Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Maryland program

Ask about complex-care case management

A case manager and additional services for some children with rare, expensive conditions. Maryland calls this the REM program.

What it is

A case manager and additional services for some children with rare, expensive conditions. Maryland calls this the REM program.

A single case manager can help connect care across the hospital, home and pharmacy. REM is a separate program for listed conditions. The oncology team needs to check the exact diagnosis before a referral makes sense.

Eligibility rules
  • The program requires HealthChoice eligibility and a qualifying diagnosis. The referring clinician must sign the intake packet.
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia on its own is not on REM’s list, so most children with ALL will not qualify; a child with another listed condition might. The oncologist can check the list.
What you get
  • A named case manager at no family cost.
  • Additional services outside the ordinary HealthChoice plan.
What the help covers
  • Approval moves the child out of the ordinary managed-care plan and into REM case management.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the oncology team to check the REM diagnosis list for your child's specific condition.
  2. If a referral fits, ask the oncologist to sign the intake packet and have the Medical Assistance card ready.

Maryland Department of Health · 1-800-565-8190 · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • The eligibility decision is due within five business days after the complete application, documents and election arrive. The clock does not start with the first phone call.
Good to know

REM is not a route into Medical Assistance. Your child must already be eligible for HealthChoice.

Other details
  • The REM intake line is 1-800-565-8190. A diagnosis-list refusal is different from missing paperwork.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Is our child's exact diagnosis on REM's list? What would improve or change about their care, and could you help with a referral if the program fits?”

Why I’m asking: I want help keeping hospital, home and pharmacy care connected without assuming a diagnosis qualifies.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Ask the team the diagnosis-list question and chase the referral.

Your social worker

The oncologist signs the referral, which the packet requires.

The care team

The referring provider's signature is required on the intake form.

Who decides
The Maryland Department of Health, within five business days of a complete application.
Ask your social worker
“Is my child's diagnosis on the complex-care programme's list? If it is, can the oncologist sign the referral so we get a case manager?”

How to apply

First step: Ask the oncology team whether your child's diagnosis is on the list, then ask the oncologist to sign the referral.

  1. Ask the oncology team whether your child's diagnosis is on the list.
  2. If it is, ask the oncologist to sign the intake and referral packet.
  3. Call 1-800-565-8190 to check where the referral is.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Call 1-800-565-8190, and ask the oncologist to sign the intake and referral form.

What to gather

  • The Medical Assistance card
  • The oncologist's name and contact for the referral signature

How long: Five business days to decide, once a complete application, the documents and the election are in.

What a yes looks like

A named case manager and a move out of the ordinary managed care plan.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask which part failed. If it is the diagnosis list, ask what else gives care coordination.

Watch out

  • This is not a way in to Medical Assistance; the child has to have it already.
  • REM requires HealthChoice eligibility and a listed diagnosis. ALL is not a stand-alone entry in the October 2024 list embedded in the March 2026 packet; another listed diagnosis can still make a child eligible.
  • The five-business-day clock starts on a complete file, not on your phone call.

Dates that change this

2026-09-10: REM requires HealthChoice eligibility and a listed diagnosis. ALL is not a stand-alone entry in the October 2024 list embedded in the March 2026 packet; another listed diagnosis can still make a child eligible.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

A case manager and a wider service set, decided within five business days of a complete application.

  • $5 — Business days to decide eligibility after a complete application

Covers: One case manager for the child · A wider set of services than the ordinary managed care plan

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Coverage
Must already be eligible for the HealthChoice managed care programme
Diagnosis
The March 17, 2026 intake packet uses an October 2024 diagnosis list. ALL is not a stand-alone qualifying diagnosis there; another listed condition can still qualify a child. Listed Langerhans cell histiocytosis codes C96.0, C96.5 and C96.6 apply at ages 0–64 and are not ALL subtypes. REM checks the actual code, age and HealthChoice eligibility.
Referral
The intake packet requires the referring provider's signature

The trap: REM requires HealthChoice eligibility and a listed diagnosis. ALL is not a stand-alone entry in the October 2024 list embedded in the March 2026 packet; another listed diagnosis can still make a child eligible.

Where I read this

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