A B767 CREW IS DISPATCHED INTO RVSM AIRSPACE WITH TCAS INOPERATIVE.

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ENROUTE FROM LAS. OUR AIRCRAFT HAD THE TCAS DEFERRED BEFORE WE LEFT. ON OUR FLIGHT RELEASE; IT SHOWED UP OPERATING AT FL330 FOR THE DOMESTIC PORTION OF THE FLIGHT; THEN DESCENDING TO FL270 PRIOR TO ENTERING CANADIAN AIRSPACE AND FOR THE OCEANIC CROSSING. WE AS A CREW WERE CURIOUS ABOUT OPERATING IN THE HIGHER STRATUM WITH A DEFERRED TCAS. DURING OUR FINAL BRIEFING WITH DISPATCH PRIOR TO DEPARTURE; OUR CAPT MADE A POINTED INQUIRY WITH THE DISPATCHER ABOUT THE SITUATION. THE DISPATCHER WAS QUITE EMPHATIC ABOUT SAYING WE HAD A WAVIER TO OPERATE THE DOMESTIC PORTION OF THE FLIGHT AT THE HIGHER ALTITUDE. AGAIN THE CAPT MADE A POINTED INQUIRY ABOUT THE SITUATION; AND ONCE AGAIN WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE. WHILE IN OUR FINAL SECTOR OF US AIRSPACE; THE CONTROLLER ASKED US ABOUT OUR STATUS CONCERNING THE TCAS. HE TOLD US THAT THE CANADIANS WANTED CONFIRMATION OF OUR TCAS STATUS IN RELATION TO OUR ALTITUDE. WHEN WE CONFIRMED THAT OUR TCAS WAS INDEED INOPERABLE; HE ASKED US WHY WE WERE AT THE HIGHER ALTITUDE. WE THEN RELAYED TO HIM THE INFORMATION GIVEN TO US ON THE WAVIER SITUATION. HE TOLD US HE WAS NOT AWARE OF SUCH A THING AND DESCENDED US TO FL270. UPON ARRIVAL; OUR CAPT SPOKE WITH OUR CHIEF DISPATCHER; WHO TOLD HIM THAT THERE IS INDEED SUCH A WAVIER; HOWEVER; THE DISPATCHER FOR OUR FLIGHT DID NOT FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURE WHICH IN TURN CREATED CONFUSION WITH THE MSP CENTER CONTROLLER.