Free reference material for hospital case managers, SNF social workers, home health clinical directors, and supports planners.
📞 (443) 402-1039We built these because discharge teams kept asking us the same questions about the waiver. Everything on this page is free, has no form in front of it, and is yours to hand to a family. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
No email address required. Direct links.
CFC vs. the Community Options Waiver on one page, including the 30-day nursing facility rule. 2pp PDF.
Written for families — before discharge, first 72 hours, home safety, warning signs. Give this one to the family. 2pp PDF. Also readable online →
Everything we need to start a case, on two pages. Fax or email it back. 2pp PDF.
Prefer the checklist as a web page you can send in an email? It is here.
We staff most cases within 48 hours. If we cannot, you hear from us within 4 hours so you are not holding a bed waiting on us. A fast no is worth more to you than a slow maybe.
A full-time Care Coordinator is assigned to each family, so you have one person to call and the family is not re-explaining their situation to whoever picks up.
We work with DDA, DHS, MCO and state-funded waiver programs, and we maintain OHCQ compliance. Complicated funding is not a reason for us to decline a referral.
Only for one of the two programs.
Community First Choice (CFC) is an entitlement. There is no registry and no slot to wait for — if the person qualifies, services can begin. CFC covers the personal care that most of your discharges actually need: bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility, meals, supervision.
The Community Options Waiver is the one with the registry. More than 20,000 Marylanders were on it in early 2026, with only a few hundred invited to apply each month.
When a family is told “there is a waiting list for Medicaid home care,” that statement is true of the waiver and false of CFC — and families give up on the basis of it. If you can add one sentence to your discharge conversation, make it “ask about Community First Choice by name.”
If your patient is in a nursing facility and Medicaid has paid for at least 30 days, they may be able to apply for the Community Options Waiver without going through the registry.
That turns a multi-year wait into an application. Refer to an options counselor before discharge rather than after — it is much harder to arrange once the person is home.
Full explanation of Community First Choice, the comparison table, and the 30-day rule →
We run a free 30-minute in-service for discharge teams on how the Maryland waiver system actually works — CFC versus the Community Options Waiver, the registry, the 30-day rule, what supports planners do, and where families get stuck. No sales pitch, no sign-up sheet.
We will come to you, and we will bring copies of the quick reference for your team.
Program rules and financial limits change annually. Verify current figures with Maryland Access Point (844-627-5465) or your local Department of Social Services. This page is general information, not legal or benefits advice.