Indiana Family to Family

ABLE accounts:  Are established in the new Section 529A Qualified ABLE Programs  Are qualified savings accounts that receive preferred federal tax treatment  Enable eligible individuals to save for disability related expenses  Are NOT yet available, and there are still some unknowns  Assets in and distributions for qualified disability expenses will be disregarded or given special treatment in determining eligibility for most federal means-tested benefits The following slides (embedded) explain the ABLE Act in more detail. This webinar was recorded and the materials will be placed on the National Disability Institute website at www.realeconomicimpact.org Understanding Able Webinar 3.26.15

To: Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services Providers From: Nicole Norvell, Director, Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services  Re: Wavier Renewal and Amendment  Date: March 24, 2015  The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) submitted an application for renewal of the expiring Family Supports Waiver (FSW) to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in December of 2014.  CMS has responded to DDRS with questions regarding some of the content of the renewal that the Division will need additional time to review, beyond the standard 90 day period for CMS approval. Therefore, a three month extension was requested of the current waiver to allow for uninterrupted services to continue beyond the expiration date of March 31, 2015. CMS has granted this extension and the new date by which the proposed changes within the FSW renewal will be implemented, pending CMS approval, will be July 1, 2015.  Programmatic functions will conti

Family Voices Indiana shares this resource, created by our specialist Heather Dane. Children who have been identified as having a disability are at an increased risk for becoming victims of sexual abuse. It is estimated that children with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely than children without disabilities to be sexually abused. Within those disabilities, children with intellectual and mental health disabilities are at 4.6 times the risk of their non-disabled peers for sexual abuse. (Smith & Harrell, 2013)  Identifying signs and symptoms in children with disabilities can often be difficult due to the nature of the disability. It is important to know how to best protect your child, know when to become concerned, and understand what to do in situations that are cause for concern. This guide is intended to give parents tools and resources needed to protect their child(ren). Please remember that each child and situation is unique therefore each family may need to modify t

Family Voices Indiana shares the following information about CSHCS and potential changes to the program: Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) Background: Indiana Children's Special Health Care Services 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.  It is often called a gap filler because it pays in addition to a family’s insurance and often is the difference between a child having inadequate or adequate coverage.  In short, it closes the gaps faced by underinsured families. Challenge: Language is being suggested that would move the program from its home at the Indiana State Department of Health to the Family and Soci

Many of our members have been receiving letters about Hoosier Care Connect. You can read more about it at this post: http://fvindiana.blogspot.com/2015/03/information-about-hoosier-care-connect.html The most common question is how to choose a plan. FSSA addressed this in their FAQ: Q28. What should I consider when choosing a health plan?  A. Choosing a health plan is a personal decision. While FSSA is confident that all health plans are able to meet your needs, you may want to consider the following points when choosing a health plan:  • Doctor : If you already have a favorite doctor that you want to continue to see, you should find out which plans he or she participates in. You can call the Hoosier Care Connect Helpline at 1- 866-963-7383 to find out if your doctor participates in any of the health plans. • Locations: You may want to make sure that the health plan has providers that are conveniently located for you. This may mean they are near your home, your work, your c

from Families USA: Last week, the House of Representatives released  bipartisan legislation  proposing an extension of funding for CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program.  CHIP is being included as part of a legislative package on the Sustainable Grown Rate (SGR), commonly referred to as the “doc fix.”  This package includes a clean, two-year extension of funding for CHIP.  While Families USA prefers a four-year extension of CHIP to align the program’s funding with its authorization (which runs through fiscal year 2019), we applaud the House for their quick, timely, and bipartisan efforts to cleanly extend funding for the program. For additional information, here is Families USA’s  letter of support  for this package and an  analysis  from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Please join us for a teleconference on:   Tuesday, March 24th at 2pm EDT Call-in number:  (855) 643-3095 /ID: 13731744 Go  here  to register.   Families USA and colleagues from Center on Budge

Today marks the 5th Anniversary of The Affordable Care Act In collaboration with The Catalyst Center, the National Center for Medical Home Implementation (NCMHI) has created four fact sheets which describe provisions of the Affordable Care Act which benefit children and youth with special health care needs. Written in plain language, each fact sheet is easy to read and understand. Families will find information related to: Concurrent Care for Children:  Under the ACA, children with life-threatening health problems who are enrolled in Medicaid can get both curative treatment and hospice care. This is called concurrent care.   Habilitative Services:  Under the ACA, many health care services that can help your child with the skills he or she needs for everyday life (called habilitative services) must be covered by insurance.   Health Home Programs and Coordinated Care:  Under the ACA, your child may be able to get extra care coordination and support services from your doctor throug