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CKSN Update for August 1, 2004 |
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CKSN UPDATE for August 1, 2004 ABC for Health, Inc. IN THIS ISSUE: 1. Case Tip: Children on Katie Beckett eligible for WIC 2. Web prior authorization 3. Live Talk show on Disabilities hits the airwaves 4. Employability Skills Training and Implementation Program 5. New free newsletter from NCWD/Youth 6. DoD funding includes autism research 7. HealthWatch Updates and Contacts 8. Suggestions for the Update? Contact Us! 9. Where Will You Be on October 14? 10. ABC for Health Silent Auction needs items 1. CASE TIP: Did you know that Katie Beckett kids automatically qualify for WIC? Children on Katie Beckett are automatically eligible for WIC. Income is not a factor and nutritional need is not a factor. Children on Katie Beckett are eligible through "adjunctive eligibility." You get adjunctive eligibility if you are: "a) certified as fully eligible to receive benefits from any one of the following programs - Food Stamps, Medicaid (including Healthy Start and BadgerCare), Kinship Care, Wisconsin Works (W-2), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. The individual is not required to participate in the program(s) to use it for adjunctive income eligibility for WIC. b) have documented presumptive eligibility for Medicaid or W-2." A family with a child on Katie Beckett applying for WIC will need to provide proof of adjunctive eligibility. This could be the decision letter that they got from Medicaid, telephone or online access to their Medicaid info that says they're eligible, records showing that they're enrolled or a letter from their social worker. If the family is adjunctively eligible, then the WIC worker is going to ask for their income verbally, so they can put it in the computer, but they're not supposed to ask for verification nor are they permitted to deny on that basis. For more info, check out the relevant chapter of the WIC manual at http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_info/BFCH/WICPRO/pdf_files/OpsManl/pol2 _3.pdf _____________________________________________________________________ 2. Web prior authorization Effective July 12, 2004, Wisconsin Medicaid will accept prior authorization (PA) requests via the Medicaid Web site for the following selected services: Birth to 3 (B-3) therapy services. Disposable medical supplies. Durable medical equipment for orthotics, oxygen and oxygen- related services, prosthetics, shoes, and wheelchair services. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language pathology services for spell of illness. Physician services. Vision services. Providers of these service areas will be able submit a Prior Authorization Request Form (PA/RF) and service-specific PA attachment via the Web to Wisconsin Medicaid. Birth to 3 therapy service providers will receive a real-time decision via the Web for approved PA requests. These services were selected for Web PA because the PA request submitted to Wisconsin Medicaid requires minimal information or limited documentation which can be easily submitted using a Web application. Wisconsin Medicaid will evaluate submission of other services via the Web in the future. For more information on submitting PA requests via the Web, refer to the following Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare Updates: June 2004 Update (2004-52), titled "Submission and Approval Process for Prior Authorization Requests via the Web for Birth to 3 Therapy Services." June 2004 Update (2004-53), titled "Submitting Prior Authorization Requests via the Web for Selected Services." For users who want step-by-step instructions on submitting PA requests via the Web site, they will have access to a complete tutorial. There will also be a "Help" link at the top of each screen of the Webpage which will give the user a brief explanation about a specific area. http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/medicaid4/webpa/Web Prior Authorization - Introduction _____________________________________________________________________ 3. Live talk show on disabilities hits the airwaves BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Disability News and Views, Western New York's only live talk show about living with disabilities, is for the first time bringing critical information to parents and families of the disabled as well as to those with disabilities themselves. Broadcast on Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m., on WXRL 1300 AM the show provides information to families affected by disabilities on a broad range of topics that includes legal issues, diagnoses, the search for causes of disabilities, special education and the whole gamut of treatments, ranging from the traditional to alternative therapies. The show's moderator and developer is Monica Moshenko, the mother of a child with Asperger Syndrome and director of Power Advocates, a nonprofit organization designed to assist parents of children with special needs through the special education system -- click here to learn more: http://www.ideallives.com/news.php _____________________________________________________________________ 4. Employability Skills Training and Implementation Program The Employability Skills Training and Implementation Program (ES- TIP) is a software-based learning system that helps consumers with little to no work experience and/or academic skills build self- esteem, work ethics and workplace success. Originally developed by the Florida Department of Education, ES-TIP addresses the skills and knowledge necessary for an effective job search while promoting positive strategies and attitudes essential for job retention and career advancement. For more information go to the Vocational Research Institute's web page: http://www.vri.org _____________________________________________________________________ 5. New free newsletter from NCWD/Youth Intersection, a new free electronic newsletter for and about the workforce development system and working with youth with disabilities is available through the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) website at http://www.intersectionnewsletter.org/intersection. This website also includes useful information for youth with disabilities, families of youth with disabilities, workforce development professionals, youth service providers, employers and policymakers. To sign up to receive Intersection, go to: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/intersection/signup_form.php ____________________________________________________________________ 6. Department of Defense funding includes autism research On Thursday night, July 22nd, both the House and Senate passed the fiscal year 2005 Defense Appropriations Conference Report and, thanks to the efforts of NAAR volunteers and the autism community, it included a line item for autism research. http://www.naar.org/govt/render_leg.asp?intNewsItemID=174 _____________________________________________________________________ 7. HeathWatch Updates and Contacts If you are interested in joining your regional HealthWatch committee, or want more information about their work, please contact the following people: Southern Region: Barbara Katz, ABC for Health, Inc., 608.261.6939 ext 207, barbk@safetyweb.org Southeastern Region: Brad Holman, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, 414.266.3189,bholman@chw.org, or Brad Montgomery, 414.449.4777, opwindows@aol.com Southeastern Region September/October events: "Care in the Community" Conference Friday, September 24, from 8- 3:30pm@ the Country Inn Waukesha, WI. RN and SW CEUs available. "Working with Children with Special Health Care Needs" Conference Thursday, October 7, from 8:30-4:00pm @ Country Inn Waukesha, WI. Target audience is contracted agencies with the SE CSHCN Regional Center, CPLs, Public Health and Social Service Agencies. Contact the SE CSHCN Regional Center @ 800-234-5437 for more information. Northern Region: Deb Blackstone, Family Resource Connection, 715.365.8030,dblacks@shsmh.org Northeastern Region: Steve Gerczak, St. Vincent Hospital, 920.433.8154,sgerczak@stvgb.org Western Region: Rose Marsh, Chippewa County Dept of Public Health, 1-800-400-3678, rmarsh@co.chippewa.wi.us ____________________________________________________________________ 8. SUGGESTIONS OR TIPS FOR THE UPDATE? CONTACT US! We need your help to develop content and tips for our CKSN Update. Please let us know about your ideas or success stories. Email your suggestions to barbk@safetyweb.org 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. _____________________________________________________________________ 9. WHERE WILL YOU BE ON OCTOBER 14? Save the date! ABC for Health will celebrate 10 years of advocacy and legal services on Thursday evening October 14, at the Great Hall of the Memorial Union in Madison. Please join us to celebrate our 10th anniversary as Wisconsin's premier public interest law firm dedicated to helping families secure adequate health care coverage and services! Watch for more information on this event in the near future. _____________________________________________________________________ 10. ABC for HEALTH SILENT AUCTION NEEDS ITEMS SHHHH! Our October 14 includes a silent auction. If you have an item or service to contribute to our tempting array of silent auction items, please contact maureenf@safetyweb.org ABC for Health is a Wisconsin-based, nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to linking children and families, particularly those with special health care needs, to health care benefits and services. ABC for Health's mission is to provide information, advocacy tools, legal services and expert support needed to obtain, maintain and finance health care coverage and services. Barbara Katz, moderator Parent Consultant ABC for Health, Inc. 608.261.6939 ext. 207 barbk@safetyweb.org