Massachusetts

MassHealth
(800) 841-2900

Waiver(s)

Massachusetts Autism Waiver
Eighty slots are available. In order to be eligible for these expanded autism services, a child must:
• Have a confirmed diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder, which includes Autistic Disorder, PDD-NOS, Rhett’s Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome;
• Be under the age of nine;
• Be a resident of Massachusetts;
• Be eligible for MassHealth standard coverage, based on family income;
• Be able to be safely served in the community.
DMR’s Autism Waiver Program will use an individualized Autism Support Plan of Care to assist families in identifying their children’s needs and the specific services available to address those needs. Services include expanded habilitation-education; respite; family training; and community integration.
Parents and guardians caring for children who meet these criteria are strongly encouraged to apply by submitting a Waiver Program Eligibility Request Form. The application is available in seven languages at www.mass.gov/dmr.

Staff is available to assist consumers in completing the necessary paperwork. Applications can be mailed to: Department of Mental Retardation, Autism Division, Attention: Autism Waiver Program, 500 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118.
Eighty (80) children will be selected through a geographic lottery. Children selected through the lottery will be assessed for financial and clinical eligibility.

For more information about the Autism Waiver Program, consumers should call the Department of Mental Retardation toll-free at 1-888-367-4435

Official Program Name: MA - Individuals with MR/DD (0064.92.R3)
State: Massachusetts
Waiver Authority: 1915 (c)
Date Originally Approved: 7/1/1992
Implementation Date: N/A
Expiration Date: 6/30/2007
Summary: To provide respite, residential habilitation, supported employment, transportation, day habilitation, day services and supports, individual support and community habilitation, family support, personal agent services, assistive technology and transitional services to individuals with MR and DD.

Official Program Name: Massachusetts MassHealth 1115
State: Massachusetts
Waiver Authority: 1115
Date Originally Approved: 04/24/1995
Implementation Date: 07/01/1997
Expiration Date: 06/30/2008
Summary: MassHealth is a statewide demonstration project that makes health insurance available to a number of previously uninsured individuals. Since the demonstration began, the number of MassHealth members has grown over 46.5% to include over 800,000 members. In addition to the traditional Medicaid population, the demonstration provides coverage for the uninsured, the unemployed, the working and non-working disabled, low-income workers and their families, individuals with HIV, and women with breast and cervical cancer. The MassHealth demonstration is also designed to stimulate private employers to offer affordable health insurance to their low-income workers. To this end, MassHealth offers insurance payments to small employers who offer health insurance to low-income workers for which the employers pay at least 50% of the premium. In January, 2005, the demonstration was extended an additional three years, through June of 2008. One of the major differences in this approved extension is the creation of the Safety Net Care Pool (SNCP). The SNCP is a fixed allotment consisting of a combination of demonstration savings and the Commonwealth's DSH allotment. This Pool is available to pay for costs related to providing health care services to the uninsured and unreimbursed Medicaid costs. Also, up to 10% of the SNCP may be used for improvement of the delivery of health care to uninsured populations, such as capacity building and infrastructure.

CMMS