Action Alert: contact legislators about protecting CSHCS in the budget
Family Voices Indiana encourages its members to share their voice regarding programs and services that benefit children with special health care needs.
Indiana Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) provides supplemental medical coverage to help families of children who have serious, chronic medical conditions, age birth to 21 years of age, who meet the program’s financial and medical criteria, pay for treatment related to their child’s condition. A family with an income, before taxes, no greater than 250% of the federal poverty level may be eligible for the program. The financial level changes every year. For example, in 2012, a family of four could qualify with a gross income of up to $57,625. Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) is a program to help Indiana children with severe chronic medical conditions which:
- Have lasted (or are expected to last) at least two years;
- Will produce disability, disfigurement, or limits the child’s ability to function;
- Requires special diet or devices; or
- Without treatment would produce a chronic disabling physical condition.
For eligible applicants, services may include:
- Diagnostic evaluations
- Comprehensive well child and sick child care
- Specialty care and other services related to the eligible medical conditions
- Immunizations
- Prescription drugs
- Routine dental care
- Community referrals and information
It provides critical supplemental coverage to families because it can cover therapies related to the diagnosis, including ABA.
Families are encouraged to share how critical this program is and urge their State Senator, and State Representative to maintain current funding levels of $13.7 million annually. You can find your legislator here.
Also, if you think you might be eligible for the program and need help applying, feel free to contact the family to family health information center at Family Voices Indiana: 317 944 8982 info@fvindiana.org
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