Alliance Behavioral Healthcare to Pilot TBI Waiver

(Durham, NC) – Alliance Behavioral Healthcare was selected in 2016 by the NC Department of Health and Human Services to operate a pilot Waiver for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in its four-county service region. The TBI waiver application was recently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for implementation in late summer 2018.

Alliance is a public behavioral health managed care organization, or MCO, with responsibility for the authorization of services for over 439,000 Medicaid-eligible and uninsured individuals and a population of 1.8 million in Durham, Wake, Cumberland and Johnston counties.

The waiver is designed to provide a variety of community-based rehabilitative services and supports as an alternative to nursing facility care or specialty rehabilitation hospital care for eligible individuals with a traumatic brain injury. It supports rehabilitation and promotes choice and community involvement.

Adults with cognitive, behavioral and or physical support needs, whose injury occurred on or after their 22nd birthday and who need specialty rehabilitation hospital care or skilled nursing care, and who meet financial eligibility requirements, may be eligible to participate in this waiver.

“Alliance joins with the TBI community in welcoming the long-awaited approval of this waiver,” said Alliance CEO Rob Robinson. “It will make available an array of services that provides the potential for people with traumatic brain injury to live independent, satisfying lives. We look forward to collaborating closely with DHHS to create a model that can be successfully replicated across the state.”

People interested in learning more about the waiver and how to apply for participation in the waiver can contact Alliance’s Access and Information line by calling (800) 510-9132. As additional developments in the waiver implementation are finalized over the coming weeks they will be accessible on the Alliance website (AllianceBHC.org) by searching keyword “TBI.”