Friday, November 2, 2012
Social Security
I have applied for Social Security for MaKenna but have been denied because of family income. However, one of my friends told me last week that his son may be eligible for money each month due to being born with a low birth weight. Not sure of the details, but I will be looking into this funding source as soon as I can. I have been told that going into the Social Security office in person to get better service. I know that calling the Washington DC number isn't a fun or fruitful experience (and this is remembering a phone call that occurred over 4 years ago!). I think they have to do a security check when you go in, so be prepared for that, travel lightly as if going to the DMV for your driver's license or car registration. Also, bring your child's and your social security cards just to be safe, they will probably want to see those.
Respite Care for the family
Your service coordinator through Infant Toddler can get your family approved for paid Respite Care. It is another frustrating process as it takes soooo long to get the babysitter paid, but you can use funding set aside for your child for respite care. Which is a nice option. This is until they are 3, then you can get respite funding through the Family Directed Medicaid option or the agency (see post on Children's Redesign below). I liked the Family Directed because then we pick who is babysitting, rather than letting the agency do that. There is a mom in Idaho Falls who told me about this funding system and she has her daughter with an agency. She is very happy with the service providers and it is great for their family. We had a family friend who said that she wouldn't mind helping take MaKenna out into the community for us. That seems like a better fit for us for now. You can chose one option, then change your mind, and chose the other option. That is my favorite part! Flexibility and control!
Children’s Redesign and Family Directed Services
This is for after our children turn 3 years old. Extra funds from Medicaid. It is another hoop-filled process, but more money from the state. You can call the Idaho Care Line to get in touch with the Health and Welfare department to see how much additional funding your child could be eligible for. These funds can be used (upon approval) for ramps for your house, alarm systems for your house, bathroom modifications, etc. Things that help your child stay at home for you to care for them rather than becoming a ward of the state (I guess that is what it would be called), so your child does not need to be institutionalized.
Katie Beckett Medicaid Cost Sharing Program
I didn't know that it was optional for the longest time. I was paying for it out of our flex account through my husband's insurance through his work and then about the fourth "Bill" for installment, it said at the bottom "call this number to opt out". Of course I called the number and then realized that it is a VOLUNTARY program. So of course I opted out once I knew I could do so with no repercussions!
Free Food: WIC
Once you receive approval for Katie Beckett Medicaid, your child is eligible for free food from the WIC office. Women, Infants, Children provide food vouchers to those on Medicaid. Your family may not be eligible, but your child who is on Medicaid is eligible for WIC until age 5. This can add over $50 of free funds to your monthly grocery bill, just depends on the items that you purchase with your WIC checks and the cost of those items. Call the Idaho Care Line at 2-1-1 for WIC contact information.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Reimbursement for Transportation
After your child is qualified for Medicaid with the Katie Beckett waiver, you can get reimbursed for mileage to drive your child to each of their medical appointments. This one can be tricky to get paid for, but with perseverance and PATIENCE it can be done!
The first step is to call the Medicaid Transportation phone number at 877-503-1261, tell them your child is on Medicaid and that you want to be set up to get reimbursed to drive her to her medical appointments. This one is interesting, they cover certain visits but not others. Just last week I called to get approval for the Idaho State University hearing audiology lab, which they have covered for 5 years and they said they didn't cover audiology, but they do cover hearing checks. Say what?! It took 10 minutes to figure that out, patience is a virtue, right? So we go to the university for hearing checks, not to see an audiologist, even though when we go there we see the audiologist. So this is a fun game within a game with them. You have to call and set up the appointments in advanced or they won't reimburse. They will pay for visits to Salt Lake City, etc, under certain conditions too. Again, you have to play their game with them, but it is money that they send you as long as you qualify and jump through their hoops. Sometimes they say that if there is a closer provider for that same service, that you can only get paid for the closer provider transportation. With SLC they can even pay a per diem for your hotel room, I have had them tell me. Naturally I forgot to set the transportation for that appointment up in advance!
The first step is to call the Medicaid Transportation phone number at 877-503-1261, tell them your child is on Medicaid and that you want to be set up to get reimbursed to drive her to her medical appointments. This one is interesting, they cover certain visits but not others. Just last week I called to get approval for the Idaho State University hearing audiology lab, which they have covered for 5 years and they said they didn't cover audiology, but they do cover hearing checks. Say what?! It took 10 minutes to figure that out, patience is a virtue, right? So we go to the university for hearing checks, not to see an audiologist, even though when we go there we see the audiologist. So this is a fun game within a game with them. You have to call and set up the appointments in advanced or they won't reimburse. They will pay for visits to Salt Lake City, etc, under certain conditions too. Again, you have to play their game with them, but it is money that they send you as long as you qualify and jump through their hoops. Sometimes they say that if there is a closer provider for that same service, that you can only get paid for the closer provider transportation. With SLC they can even pay a per diem for your hotel room, I have had them tell me. Naturally I forgot to set the transportation for that appointment up in advance!
Handicapped parking pass
Ask your doctor to write a note that you take to the department of Motor Vehicles for license plates. They will give you permanent disability license plates or a placard that you can hang on your mirror. When we get a safe parking spot for my daughter to be able to walk safely into the store from, we always thank her for the parking pass!
Free diapers
Your child that is covered by Medicaid can have their diapers paid for by Medicaid. Once she turned 4, I had my daughter's doctor write a "prescription" for the pharmacy that I chose to give me her diapers for free. After age 4. The pharmacy has also offered to give me pullups for her, but right now we are keeping with diapers.
National Parks Pass!
Your child with a permanent disability qualifies for a free lifetime national parks pass! That is the most awesome thing I think! You just take a letter from his physician that states your child has Down syndrome (or some other permanent disability), and take it to your local national forest office.
Ask for a Access Pass.
"What is the Access Pass?
A free, lifetime pass - available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability - that provides access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by five Federal agencies."
When I took my daughter to get one it was fun to describe how her condition is permanent. But now she gets us in to all of the national parks for free! For the rest of her life! I think that is awesome and quite a perk! There is no age restriction, they tried to throw that on me and their own documentation says no age restriction. We have always had a yearly park pass to go to Yellowstone, etc, but now we just have our daughter!
Also, Who is admitted with an Access Pass?
The Access Pass admits pass owner/s and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas and pass owner + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, where per-person fees are charged. (Children under 16 are always admitted free.)
Note: Photo identification will be requested to verify pass ownership.
Note: Photo identification will be requested to verify pass ownership.
You just sign it instead of your child until they are of age.
Health Insurance Premium Program (HIPP)
The Health Insurance Premium Program (HIPP) is for designed to reduce the amount of Medicaid funds used to pay for Medicaid client medical expenses. What it means is that they send us money each month that covers my husband's insurance premium as well as the premium that we pay for my daughter for each of my husband's paychecks. I email them a copy of the paystub and they deposit money in our checking account a few days later. Call either 2-1-1 help line for more information, or call 1-866-458-7657 and get the form to fill out.
Idaho Medicaid and the Katie Beckett Waiver
One of the first steps is to get your child on Medicaid through what is called the Katie Beckett waiver. Look up Katie Beckett and you will see the story of the lady who this waiver was named for. In my family's case, this waiver allows us to cover expenses for my daughter without worrying what the financial impact will be to our family's budget. This is the purpose of the waiver. It does not depend on the family's income, but rather, depends on the child's disability.
Here is a link to the application to fill out to receive Katie Beckett:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_K3_DtSrLrcc183Uk4wODE4X2s/view?usp=sharing
About 2 years ago (2010), the Idaho Legislature voted to start a cost-sharing program with this waiver. I paid for a few month's of "bills" and then noticed on the third or fourth "bill" that on the bottom it said something like, "Mark this box if you want to opt out of this cost sharing program" So I marked the box and called the phone number on the "bill" to make sure that this would not impact my daughter's Medicaid coverage. It hasn't from anything I have seen. Also, I was told that it would not impact her coverage. Also, when I did opt in the cost sharing program, I paid through my husband's flex health savings account through his workplace. Since this was for medical expenses, I figured that it should be able to cover the cost-sharing charges.
The Idaho Careline, call 2-1-1, is a great place to start to see what the steps are to get your child on Medicaid through the Katie Beckett waiver. For us, we see a nurse every two or three years for a medical assessment. The Medicaid nurse last year was Jacquelyn Luckow, 239-6272.
Here is a link to the application to fill out to receive Katie Beckett:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_K3_DtSrLrcc183Uk4wODE4X2s/view?usp=sharing
About 2 years ago (2010), the Idaho Legislature voted to start a cost-sharing program with this waiver. I paid for a few month's of "bills" and then noticed on the third or fourth "bill" that on the bottom it said something like, "Mark this box if you want to opt out of this cost sharing program" So I marked the box and called the phone number on the "bill" to make sure that this would not impact my daughter's Medicaid coverage. It hasn't from anything I have seen. Also, I was told that it would not impact her coverage. Also, when I did opt in the cost sharing program, I paid through my husband's flex health savings account through his workplace. Since this was for medical expenses, I figured that it should be able to cover the cost-sharing charges.
The Idaho Careline, call 2-1-1, is a great place to start to see what the steps are to get your child on Medicaid through the Katie Beckett waiver. For us, we see a nurse every two or three years for a medical assessment. The Medicaid nurse last year was Jacquelyn Luckow, 239-6272.
Welcome
This is a blog that I want to send to new parents and parents of children with disabilities to let them know about the options that are available in Idaho. Most of the resources are through the Health and Welfare department, but some are through other departments. I want this to be a way for families to find funding that is available to them through their child. It is not all exhausting and it is what I have found to help our family. If there are other resources out there, please let me know. We parents are all in this together!
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