This question is hard to answer. Many children applying to CHIP are eligible for Medicaid, but nobody is counting the number of enrolled children with special needs. Look at the CHIP resources from other organizations to find the picture across the country and in your state. Join their coalition so you can raise issues about kids with special health care needs. Agencies such as the Department of Energy and the Department of Education are designing outreach and enrollment campaigns.
Efforts are underway to involve advocacy organizations in outreach.
We believe that the evaluation process in the demonstration project will convince policymakers that these centers are necessary to provide consumers with information and decision making resources. Families can thereby educate themselves and others on resources. The Centers will help families walk through health plan choices, review appeals and grievances processes, and work with managed care and other health insurance programs to become more family-centered. Over the next few months it will be important for Family Voices to collect data showing the importance of providing timely and necessary information to families who are making important health care decisions. This bill extends Medicare coverage to employed persons with disabilities, creates new optional categories of Medicaid eligibility for employed persons with disabilities, and creates a Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program that allows persons with disabilities greater choice of vocational rehabilitation and employment service providers.