Who approves hours for NOW, COMP and ICWP clients in Georgia?
For NOW and COMP, DBHDD’s regional offices pre-approve services, and your agency must be named on the prior authorization. For ICWP, a case manager submits the request, Alliant Health Solutions reviews it, and your agency then submits its own prior authorization request.
These programs do not work like CCSP and SOURCE, so the steps are different.
NOW and COMP (intellectual and developmental disabilities):
- The client picks a Support Coordinator agency.
- The client picks service providers, based on member choice.
- DBHDD’s six regional offices pre-approve (preauthorize) services.
- Your agency must be named on the prior authorization to see the client’s record. You use the IDD Connects portal, which is read-only for providers.
- Provider updates go through the Georgia Collaborative, the state’s administrative services organization (ASO).
ICWP (adults 21 to 64 with severe physical disabilities):
- Alliant Health Solutions does intake and approves the client.
- The client picks a case manager. The case manager sends the DMA-6 form.
- The client picks an agency.
- After approval, your agency sends its own DMA-80 prior authorization request to Alliant.
Both groups use EVV for personal care services in Georgia.
These steps come from the state’s 2022 how-to guide and the DCH fact sheets. Forms and portals change, so confirm the current ones with your DBHDD regional office or in the ICWP manual.
Sources
- Waivers - How To / Where (member and provider access) · Georgia Medicaid (GAMMIS)
- NOW and COMP waiver Medicaid fact sheet · Georgia DCH
- Independent Care Waiver Program fact sheet · Georgia DCH
- Waiver provider enrollment presentation (Oct 2018) · Georgia Medicaid (GAMMIS)
Reviewed by Beth Bledsoe, Care Business Advisor®, 28 Oct 2026. Rules change. Confirm with your state Medicaid agency before you act.
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