(1) If you think you are on the wait list for the waiver, think again. You must have in your possession a letter from your LME/MCO (e.g., Alliance Health) indicating your child is on the wait list (now called the Registry of Unmet Needs). The letter should be dated and the address CURRENT. If you have moved and your forwarding service has expired you won’t see the letter they send saying you’ve been tapped to get the waiver!
(2) If you are indeed on the wait list, there are new and relatively generous services you can access through what’s called 1915(i). Call your LME/MCO and ask to get the required pre-assessment. (If you were previously getting “B3” services, those are now gone and you’ll have to be re-assessed for 1915(i).)
(3) If you have the Waiver, or are on the wait list, you should have by now chosen or been assigned a Tailored Care Manager (TCM). The TCM is supposed to be your main point of contact–your advocate for finding services. A lot of LME/MCOs have initially assigned one their own employees to be the TCM, but you can choose another one from a certified provider of TCM services. Those are probably better for you since they are not inside the same agency that could be denying you services. There are many to choose from (e.g., the Arc of NC). Eventually, the LME/MCOs are supposed to be out of the business of TCM.