Massachusetts Special Needs Lawyer: What Benefits Are Available for Children with Special Needs?
Children with special needs, or Children with Special Health Care Needs as defined by the Social Security Act, are eligible to receive a number of government benefits to pay for the aid, care, and services that are available to them. There are many ways a child can qualify as a Child with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN), though it usually comes down to suffering from certain conditions, such as Down’s syndrome, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and autism. The following is a list of the benefits that are available to children with special needs:
Medicaid
Medicaid eligibility usually comes with income limitations, and as such, many children with special healthcare needs that come from lower income families may automatically qualify for Medicaid. In other cases, some children with special needs are eligible for Medicaid benefits if they need certain levels of institutional care, even if they come from higher income families.
In addition, children whose families spend a large amount of money on care and those who are placed in foster homes may also automatically qualify for Medicaid, although each individual situation is different. To find out if your child may qualify for Medicaid under the CSHCN rules, you should consult with a Massachusetts special needs lawyer.
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
SCHIP is another federal program that is available to children with special healthcare needs who cannot qualify for Medicaid. While SCHIP is in some ways similar to Medicaid, there are some important differences. First, SCHIP typically does not cover as many services as Medicaid, and states have more control over SCHIP than they do over Medicaid. Additionally, SCHIP is available to children with special needs whose family income level is around 200% – 300% above the poverty level. A Massachusetts special needs lawyer will be able to tell you if SCHIP is right for you and your child’s situation.
Maternal Child Health Bureau Agencies
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau is responsible for looking out for the health of mothers and their infants. However, their purview extends to children with special needs, and the Maternal Child Health Bureau Agencies have developed many programs to serve children with special healthcare needs and their families. Most of the time, the federal grants that are given to the agencies are used to pay for aid and services that are not covered by Medicaid or SCHIP.
If you have questions about any of these federal programs that help children with special needs, please contact us at (508) 532-8689 to set up a consultation.