ABC for Health, Inc.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Case Tip: Are You Over Income for Badgercare or Medicaid because of Self Employment or Rental Property Income?
2. Emergency Services for Medicaid Training
3. Parent Information Meeting on Governor's Task Force on Autism
4. SSA Disability Starter Kits Available
5. Products and Services Catalog Available
6. HealthWatch Updates and Contacts
7. Suggestions for the Update? Contact Us!

1. CASE TIP: ARE YOU OVER INCOME FOR BADGERCARE OR MEDICAID BECAUSE OF SELF EMPLOYMENT OR RENTAL PROPERTY INCOME?

Take a careful look at how your income…or profits are calculated. Families who have self-employment or rental property income must be especially cautious when presenting their income information for Medicaid/BadgerCare eligibility.

Income for Medicaid/BadgerCare eligibility is based on the profit from your self employment or rental income. Some businesses lose money or make very little when expenses are subtracted from income. Rental property income is based on the rent minus the expenses of maintaining and repairing the property, including taxes and insurance and depreciation.

A better way of thinking about the self employment income information you provide for your application for Medicaid/BadgerCare is to calculate the net profits from your business activity. Remember that profits should be the total of the revenues less any expenses related to the business. Some families inadvertently think about gross revenue when they look at an eligibility brochure or a web site or call to ask about health coverage program and wrongly assume they are not eligible.

For example, Sally sells cosmetics as a self employed contractor. She sold $4700 worth of cosmetics last year but after subtracting her mileage, mailing, phone and advertising expenses her net profit was only $1150. Her income for that year for her self employment should be reported as $1150.

On federal income tax forms, this is referred to as net profit. Net profit is the figure that is used for Medicaid eligibility calculations. A family should take their federal income tax forms to their county economic support worker and be certain the net profit is used as their income for Medicaid eligibility calculations.

http://www.emhandbooks.wisconsin.gov/meh/ at 4.2.4

2. EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR MEDICAID TRAINING

A training for public health workers and advocates on Emergency Services for Medicaid in Wisconsin will be presented by Ellen Escalara and Joshua Salazar from ABC for Health on Thursday, November 4 from 1-3 pm. The training will be held in conference rooms A and B at the Dean Business Office in Madison. To RSVP and obtain further information, contact Annie Trimberger at atrimberger@safetyweb.org or 608/261-6939, ext. 250.

3. PARENT INFORMATION MEETING ON GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE ON AUTISM

FACTS, Families Advocating Choice in Treatment and Supports, will be hosting a Parent Information Meeting Regarding the Governor's Task Force on Autism and the Upcoming Public Hearing on Friday, November 12, 2004 from 6:30 until 8:30 pm at the Midvale Community Lutheran Church at 4329 Tokay Boulevard in Madison. A light meal and childcare will be provided free of charge. Please RSVP by calling Lori Wing at 608/848-0539. For additional information on FACTS, contact Dawn Wians at 608/827-5234 or email at dawnwians@yahoo.com

4. SSA DISABILITY STARTER KITS AVAILABLE

Thanks to Family Voices for the following information…

SSA Disability Starter Kits are available for both adult beneficiaries, as well as for children under the age of 18. The starter kits provide information about the specific documents and the information that SSA requests from its beneficiaries. The kits also provide general information about the disability programs and the SSA decision making process that can help take come of the mystery out of applying for disability benefits. The following link will guide you to both children and adult starter kits in either English or Spanish: www.ssa.gov/disability/disability_starter_kits.htm

5. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CATALOG AVAILABLE

An updated Products and Services Catalog from the Bureau of Health Information and Policy is now available on the Department of Health and Family Services Web site. The catalog is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file available as a link from the following Web page: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/stats/index.htm.

6. HEALTHWATCH CONTACTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

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

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

The next Western Region HealthWatch meeting will be held on November 9 from 10:45 am until 12:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Chippewa County Courthouse, Room 141. The speaker will be Barb Sperling, talking about the Katie Beckett program. Please RSVP to Rose Marsh by November 2.

7. 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.

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