Need help trying to get Medicare/Medicaid or any government benefits

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I need help. I'm a single, working mom with a 10 year old child in the spectrum. I have been on the Medwaiver list since 2003. I have private insurance wtih my company,however it has gone from covering very little speech & OT, to virtually nothing. Since my daughter's diagnosis I have been paying alot of her therapies including ABA out of my pocket, and it's getting to be a financial burden.

I see a lot of spectrum kids out there, particulary younger kids than mine, with government beneifts such as (Medicare/Medicaid), with parents that are in far better income situations than I am, but yet they qualify for these benefits? How can that be?

I apologize ahead of time, if I offended any one with the last comment. But I feel frustrated, that I have had to pay for so much for so long. I work so hard everyday to make ends meet, and do the best for my child, but perhaps me having a job is what's hurting my child's chances for these benefits. What am I doing wrong? Is there a loophole here that I am unaware of?

Does anyone have any advice on whom I can contact. What can I do? I'm not asking for the government to support us, I just want what's fair.

Please feel free to contact me offlist if necessary.

Thank you all,

AP

[Guest guest]

AP,

I feel your pain. Medwaiver (for which the list is very, very long) is not a family-income-based program, the kids qualify based on their disability and on their own income/assets.

SSI is a family-income-and-disability based program, and includes Medicaid, however the income requirement is quite low, you might check with Social Security what the current limits are.

Regarding therapies, first try to get all you can out of your child's school, and then call 2-1-1 in Broward, they have a wealth of resources and can help you locate if there are still some groups out there (Easter Seals? ) who provide free or lower cost speech, OT or PT. Behavioral therapy (ABA) is going to be more difficult.

Good luck

To: sList Sent: Thu, September 30, 2010 9:29:31 AMSubject: Need help trying to get Medicare/Medicaid or any government benefits

Hello all,

I need help. I'm a single, working mom with a 10 year old child in the spectrum. I have been on the Medwaiver list since 2003. I have private insurance wtih my company,however it has gone from covering very little speech & OT, to virtually nothing. Since my daughter's diagnosis I have been paying alot of her therapies including ABA out of my pocket, and it's getting to be a financial burden.

I see a lot of spectrum kids out there, particulary younger kids than mine, with government beneifts such as (Medicare/Medicaid), with parents that are in far better income situations than I am, but yet they qualify for these benefits? How can that be?

I apologize ahead of time, if I offended any one with the last comment. But I feel frustrated, that I have had to pay for so much for so long. I work so hard everyday to make ends meet, and do the best for my child, but perhaps me having a job is what's hurting my child's chances for these benefits. What am I doing wrong? Is there a loophole here that I am unaware of?

Does anyone have any advice on whom I can contact. What can I do? I'm not asking for the government to support us, I just want what's fair.

Please feel free to contact me offlist if necessary.

Thank you all,

AP

[Guest guest]

I have been able to apply for many scholarships and there are some therapists

who are willing to waive the co-pay of insurances if you share your

situation. I used Easter Seals on scholarship but I think the Broward branch

closed. It wouldn’t hurt to discuss these concerns with your

providers. In this economy, they might be willing to work with you.

I was also told that if you are in crisis and can prove your crisis

with documentation (ie. your child is a danger and you have copies of police

reports to prove his wandering off – or something of this nature) then

you can write a testimonial and submit it with the documentation and get moved

up the list. This is what I was told by Abagail of Agency for

Persons with Disabilities in Palm

Beach County

the other day. I would check with your local APD agency against this and see

if you couldn’t work your way through this route.

Best of Luck!

From:

sList [mailto:sList ] On Behalf Of Karp

Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010

12:35 PM

To: sList

Subject: Re: Need

help trying to get Medicare/Medicaid or any government benefits

AP,

I feel your pain. Medwaiver (for which the list is very, very

long) is not a family-income-based program, the kids qualify based on their

disability and on their own income/assets.

SSI is a family-income-and-disability based program, and includes

Medicaid, however the income requirement is quite low, you might check with

Social Security what the current limits are.

Regarding therapies, first try to get all you can out of your child's

school, and then call 2-1-1 in Broward, they have a wealth of resources

and can help you locate if there are still some groups out there (Easter

Seals? ) who provide free or lower cost speech, OT or PT. Behavioral

therapy (ABA) is

going to be more difficult.

Good luck

From: A P

To: sList

Sent: Thu, September 30, 2010

9:29:31 AM

Subject: Need help

trying to get Medicare/Medicaid or any government benefits

Hello all,

I need help. I'm a single, working mom with a

10 year old child in the spectrum. I have been on the Medwaiver list

since 2003. I have private insurance wtih my company,however it has

gone from covering very little speech & OT, to virtually nothing.

Since my daughter's diagnosis I have been paying alot of her therapies

including ABA

out of my pocket, and it's getting to be a financial burden.

I see a lot of spectrum kids out there, particulary

younger kids than mine, with government beneifts such as (Medicare/Medicaid), with

parents that are in far better income situations than I am, but yet they

qualify for these benefits? How can that be?

I apologize ahead of time, if I offended any one

with the last comment. But I feel frustrated, that I have had to pay

for so much for so long. I work so hard everyday to make ends

meet, and do the best for my child, but perhaps me having a job is what's

hurting my child's chances for these benefits. What am I doing

wrong? Is there a loophole here that I am unaware of?

Does anyone have any advice on whom I can

contact. What can I do? I'm not asking for the government to

support us, I just want what's fair.

Please feel free to contact me offlist if necessary.

Thank you all,

AP