Modern Estate Planning Blog

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 from having 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 (Medi-Cal)

Medicaid/ Medi-Cal 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 Medi-Cal. In other cases, some children with special needs are eligible for Medi-Cal 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 Medi-Cal, although each individual situation is different. To find out if your child may qualify for Medi-Cal under the CSHCN rules, you should consult with a Sacramento special needs attorney.

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. Sacramento special needs lawyers will be able to tell you if SCHIP is right for you and your child’s situation.

If you have questions about any of these federal programs that help children with special needs,please contact us at (916) 241-9661 to set up a consultation.

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