Technology Dependent Waiver

The Technology Dependent Waiver program is responsible for the Medicaid delegated administrative activities for children and families served under the home and community-based waiver program to ensure services and supports are available to safely care for participants at home.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Technology Dependent Waiver Program, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

Be under 21 years of age at the time of admission.

Qualify for Medicaid based on his/her income and assets (parent’s income and assets are not counted in determining the applicant’s eligibility).

Meet admission criteria for nursing facility (NF) care.

Have at least one caregiver trained and available to provide care.

Require skilled nursing and/or rehabilitation services at least five days per week and be dependent on one or more of the following:

a mechanical ventilator;
tracheostomy based respiratory support;
continuous or bi-level positive airway pressure support (C-PAP or Bi-PAP); or
intravenous administration of nutritional substances or or medications through a central line.

Choose to receive home and community-based (instead of nursing facility) services.

Only a limited number of children may be served at any point in time by this program. A child may qualify, but be placed on a waiting list until an opening is available.

In addition to receiving "traditional" Medicaid benefits, recipients also receive the following “waiver” supports and services as needed in order to prevent institutionalization.

Skilled Nursing Respite Care
Provided on behalf of the technology dependent recipient for the purpose of relieving the primary caregiver(s) from the stress of providing continuous care.

Family Support Services
Includes counseling and expressive/child life services provided to the recipient and/or family members to help them cope with the stress that goes with the daily care of their technology dependent family member.

Home Health Certified Nursing Assistant
Provided under the waiver when home health aide services are required in an amount which exceeds state plan limits.

Extended Private Duty Nursing
In-home nursing care authorized for recipients who are no longer Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) eligible but require service amounts in excess of what the state plan benefit allows.

In-Home Feeding Therapy
Assessment and treatment services provided by a speech or occupational therapist to promote oral intake and self-feeding.

Financial Management Services
Authorized in conjunction with waiver services under the approved family-directed services model to facilitate employment of approved and qualified providers by the individual or family.

Family Directed Support
Designed to provide education and instruction for waiver families to ensure they are prepared to manage their own family-directed services and providers.

Home Health Agencies

Qualified waiver providers include Medicaid enrolled, licensed home health agencies which employ or contract with nurses, home health aides, licensed therapists and certified child life providers who are capable of providing services to technology dependent, medically fragile individuals in their homes and other approved community-based settings.

Family-Directed Services

Family-Directed Services means service delivery that is provided through a non-agency based provider. Under this method, families may hire individual employees to perform certain services. The family is then responsible to manage the employee(s) including providing supervision, training, scheduling and assuring time sheet accuracy. The Family-Directed service method requires the use of Financial Management Services to assist with managing employer-related financial responsibilities associated with Family-Directed Services.