This is the real 2026 picture for texas star+plus hcbs medicaid waiver in Richardson, Dallas County — real local numbers and how families here actually pay, not a national average.
The local picture in Richardson
Richardson straddles the Dallas–Collin county line along the US-75 corridor, an established suburb with a solid mix of assisted living and memory care near CityLine and Canyon Creek.
Richardson sits in Dallas County. Nearby hospitals include Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Texas Health Presbyterian Plano, which matters for discharge planning and for staying close to a parent's doctors. Families here commonly focus on areas such as CityLine, Canyon Creek, Cottonwood Heights, Downtown Richardson. Richardson communities generally price near the metro median.
Ways to pay in Richardson
Most families layer several sources rather than relying on one. Private savings and Social Security tend to lead the way, and a long-term-care insurance policy picks up next when the family holds one. Wartime veterans and surviving spouses should check VA Aid & Attendance through the Dallas VA Medical Center. And Texas's STAR+PLUS Medicaid (including the HCBS waiver) can cover care services — though not room and board — for seniors who meet the functional and financial tests, after an HHSC medical-necessity assessment. Richardson communities generally price near the metro median.
A free advisor can sort out which of these your family actually qualifies for, and which Richardson-area communities will take them.
What shapes texas star+plus hcbs medicaid waiver here
The STAR+PLUS program is Texas's main public path to help with long-term-care costs, delivered through the STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver. Eligibility has two tracks — an HHSC medical-necessity / level-of-care assessment confirming a nursing-facility level of care, and a financial test — and because it's a waiver rather than an entitlement, there can be a waitlist that prioritizes the most urgent cases. It's delivered through managed-care organizations such as Molina, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Superior HealthPlan, and Aetna Better Health.
What to do next
You don't have to sort this out alone. Get in touch with a free Dallas Senior Advisor advisor, and we'll match you to one to three vetted options.
