Insurance Information
For many families their child's needs far exceed their insurance coverage. Many families have high co-pays and deductibles or limited coverage that may not pay for physician recommended treatments or services. There are options:
Public Insurance Options: Are you aware of the TEFRA Program? Tefra is a Medical Assistance program for children under the age of 18 with disabilities. Eligibility for TEFRA is based on the child's disabilities and NOT ON the parent's income, although there is a parental fee based on the parent's income.
To learn more about TEFRA: www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=id_007117
United Healthcare Children's Foundation Grants- The United Healthcare Children's Foundation is offering support to meet the needs of children nationwide with assistance grants for medical services not fully covered by health insurance. Parents and caretakers across the country will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $5,000.00 for health-care services that will help improve their children's health and quality of life.
Examples of the types of medical services covered by the foundation grants include speech therapy; physical therapy and psychotherapy sessions; medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids and eye-glasses, and orthodontic and dental treatments. To be eligible for the grants, children must be 16 years old or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, live in the U.S. and be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. For more information, visit: www.uhccf.org
Additional Insurance Information:
A Consumer's Guide to Getting and Keeping Health Insurance in Minnesota: http://healthinsuranceinfo.net/mn.pdf
Errors and Patient Safety:www.ahrq.gov/qual/errorsix.htm
Medical Links to Financial Guides and Information: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/mcshn/finres.htm
Military Personnel:
Medical, Family Support, and Educational Services Are Available for Exceptional Family Members: www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-317R
Other Helpful Information
Minnesota Health Information Clearinghouse
Health Coverage Options
The Minnesota Health Information Clearinghouse provides information and publications on health coverage options. This information can be useful when consumers are looking for health care coverage in Minnesota.
A series of booklets called Health Plan Options (formerly Health Plan Atlas) helps people learn about their health care options so they can make informed decisions. www.health.state.mn.us/clearinghouse/clhlthcov.htm
For Help with your Insurance: PACER Center has a Family-to-Family Health Information Center that can provide information and assistance with understanding insurance coverage and how to file appeals when insurance denies a service which you believe should be covered. To learn more contact the Family-to-Family Health Information Center Staff: 952-838-9000. Web-site: www.pacer.org/health/index.htm
Family Village is a global community that integrates information, resources, and communication opportunities on the Internet for persons with cognitive and other disabilities, for their families, and for those that provide them services and support.
The Family Village web-site includes informational resources on specific diagnoses, communication connections, adaptive products and technology, adaptive recreational activities, education, worship, health issues, disability-related media and literature, and much, much more. www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/
Emergency Preparedness for Children with Special Health Care Needs: Because of the complex and varied needs of children of childen with special health care needs and disabilities they are often lost in the cracks between the specialists and the primary care medical home. When a crisis occurs and children with special health care needs must access the emergency system, they are often left vulnerable because of a lack of access to information about their medical problems. There can be delays in treatment, unnecessary tests, and sometimes serious errors as a result of lack of access to information available to the treating emergency physician.
To facilitate prompt and appropriate emergency care for children with special health care needs, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) have developed an Emergency Information Form which can be used as a tool to transfer critical information about these children. www.aap.org/advocacy/emergprep.htm
ADAparatransit service is public transportation for certified riders who are unable to use the regular fixed-route bus due to a disability or health condition.
DisabilityInfo.gov. You can access the info with this link: www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/FindSL.do?categoryId=126&stateId=32&search=Search
Patient safety is the freedom from accidental injury due to medical care or from medical error and is recognized as an important issue in health care, particularly for our most vulnerable population -- children. The conclusions drawn by recent studies on the incidence of medical errors in pediatrics, including medication and non-medication errors, are disturbing and might lead you to wonder what you can do to ensure the delivery of safe health care to your patients.
The Safer Health Care for Kids program is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for physicians, allied health professionals, administrators, parents, and caregivers, who share this commitment.
Be sure to visit the Safer Health Care for Kids website at www.aap.org/saferhealthcare.
Tips For First Responders, an 11-page, color-coded, laminated 4.5 x 5.5-inch field guide offers information on how to assist persons with a wide range of disabilities. These tip sheets provide information about many types of disabilities you can use during emergencies as well as routine encounters. They are not meant to be comprehensive, but contain specific information that you can read quickly either before or while you are actually responding to an incident. http://cdd.unm.edu/products/TipsForFirstResponders.htm
The National Family Voices Legislative Action Center can be utilized to become informed of policy issues related to children with special health needs. It is fast, easy and efficient: capwiz.com/familyvoices/home
Minnesota survey reveals public favoring full integration of people with developmental disabilities-The attitudes of the general public toward people with developmental disabilities and the roles they should play in society have changed dramatically over the past 45 years, with solid majorities favoring broader community integration, as reported in a just-completed opinion survey of Minnesota residents. Conducted by MarketResponse International, the study was prepared for the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, with interviews conducted in January and February, 2007. Press Release. www.mncdd.org/
"With an Eye to the Past," prepared by the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities celebrates the contributions Minnesotans have made to improve the care and quality of life of thousands of Minnesotans with developmental disabilities: www.mncdd.org/past/index.html
Partners in Policymaking was created in Minnesota by the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in 1987. Partners is an innovative, competency based leadership training program for adults with disabilities and parents of young children with developmental disabilities: www.partnersinpolicymaking.com/
New Reports Shared by Families USA
Families USA has collected information on several new reports and resources that you may find interesting and useful. From the Kaiser Family Foundation, Covering the Uninsured: Growing Need, Strained Resources explains the continued increase in the number of uninsured Americans and examines how federal programs have struggled to stem these increases. State of the States: Building Hope and Raising Expectations reports that state leaders are increasingly willing to address the rising number of uninsured Americans and are investing in efforts to expand coverage. It outlines the specific developments in a few key states, and it identifies trends that many new state plans have in common. To read these and many otherreports from Families USA: www.familiesusa.org
Spanish Language Website for Families of Children with Autism Launches: We are pleased to share with you the launch of a new Spanish language website by families for families of children and youth with autism— Manitas por Autismoat www.manitasporautismo.com The mission of this website, created by Maria Abinader, a Support Parent and Peer Consultant for the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), for Latino families, is to share information, hope, guidance and resources with Latino families; to promote understanding of autism; to create a data base specific to autism; and to defend the rights of children and youth with autism. By helping Latino families exercise their lawful rights for their children and for themselves we are working towards eliminating disparities in the health and educational system. A directory with links to programs for children with autism in New Jersey, USA and Spanish speaking countries, a parent forum and many additional resources are available through this website. Be sure to share this exciting new website with others.