Aging Louisianans
Traumatic Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program

Traumatic Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program

The Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund (TBSCI) was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 1993 with Act 654, which imposes additional fees on motor vehicle violations in Louisiana for the offenses of driving under the influence, reckless operation, and speeding. These fees provide the funds for this program.

Louisiana's Traumatic Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program provides services in a flexible, individualized manner to Louisiana citizens with traumatic brain or traumatic spinal cord injuries. The program enables individuals to return to a reasonable level of functioning and independent living in their communities.

What is a traumatic head injury?

An insult to the head, affecting the brain, not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness that results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.

What is a spinal cord injury?

An insult to the spinal cord, not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external physical force resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Eligibility

To be determined eligible for services, an individual must:

Meet the definition of traumatic brain/spinal cord injury as defined (per their treating physician):
- Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury - an insult to the spinal cord; not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external physical force resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia.
- Traumatic Head Injury - an insult to the head, affecting the brain, not of a degenerative or congenital nature, but caused by an external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.
Be a resident of Louisiana and officially domiciled in the state at the time of injury and during the provision of services;
Have a reasonable expectation to achieve improvement in functional outcome with assistance (per their treating physician);
Have exhausted all other Medicare and Medicaid sources (as attested to by the applicant);
Provide proof of denial from other sources (if requested);
Be willing to accept services from an approved facility/program;
Complete and submit the appropriate application for services.

Apply for services

TBSCI services are provided for eligible participants in accordance with each person’s Participant Service Plan (PSP) which results in improvements in each participant’s functioning in their homes and communities related to their injuries.

Services may include, but are not limited to:

Medical evaluations
Post-acute medical care rehabilitation
Rehabilitative therapies
Medications/medical supplies
Personal Care Attendant (PCA) services
Assistive technology and equipment necessary for activities of daily living
Durable medical equipment (DME)
Environmental accessibility modifications and repairs to these modifications
Vehicle accessibility modifications and repairs to these modifications
Transportation for non-emergency medical appointments

The Trust Fund will not provide funding for experimental services. The service providers must be approved by the program, and in-state facilities/programs are given priority for approval as service providers. Services are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Expenditures shall not exceed $15,000 for any 12-month period or $50,000 in total expenditures per individual.

Approval or denial of services is determined by the program manager/administrators based on what is best for the program and the participant. The Trust Fund will not pay for services that are provided by other known sources as attested to by the participant during their Functional Assessment.

Additional Resources

Contact

For more information about the TBSCI Trust Fund Program, call 1-888-891-9441.