About the Autism Waiver
The Autism Medicaid Waiver was developed to help those children with autism who require the greatest vigilance, care, and management. As of July 1, 2001, the Autism Medicaid Waiver is in place in Maryland to provide services for eligible children with autism spectrum disorders ages one to 21 to support them in their homes and communities.
Waiver services are provided at no cost to families. The financial criteria for the Autism Medicaid Waiver considers only your child's income and assets and not your family income.
Because there are more children who meet the eligibility requirements for the waiver than the 900 waiver slots can accommodate, there is a registry for children who would like to apply. You can call 1-866-417-3480 to add your child to the registry of individuals interested in applying for the Waiver when slots become available. After you apply for the registry (or waiting list) for the waiver you should receive a confirmation letter, a Waiver fact sheet, and a Registry Rights and Responsibilities fact sheet. Each July, as slots become available, DHMH will begin to notify families whose children were registered in numerical order.
If a slot opens for your child, you may obtain a Waiver application from your child’s school or the local Infants and Toddlers program. The Autism Waiver application process includes a team assessment of your child’s eligibility for institutional care. Remember, your child must meet the institutional level of care to be accepted into the Waiver. However, this does not mean that your child is at any risk of being placed in an institution! If your child is eligible for the Waiver, you will receive a choice of services. You may accept home and community-based Autism Waiver services (possibly including residential habilitation); place your child at a residential institution called the National Children’s Center, an Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded (ICF-MR) in the District of Columbia; or decline all services.
Medicaid and the Autism Medicaid Waiver are not entitlements. All service providers under the Autism Medicaid Waiver must be licensed Medicaid providers.
· More information about Maryland’s Medicaid Waiver programs can be found through the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene web site.
· The Maryland Disability Law Center offers a guide to the Autism Waiver.
