New Opportunities Waiver (NOW)
The Louisiana New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) is a 1915 C Waiver and is designed to provide Home and Community Based Waiver Services to recipients who otherwise would require the level of care of an Intermediate Care Facility.
The NOW was created to utilize the principles of Self Determination to supplement natural and/or community supports while promoting dignity, self-respect, quality of life and security in the everyday lives of people while maintaining community placement.
Services to be provided are based on the need of the recipient and are developed using a person centered approach. The person-centered approach is coordinated by the recipient’s support coordinator and is individualized for each recipient. NOW services are provided based on need and must be specified in the recipient’s Comprehensive Plan of Care (CPOC). NOW services are provided as a supplement to regular Medicaid State Plan services and natural supports. NOW services should not be viewed as a lifetime entitlement or a fixed annual allocation.
NOW recipient services are initially accessed through the recipient’s support coordination agency. Agencies are selected through a Freedom of Choice process. Agencies are listed alphabetically so go to S’s for Southern Ingenuity. Support Coordination is not a NOW service but is required for participation in waiver services.
To Qualify for NOW services, a recipient must be at least three years of age or older, offered a waiver slot and meet all of the following requirements:
- MR/DD as defined in L.R.S. 28:380
- Be on the MR/DD request for services registry
- Meet financial eligibility for Medicaid
- Meet medical certification eligibility
- Meet the health and welfare requirements
- Meet the ICF/MR Level of Care. The ICF/MR level of care requires active treatment of mental retardation or a developmental disability under the supervision of a qualified mental retardation or developmental disability professional
- A resident of Louisiana
- Be a citizen of the United States or qualified alien
There are 8-10 Thousand people on the waiting list, but do not let that be a deterrent to getting your name on the list also. You have to start somewhere.