A waiver is an extra set of Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid Program)benefits that you could qualify for in certain cases. These benefits can help you remain in your home and community. Waivers have extra program rules and some programs may have waitlists.
The waiver for Persons with a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is geographically limited to the Denver Metro Area and there is no waitlist. In 2025, the second iteration of an independent evaluation will be presented to the State legislature that measures the health outcomes, quality of life, and cost expenditures for waiver participants receiving Complementary and Integrative Health Services which includes, acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic services through the SCI waiver. This report will help the legislature determine any changes to the availability of Complementary and Integrative Health Services in the future.
Complementary and Integrative Health Services Guide - September 2018
View the full text of the SCI waiver
Who Qualifies?
The Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Persons with a Spinal Cord Injury helps individuals with spinal cord injuries remain in a community setting.
To qualify for the SCI waiver, you must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Have a diagnosis of a spinal cord injury (See a comprehensive list of diagnoses)
- Have been determined to have a significant functional impairment
- Have been determined to be financially eligible
- If you do not meet the financial requirements, you may be eligible through the Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Working Adults with Disabilities.
- Reside in one of the following Denver Metro Area counties:
- Adams
- Arapahoe
- Denver
- Douglas
- Jefferson
Benefits and Services
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Complementary and Integrative Health Services (Acupuncture, Chiropractic Care, Massage Therapy)
How to Apply
If you are already enrolled in Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid Program), contact your local Single Entry Point (SEP) to start the waiver application process.
If you are NOT yet enrolled in Health First Colorado, apply now.
If you have more questions about this program please contact your local Single Entry Point Agency or the Member Contact Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What if I am currently on the Home and Community-Based Services Elderly Blind and Disabled waiver? Can I transfer over to the SCI waiver?
Yes. Please contact your case manager to let them know you are interested in the SCI waiver. If you meet the eligibility requirements for the SCI waiver, your case manager will discuss with you the specific transfer requirements for their case management agency.
2. What does the transfer process look like?
After you have contacted your case manager and expressed an interest in enrolling on the SCI waiver, your case manager will mail you a Voluntary Withdrawal Form. This form states that you are requesting to withdraw from the current waiver you are enrolled in and want to be transferred to the SCI Waiver. Please sign and return the Voluntary Withdrawal Form as soon as possible. Your case manager will also send your physician a Physician Medical Information Page (PMIP) form to verify your diagnosis of spinal cord injury.
3. Do I need to have another assessment done by my case manager?
After your case manager receives both the Voluntary Withdrawal Form and Physician Medical Information Page, they will contact you to discuss any changes in your needs since your last assessment. Your case manager will be able to confirm this over the phone if your last assessment was completed within the past six months. If you have not had an assessment in the last six months, your case manager will need to schedule a new face-to-face assessment to verify your needs.
4. Who is providing Complementary and Integrative Health Services?
Currently, there are three providers with 4 locations that provide these services:
Neuability
neuability.org
866 E.78th Avenue
Denver, CO 80229
Chanda Center for Health(Lakewood)
iamtheplan.org
1630 Carr Street
Lakewood, CO 80214
Chanda Center for Health (Peak)
iamtheplan.org
3425 S. Clarkson Street
Englewood, CO 80113
Unity Community Acupuncture
www.denverunityacupuncture.com
1355 E. 22nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80205
*Contact your case manager for information and availability for these providers and any new providers that may become available.
5. How do I participate in the independent evaluation of complementary and integrative health services once I am enrolled in the SCI wavier?
National Research Center, Inc. (NRC) is the contractor managing the independent evaluation of complementary and integrative health services. To gather information about the effectiveness of these services, NRC collects evaluation forms from each participant at their first acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic visit and then twice a year thereafter.
It is important for the continued success of the waiver that SCI waiver participants provide feedback through this evaluation process. Participants can fill out the forms through the NRC website. Some participants may receive assistance from providers to complete these forms. The evaluation forms and evaluation collection schedule can be found at nrc-project.yolasite.com/hcbs-sci-evaluation.php