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CKSN Update for April 15, 2003 |
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CKSN UPDATE for April 15, 2003 from ABC for Health, Inc. IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Case Tip: Medicaid Exemptions 2. Case Tip: Medicaid Eligibility 3. Family Voices Network News from Nevada 4. New Maternal and Child Health Web Site 5. Resources Book Available 6. New Hotline for Hispanic Families 7. Parents as Leaders Program Announcement 8. Parent Resource Downloads 9. HealthWatch News 1. CASE TIP: MENTAL HEALTH, METHADONE TREATMENT, OR BIRTH TO 3 EXEMPTION REQUEST There are four categories of Medicaid and BadgerCare exemptions that MA recipients can request to opt out of HMO enrollment. It is important that families with special health care needs know about the "Mental Health, Methadone Treatment, or Birth to 3 Exemption". Children requiring intensive in-home or day treatment who are involved with at least two social service agencies, and meet the criteria for being mentally disturbed, may qualify for the mental health exemption. The Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) child can qualify for an exemption while s/he is enrolled in a treatment program. However, afterward the child is expected to return to the original HMO. The Mental health exemption is also for someone with a chronic mental health condition who is newly enrolled in an HMO but already has an established, good, long-term therapeutic relationship with a provider outside the HMO. If it were clear that switching providers would significantly disrupt treatment, the individual may request an exemption. AODA treatment is not approved as a mental health exemption unless the individual is enrolled in a time-limited treatment program. The other exemption that families should know about is the Birth to 3 exemption. This exemption does not require a clinical review; it is more of a clerical issue. Children that are in Birth to 3 can request to be opted out of their designated HMO. The physician usually makes the referral to the patient's parent. The exemption form is to be filled out by the case head (head of household, etc) and the provider. Prior to requesting an exemption, the patient should check with his/her provider to see if they accept another Medicaid or BadgerCare HMO that they can switch into. If anyone has questions, they can contact an Enrollment Specialist at 1-800-291-2002. 2. CASE TIP: MEDICAID/HEALTHY START/BADGETCARE ELIGIBILITY FOR MINORS AND PERSONS AGE 18 Parents are not legally responsible for 18-year-old sons and daughters. Therefore, the Medicaid eligibility of an 18-year-old person living with his or her natural or adoptive parent(s) is not based on the income or assets of the parent(s). Any person, regardless of age, may apply for Medicaid. If the parents don't want Medicaid for themselves, then the minor or the 18 year old may sign the application. When the applicant is a minor, the caretaker's income and assets must be verified and a release of information signed. If someone under age 18 applies for Medicaid and does not live with a qualifying relative, eligibility is based upon that child's income and assets. The case will be referred to the appropriate agency that handles child welfare issues and to the child support agency if the parent is still alive. The parent remains financially responsible for the child. SSI has some similarities to the above guidelines but also major differences. A child's SSI eligibility is based on the parent's income and assets only until the child turns age 18 even if the child lives at home or is still in high school. Minors cannot apply for SSI on their own behalf. Since the income and assets of the parents are evaluated for SSI eligibility of a minor, there is no referral process to the child support agency in the SSI application process. 3. FAMILY VOICES NETWORK NEWS FROM NEVADA In celebration of the Week of the Young Child, the Make A CHOICE Project is launching its multimedia campaign to help Nevada families and professionals include children with special needs in child care and educational settings. CHOICE stands for Children Have Options: Inclusion, Childcare, and Education. This week, a series of public service announcements about quality childcare have been broadcast statewide for a month on English and Spanish television and radio. Each PSA highlights a different aspect of quality childcare, and shows children in child care settings who are from many different cultures and who possess a variety of abilities. The PSAs are produced in English and Spanish and will also be available for viewing on their website at www.makeachoice.org Some materials on the website are also available in Spanish. The Project grew out of a discussion of three parents who were looking for media materials about childcare and disabilities. One of the parents is MARCIA O'MALLEY, Nevada's FV Coordinator and Outreach Specialist for Family TIES of Nevada. She also is a part-time media consultant, a wife and a mother to her 5 year-old son, Ian who has Down Syndrome. Marcia is the Creative Director of the Project and oversees the development of all multimedia materials.FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Marcia O'Malley (familyvoicesNV@aol.com or (775) 784-4921). 4. MCH LIBRARY LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE RESOURCES SITE HRSA-supported Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library Services has launched a new Web site with a broad range of information for MCH health professionals, families and the public. Funded through a cooperative agreement between HRSA and Georgetown University, the site (http://mchlibrary.info/) contains information formerly on the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health site. The new site provides: updated resources; electronic guides to selected resources on hot topics; and MCHLine, the library's online database of print, audio-visual and electronic products funded by HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. 5. RESOURCE BOOK AVAILABLE The New Edition of Children With Special Needs: Applicable Standards From Caring for Our Children is now available. Designed for child care providers, government policy makers, health care consultants, and others who work with children with special needs, this volume is a compilation of all of the relevant standards from Caring for Our Children, 2nd Edition. Included are standards for facility staffing, programming, health promotion, nutrition, medical supplies and equipment, education, and more, as well as appendices with practical information and tools. An American Public Health Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Collaborative Project ISBN 1- 58110-112-0, 121 pages, softcover, 2003 To order this book go to: http://www.aap.org/bst/showdetl.cfm?&User_ID=269593&St=5164&St2=80914506&St3=-45478363&DS_!D+2&Product_ID=3799&DID=15 6. HOTLINE FOR HISPANIC FAMILIES SU FAMILIA--Department of Health and Human Service Secretary Tommy Thompson has announced the creation of the Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (866-783-2645 / 866-SU-FAMILIA). Su Familia will help Hispanic families get basic health information to help them prevent and manage chronic conditions, and refer them to local health providers and federally supported programs including the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The toll-free help line is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Additional information about the Su Familia program is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030312.html 7. PARENTS AS LEADERS (PALS) PROGRAM FORMING FOR 2003-2004 PALS is a group of parents and other caregivers of children with special needs ages six years or younger who get together for five weekends during the year to learn more about leadership and advocacy roles for parents and resources for children with special needs; accessing county and state resources; meeting some key leaders who make policies and run programs that affect your children; working on a project of your choice; and becoming part of a network of parents of young children who are knowledgeable about education, health and social services issues, are active in their communities and support one another. For more information on this free opportunity, contact Beth Swedeen at the Waisman Center, 608.263.6745 or 1.800.532.3321. 8. PARENT RESOURCE DOWNLOADS The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools Parent Resource Center is offering handouts and checklists that you can download free of charge. Some of the topics include playground safety, medical emergencies, school building safety, and counseling help. For this information, go to http://www.healthinschools.org/parents/downloads.htm 9. HEALTHWATCH UPDATES Southeastern Region: CHASE, the Children's Health Access for the Special and Equal, will be holding their next meeting this Thursday, April 17 at 2 pm at the GAMP Auditorium, 9501 West Watertown Plank Road in Milwaukee. For information about this meeting, contact Brad Montgomery at Community Advocates, 414-449-4777, ext. 123. Northern Region: Their next HealthWatch Meeting will be held on April 29 at 10 am. For information, contact Deb Blackstone, Family Resource Connection, 715-365-8030 or by email at dblacks@shsmh.org Western Region: The Western Regional Center held their HealthWatch meeting on March 11, 2003 at the Chippewa County Courthouse. The speaker, DeeAnn Peterson presented on services that are available from NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). Membership to NAMI is also available which includes a very informative newsletter to keep us updated on issues that pertain to Mental Health. The next meeting will be held at the Chippewa County Courthouse on May 13,2003. Topics discussed will be the Family Planning Waiver and the Medical Home. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Rose Marsh at Chippewa County Public Health, 1-800-400-3678 or e-mail: rmarsh@co.chippewa.wi.us The CKSN Update is a bi-weekly electronic newsletter of the Covering Kids with Special Needs project that ABC for Health, Inc. is implementing with its partners, the Title V Children with Special Needs Regional Centers and Family Voices - Wisconsin. If you would like to submit news and information in future CKSN Updates, please send it to the attention of Barbara Katz. All submissions should be limited to 150 words. Barbara Katz, moderator Parent Consultant ABC for Health, Inc. 152 West Johnson Street, Suite 206 Madison, WI 53703-2213 608-261-6939, ext. 207 barbk@safetyweb.org