Reply to What did Medicaid and other government programs pay for your severely disabled adult child?

Forum Index » Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities

Reply to "What did Medicaid and other government programs pay for your severely disabled adult child?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]OP -
You are not wrong to have such thoughts about the future, but right now I would concentrate in living in the best place with early intervention therapists for things like Speech, OT, PT and good programs for preschoolers with cognitive disabilities.  Also, depending on the  kind of physical limitations, you may want to live in an areas with a great children's hospital for needed surgical or other therapeutic interventions as your DC goes.  At this stage looking where you live now to find the most accessible you might want to get information on elementary schools which are most accessible if a child uses a wheel chair would be wise.  I would also say to look to see the technology which is available to demonstrate knowledge if your DC needs a speech device, or if physical limitations impairs one's ability to write will be important.  It will likely take awhile before you have a clearer idea of your DC's cognitive skills to assess what kind of educational services you might be seeking.

You can certainly get information on the funding which states provide for adults with disabilities when public education ends at age 22 for those who are unable to complete a regular high school diploma.  Then looking within the individual states to again see which communities might be known for service options for specific populations for example those on the Autism spectrum with job opportunities or those with physical limitations in terms of paratransit options and accessible work/social environments over othrs.

Our daughter has an intellectual disability and has worked part-time and volunteers.  She resides with us in Virginia, but could never live on her own without direct oversight.  In terms of government benefits.

- For Health Insurance,  you would want to look at your or our spouse's employer health insurance coverage to see howit covers a disabled adult child after age 26.
- At age 18 your child is viewed as a "Family of One" and even while a student can qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) which is now $914 a month with no taxes.
- At age 18 if your child qualifies for SSI, one usually also will qualify for Medicaid (no longer as a child on Medicaid) because of limited income.  Medicaid can become the secondary insurance.

- Medicaid will fund certain adult services in each state to include:
 **Case Management services with an area agency serving disabled adults depending on disability (developmental disability, mental health disability, or possible physical disability services.)
  Through a variety of different Medicaid Waivers adult services can be covered for things including below. Note there is often a very long wait for such a Waiver and Waivers are not protable from state-to-state.  
 **In-Home personal care services, transportation services, community supports, respite care for family caretakers,which can vary by Waivers
**Adult Day Programs funding
 **Supported Residential options, which are very limited spots in most states.
 
 **Medicaid will also fund long-term nursing home care.  (I am not certain whether or not Medicaid will fund assisted living care.)
 
- If your child is able to work part-time and earn enough quarters, one could qualify for Supplemental Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) based upon their work record and use this in combo with SSI.
-**Also, if a parent has a disability, or retires  the disabled Adult Child at age 18 can collect Social Security up to half of what the parent collects without taking anything away from the parent.
- The key advantage is that after 24 months - working or not - the disabled adult child would alwo qualify for Medcare as a typical retired person.  This would be primary and Medicaid secondary.
 Medicare insurance, which would become the primary insurance and Medicaid secondary.

- There are also Vocational Training and Support services available at age 18 and funding for these services is through a separate federal funding stream to the states. Usually the program is called similar to Department of Rehabilitative Services or Department of Vocational Services.

However, the truth is that as a parent of a disabled adult daughter, it really falls on the parent(s) to figure out the path forward after public education ends.  And, one can find that there can be long waiting lists for services and limited funding.  So it is important to get an understanding on what Future Planning for such a child might entail legally and financially.  There are often tradeoffs as being close to siblings who might take over as the parent ages is a factor.  One resource which is free online is the Specia Needs Alliance.  Also The Arc of Northern Virginia has many free  informational resources based upon stage of life.  I hope this helps.  Right now enjoy your toddler and figure out the pathway forward in preschool years into elementary school.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics