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Funding a GPS tracker in North Carolina

In North Carolina, the NC Innovations waiver is the Medicaid program for children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, managed locally by four LME/MCOs. Its assistive technology service lists alert and monitoring systems. This page explains who can apply, how the waitlist works and what to ask. It is general information, not advice.

Last updated 7 October 2026. Written by StepSafe, which sells a GPS tracker for children who wander, so read the product parts with that in mind.

Read this first

This is general information, not legal or medical advice. We are not benefits advisors and we have no relationship with any program named here. No product of ours is covered, approved or endorsed by any of them, and we cannot tell you whether your child qualifies.

Programs change. Treat this page as a list of questions to ask, confirm everything with the agency before you spend money, and keep your receipts.

Last checked: 7 October 2026. That is the date we last read the official pages linked below.

Programs in North Carolina to ask about

None of the official pages we read names GPS trackers for children who wander. What they do list are services such as assistive technology, adaptive aids, specialized equipment and personal emergency response systems. Those are the words to use when you ask.

NC Innovations waiver

NC Medicaid (NCDHHS), managed by Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs)

The NC Innovations waiver covers home and community-based services for children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, including help with daily activities, changes to make a home or car accessible, and assistive technologies.[1]

People on the waiver get a Tailored Care Manager to help them navigate services.[5]

Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your coordinator. We did not find an official page that names GPS trackers for wandering.

Assistive Technology Equipment and Supplies

NC Innovations waiver service, authorized through your LME/MCO

NC Medicaid describes this service as covering costs for items that help with everyday tasks, such as communication devices and smart home technology.[5]

The approved waiver lists "Alert and Monitoring Systems" among the categories the service covers, and files it under federal service categories that include personal emergency response systems (PERS). Monitoring systems using video, web cameras or other technology are available case by case when the person and support team agree it meets their health and safety needs, and only with full consent from the person and their guardian.[6]

Conditions apply. Medical necessity must be documented by a physician, physician assistant, doctor of osteopathic medicine or nurse practitioner; a written recommendation from an appropriate professional is needed; and the Individual Support Plan must include a plan for training. The waiver's spending limit for this service does not include monthly alert monitoring or connectivity charges. People under 21 get durable medical equipment through the State Plan under EPSDT.[6]

Safety devices: May cover safety or assistive technology; ask your care manager. The waiver lists alert and monitoring systems but does not name GPS trackers, so whether one fits is the program's decision, not ours.

North Carolina Assistive Technology Program (NCATP)

North Carolina's Assistive Technology Act program, in NCDHHS

NCATP provides device demonstrations, short-term device loans and reuse of assistive technology for people of all ages, from 9 centers across the state, and is launching an online lending database called AT4ALL.[7] We have not confirmed whether it lends GPS trackers.

Safety devices: Lends and demonstrates assistive technology; ask whether a locating device is available to try.

Who qualifies, in general terms

The NC Innovations waiver is for North Carolinians of all ages who have an intellectual or developmental disability or a related condition, such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or epilepsy, and who need a lot of support now and in the future.[2]

The technical requirement is meeting ICF-IID level of care, but you do not need to know whether your child meets it to apply.[2]

Anyone can apply regardless of age, income or insurance, and you do not need NC Medicaid to apply. The waiver does not consider some usual Medicaid rules, like the family's income.[1],[2]

Only the agency can decide whether your child is eligible. These are the general rules as published, not a test you can apply yourself.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Apply as soon as your child has a diagnosis. Find the LME/MCO that serves your county with the LME/MCO directory, or call the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services Customer Service Team at 1-855-262-1946.[3]
  2. Call your LME/MCO and ask to apply for the NC Innovations waiver. The application used to be called the Registry of Unmet Needs application. You will get a letter in a few weeks saying whether your child is on the waitlist, and you can appeal a denial.[3]
  3. Each county has its own waitlist, and people who have waited longest are usually served first. A limited number of reserve slots are kept for extraordinary circumstances or emergencies, so ask your LME/MCO whether your situation qualifies, especially if it has changed.[4]
  4. If your child has NC Medicaid, ask your LME/MCO about 1915(i) services while you wait. Your spot on the waitlist is not affected.[1],[3]
  5. When a slot opens, your Tailored Care Manager is the main point of contact.[5] Ask for the wandering risk to be in the Individual Support Plan and for Assistive Technology Equipment and Supplies to be considered.
  6. While you wait, ask NCATP whether you can borrow or try a device.[7]

What to ask your case manager or service coordinator

Questions to take to the meeting

  • Could a wearable locating device be requested under Assistive Technology Equipment and Supplies as an alert and monitoring system?
  • If so, could the monthly monitoring or connectivity charge be paid too?
  • Does my child's wandering count as an extraordinary circumstance for a reserve slot?
  • What documentation do you need from my child's doctor or therapist about the wandering?
  • Do you need quotes, a product description, or a specific vendor?
  • Does the program pay for an ongoing service plan, or only for the device?
  • If it is not approved, can I have the decision in writing, and how do I appeal?

For a sample request letter and a note on how wandering is recorded in a medical file, see what to say when you ask.

Programs change

Waiver services, eligibility rules and application steps are updated regularly. We last read these pages on 7 October 2026. Before you rely on anything here, confirm it with the agency or your coordinator. If you find something out of date, email support@stepsafekids.com and we will fix it.

Other states

Not listed? Read the United States overview for the routes that exist in every state.

What we make

StepSafe makes a clip-on cellular GPS tracker for children who wander. StepSafe ships in early 2027. Nothing on this page means any program will pay for it.

See the shop, or start with our free safety toolkit, which works whatever device you choose.

Sources

  1. NC Medicaid: NC Innovations Waiver
  2. NC Medicaid: Eligibility for the NC Innovations Waiver
  3. NC Medicaid: How to Apply for the NC Innovations Waiver
  4. NC Medicaid: About the NC Innovations Waiver Waitlist
  5. NC Medicaid: NC Innovations Waiver Services
  6. NC Medicaid: Application for 1915(c) HCBS Waiver NC.0423.R04.03, effective 1 August 2025 (PDF)
  7. NCDHHS: North Carolina Assistive Technology Program

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