6, 2026 The program was renewed through FY2030, with language expanding the family caregiver definition from unpaid adult to unpaid individual. Who it affects: family caregivers, youth caregivers, state respite programs Why it matters: Respite is a practical pressure valve for caregivers; the under-18 clarification also makes youth caregiving visible in federal program design. Last reviewed Jun 17, 2026 CMS GUIDE dementia caregiver model implementationImplementing, Implementation Jul 1, 2024 CMS launched an eight-year dementia care model that pays participating organizations for comprehensive care management, caregiver support, 24/7 access, and respite for eligible beneficiaries. Who it affects: people with dementia, dementia caregivers, Medicare beneficiaries, dementia care providers Why it matters: Dementia caregiver burden is shaped by navigation, crisis support, and respite availability, not only by medical visits. Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026 Federal National Strategy to Support Family CaregiversActive, Comments due Nov 30, 2022 ACL made the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers available under the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act process. The Federal Register notice describes the strategy as a national roadmap with nearly 350 federal actions and more than 150 actions for other levels of government and the private sector. Who it affects: family caregivers, kinship caregivers, grandparents raising grandchildren, care recipients, states, community organizations Why it matters: The strategy is the federal organizing layer behind caregiver-support policy: it helps connect respite, outreach, service navigation, workplace support, caregiver assessment, and cross-agency implementation work. Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026
| DateImplementationJul 4, 2026 |
| JurisdictionCalifornia | StatusIn effect or in use | Key detail2 rows on record. Show all and sourcesCalifornia Home and Community Based Alternatives Waiver 1915(c) waiverEffective, Implementation Dec 31, 2027 The Medicaid.gov waiver list shows the California Home and Community Based Alternatives Waiver (0139.R06.00) with status Approved, a CMS approval date of 07/14/2026, an effective date of 01/01/2023 and an expiration date of 12/31/2027. The Medicaid.gov California factsheet says it provides case management, home respite, facility respite, waiver personal care services, family and caregiver training, private duty nursing and continuous nursing services to individuals who are medically fragile or technology dependent, of any age, who meet a hospital, nursing facility, or ICF/IID level of care. The page also lists an Appendix K and its approval letter dated 07/14/2026. Who it affects: medically fragile or technology-dependent people Why it matters: Families deciding whether a California Medicaid waiver can pay for respite, in-home or caregiver supports need to know which approved waiver covers the person they care for and when its approval period ends. Last reviewed Oct 15, 2026 California CalAIM Community Supports and caregiver respiteImplementing, Implementation Jun 18, 2026 CalAIM Community Supports are a Medi-Cal managed-care pathway for non-medical services that can keep people stable at home or after discharge. Who it affects: Medi-Cal members, family caregivers, older adults, disabled people, care managers Why it matters: Families may need help distinguishing medical benefits, social supports, plan availability, and documentation requirements in a managed-care system. Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026
| DateImplementationDec 31, 2027 |
| JurisdictionMaryland | StatusIn effect or in use | Key detailShow details and sources | DateImplementationJan 1, 2026 |
| JurisdictionNew Jersey | StatusIn effect or in use | Key detail3 rows on record. Show all and sourcesNew Jersey disability caregiver services guidanceActive, Implementation Jul 4, 2026 New Jersey's Disability Information Hub offers live assistance for finding disability services, and the caregiver resources page directs families to special education, Statewide Respite Care through ADRC, and personal care assistance information through Medicaid managed care, the Division of Disability Services, MLTSS, and PACE. Who it affects: disabled people, family caregivers, older adults, people with chronic conditions, care recipients Why it matters: This is the official state guidance layer for families trying to find disability and chronic-care supports before they know which program owns the next step. Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New Jersey Alzheimer's Adult Day Services regulationEffective, Implementation Jun 16, 2025 N.J.A.C. 10:164A states that DHS intends the Adult Day Services Program for Persons with Alzheimer's Disease or Related Disorders to provide relief and support to family caregivers through subsidized adult day services. The chapter applies to social adult day agencies and adult day health services facilities operating under a Department letter of agreement, limits the target population to people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, and includes eligibility and appeals provisions. Who it affects: people with Alzheimer's disease, people with related dementia, family caregivers, adult day service providers, older adults Why it matters: The regulation is the operating rule layer behind New Jersey's Alzheimer's adult day subsidy row, and it makes caregiver relief an explicit program purpose. Last reviewed Jul 4, 2026 New Jersey Alzheimer's Adult Day Services subsidyEffective, Implementation Jan 1, 2025 The state program subsidizes participating adult day services and defines eligibility around dementia diagnosis, community residence, caregiver support, and income/assets. Who it affects: people with Alzheimer's disease, people with related dementia, family caregivers, uncompensated caregivers Why it matters: Dementia caregiving often hinges on daytime supervision and respite; eligibility, cost share, and conflicts with other programs need plain comparison for families. Last reviewed Jun 18, 2026
| DateImplementationJul 4, 2026 |
| JurisdictionNew York | StatusLaw, not yet in effectMoving in the last 12 months | Key detailShow details and sources | DateImplementationMay 28, 2026 |
| JurisdictionPennsylvania | StatusIn effect or in use | Key detailShow details and sources | DateImplementationJan 1, 2026 |
