IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Case Tip: Deducting Dependent Child Care Costs When Applying for Family Medicaid or Badgercare
2. Social Security Relating to Women and Children
3. SAMHSA’S Child, Adolescent and Family Programs
4. Understanding Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Briefing Book
5. Family Voices Annual State Report Available
6. Rules for the Road Handbook
7. HealthWatch Updates and Contacts

1. CASE TIP: DEDUCTING DEPENDENT CHILD CARE COSTS WHEN APPLYING FOR FAMILY MEDICAID OR BADGERCARE

When calculating income eligibility for Medicaid/BadgerCare programs, you can deduct the amount you pay for dependent care, according to the following guidelines:

* For each child under age two, deduct the actual costs paid, up to $200.00 per month
* For each adult and each child age 2 or older: $175.00 per month for each adult and each child age 2 or older.

Dependent care is defined as paid care provided to a child and/or incapacitated adult when the child’s caretaker or the adult’s spouse is elsewhere due to employment.

The dependent care provider must also meet certain conditions in order for you to take the deduction: 1) the provider cannot reside in your home; 2) the provider must be age 18 or older; 3) the provider was not claimed as a dependent on the caretaker’s last federal tax return; 4) a true employer/employee relationship exists between the provider and the caretaker.

An economic support worker must determine the relationship between the provider and the caretaker and if payments are being made. (http://www.emhandbooks.wi.gov/meh)

2. SOCIAL SECURITY RELATING TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The impact of Social Security reaches beyond retirees. The program also provides disability and life insurance protection for workers and their families. Nationally, 50 percent of Social Security beneficiaries receive all or part of their benefit either as the child, spouse or widow/widower of a worker, or as a disabled worker, according to a new study from the National Women’s Law Center. Because all Social Security benefits are based on the same formula, cuts in the benefits for retired workers—for example, shifting from wage-indexing to price-indexing benefits—would mean cuts in benefits for widows, children who receive benefits when a working parent is disabled or dies prematurely, and disabled workers. The study, including fact sheets for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is available online. http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/sswomen&states2005.pdf .   

3. SAMHSA’S CHILD, ADOLESCENT AND FAMILY PROGRAMS

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)-through its Child, Adolescent, and Family Programs-promotes effective ways to organize, coordinate, and deliver mental health services and supports for children, adolescents, and their families. Readers can find a full description of the programs' efforts to meet the mental health needs of children and their families as well as links to related resources at the National Mental Health Information Center's Web site at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0013/default.asp

4. UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE AND MEDICAID ELECTRONIC BRIEFING BOOK

From The George Washington University National Health Policy Forum
http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/2-05/GWU2-05.html#top
This briefing book was distributed at an invitation-only seminar requested by congressional staff to provide an overview of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance programs. The sessions featured experts from the General Accounting Office, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Congressional Research Service, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in addition to other public and private entities. This book contains links to the sessions’ presentations and handouts as well as to additional reports, Web sites, and other resources.

5. FAMILY VOICES ANNUAL STATE REPORT AVAILABLE
“Voices from Home” is an annual ‘state of the state’ publication produced by Family Voices, Inc. A report of the concerns facing families of children and youth with special health care needs and what the Family Voices Network is doing to help those families.
Family Voices is a national organization of families and friends speaking on behalf of children and youth with special health care needs. Through their extensive network of family leaders, they listen to families about issues that matter to them; they provide valuable information about children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs to families, policymakers, researchers, the media, and the general public; and act as a clearinghouse for health care information.
If you would like more information on Family Voices or to order a hard copy of Voices from Home, please visit their Web site at: http://www.familyvoices.org/index.htm

6. RULES FOR THE ROAD HANDBOOK

The Genetics Services Branch, Division of Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration has produced a handbook "Rules for the Road," which captures the values and beliefs of health consumers in leadership positions in human service organizations.

"Rules for the Road" sets forth principles to help guide health care consumers as they assume leadership positions. It is a kind of "roadmap" for negotiating the inevitable twists and turns that accompany their new roles. The handbook is based on the wisdom of experienced consumers from across the country who have wrestled with the daily dilemmas that accompany leadership. The link for the handbook is:
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14756.asp

7. 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

ABC for Health and the Covering Kids with Special Needs project invite you to an asset mapping exercise as part of our March 7 HealthWatch meeting in Dane County. At the meeting, we will review a statewide asset mapping template developed by ABC for Health and probe more deeply into local resources that may be available for families and children with special health care needs. Once this tool is complete, participants will receive both copies of the statewide and local asset mapping tool to help you better serve families and children with special health care needs.

The meeting will be held on Monday, March 7 from 11 am until 1 pm at the South Madison Community Health Center at 2202 South Park Street. Lunch will be served. For more information, and to reserve your spot, please contact Maureen Fitzgerald at maureenf@safetyweb.org no later than March 3. Space is limited.

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

CONTACT 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.

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