Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Autism Waiver through Medical Assistance allows eligible children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to receive additional waiver services to support them in their home and community.

On September 1, 2000 DHMH received confirmation from the HCFA that Maryland’s Home and Community-Based Service Waiver for Children with Autism was approved, effective July 1, 2001. The waiver was renewed in August 2004 with revised guidelines, the most significant of which was the removal of day habilitation from the covered services.

This page has recently been updated with the latest information supplied by the Maryland State Department of Education. Many thanks to June Cohen, Marjorie Shulbank, Boyd Pusey, and Ardena Brown for their cooperation.

As of July 2005, all of the 900 waiver slots were filled, and there were over 1100 families on the Autism Waiver Registry awaiting services.

Eligibility for the Waiver in Howard County is determined through Howard County School System Office of Special Education..

Medicaid Services: Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT):

• · Information on Medicaid State Plan Services One of the reasons for getting on the Medicaid Waiver is so you can access general Medicaid State Plan Services through EPSDT (Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment). Apart from services like speech and occupational therapies, Medicaid also covers psychological (including behavioral) services and other support services that a child with autism might need. This information package was developed by the Maryland Disability Law Center and outlines some of the services you are entitled to under Medicaid.
• · The July 2001 General Accounting Office (GAO) Report to Congress on (1) the extent to which children in Medicaid are receiving EPSDT services, (2) efforts that selected states are taking to improve delivery of EPSDT services, particularly within managed care, and (3) federal government efforts to ensure that state Medicaid programs provide covered EPSDT services.

Site developed & maintained by
Howard County Autism Society:
10280 Old Columbia Rd Suite 215
Columbia MD 21046-2378
Tel: 410-290-3466
Fax: 410-290-5455
Last Modified: Friday, June 13, 2008
e-mail: info@howard-autism.org
 

Contacts:

• Number to reach for the Autism Waiver Registry: 1-866-417-3480
• Waiver Providers Serving Howard County (October 2004)
• Waiver Providers and Billing Rates, Statewide (July 2005)
• Local School System Contacts Regarding the Autism Medicaid Waiver (January 2005)
• Local Infants and Toddlers Contacts Regarding the Autism Medicaid Waiver (May 2004)
• Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene - Contacts list
• Maryland State Dept of Education Contacts list

Forms and Instructions:

• The Level of Care Determination Form
• Instructions on filling out the Level of Care Form
• Consent Form
• Eligibility Form
• Environmental Adaptation Form
• Plan of Care Form

Notes and Guides:

• Waiver Statistics
• Maryland Disability Law Center Guide to the Waiver
• Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Page for Children with Special Needs. Has Waiver services brochures available for download