When Charlie was first diagnosed with infantile spasms, I had private insurance through my employer but it was not nearly enough to cover copays for medications and therapies plus all of the other expenses such as wheelchairs and special beds that private insurance denied. I am above the income cutoff for Medicaid. What’s a working family with a really sick kid to do?
As it turns out, there is special waiver program, administered on a state-by-state basis, that can help! If you really want to drop some knowledge, ask your local Medicaid office about the Katie Beckett or Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) provision. You can learn all about it here! For those of us who don’t have time to read a huge report, I love this web site for comprehensive information on Medicaid waivers nationwide!
Sometimes, the medications that our children need are super expensive even after our private and public insurance options are exhausted. That’s where patient assistance programs come in. Find out if there is a patient assistance program for your child’s medication here.