Ask about "trip" insurance (CSHCS)

Sometimes other families and professionals who are aware of my experience ask me what I wish I had known when my son was born. They are surprised that my answer is never about hope or dreams. Hope and dreams are important but, what I most wish I had known about is Indiana's Children's Special Health Care Services. Our family struggled with the financial impact of having a child with significant needs. We were told that being “middle class” with private insurance meant that we would not qualify for any programs. Our insurance, while helpful, did not touch the costs we faced and quickly we were overwhelmed. As we sought information we were again and again wrongly told that there was NOTHING that could help.

Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) program is supplemental insurance that provides financial assistance for needed medical treatment to reduce complications and promote maximum quality of life for children with serious and chronic medical conditions. When I learned about this program when my son was almost THREE years old I was amazed to learn that not only did we qualify, it exactly met our needs and allowed us the critical support to get the medical care our son needed. And there was/is NO waiting list! Eligibility for Children’s Special Health Care Services is based on both medical and financial criteria. If you have a child with a medical issue of a diagnosed disability I urge you to learn more and apply:

A family with an income (before taxes) under 250% of the federal poverty level may qualify.

Household Size	Income (Effective Date January 23, 2008)
2	$35,000
3	$44,000
4	$53,000
5	$62,000
For each additional member add:	$9,000

You can apply at your county Division of Family Resources (DFR) office, a local First Steps office (for children 0-3) or at the CSHC office located at Riley( Hospital Room 1950) in Indianapolis. If you have difficulty reaching your local DFR, need assistance, or prefer an application be mailed to you, you may call CSHCS Customer Service at 1-800-475-1355.

To complete the application, you'll need:

• your child's birth certificate

• proof of residence (rent or property payment receipt, voter's registration,

driver's license, last year's federal income tax return, or city directory listing)

• health insurance information

• proof of parent(s)/guardian(s) income (three consecutive current paycheck

stubs or recent federal income tax forms)

• Social Security number of child

You can also download the application by going to: http://www.in.gov/isdh/files/CSHCS_Application_-_04-08.pdf

If we had know about this earlier, we would not still be climbing out of medical debt a decade later.