Traumatic Head & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program

The Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund (THSCI) 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 Head & Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program provides services in a flexible, individualized manner to Louisiana citizens with traumatic head 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?

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 diminished or altered state of consciousness that results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.

What is a spinal cord injury?

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 head/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 an 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.

How to apply for services

Call 1-888-891-9441 to apply for services. The application is also available at the following link: THSCI Application for Services

Services

THSCI services are provided for eligible participants in accordance with each person’s Participant Service Plan (PSP) that results in improvements in each participants’ 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