Financial Assistance

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Financial Assistance Overview

Families can face overwhelming financial challenges as they support their child with special needs. Medical care, prescriptions, nursing services, home health and specialized equipment are just a few of the strains. Multiple financial assistance programs are available on a local, state and national level to help meet family needs. Each program has its own eligibility requirements that may be tied to income, medical diagnosis or other specific requirements.

The Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center provides information to help families and health care providers identify sources of financial assistance.

Where to Begin

While many programs have strict eligibility guidelines that are tied to family income or medical condition, others provide more flexibility and only consider the financial resources of the child or offer specific, limited supports. Here you can find a brief overview of some helpful programs. You can use the links to find more detailed information on each resource.

Cincinnati Children's Financial and Medical Assistance Programs for Families has counselors who can help arrange for payment plans, discounts and financial assistance for eligible patients and families. For further information, please contact the Family Financial Advocates at Cincinnati Children's, 513-636-4427
Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH) assures that children in Ohio with special health care needs, ages 0 to 21, obtain comprehensive medical care and services. Their Diagnostic Program is available to children, regardless of family income, while their Treatment Program has more specific eligibility requirements.
Medicaid is a comprehensive health insurance program that provides health coverage to families with low incomes, children, pregnant women and people who are aged, blind or who have disabilities. It can provide funding for programs including physician services, hospital, home health, nursing and transportation. Most of the programs have income eligibility requirements but there are exceptions, such as Institutional Medicaid, which is available for hospital stays beyond 30 days, regardless of family finances. Medicaid is the major health coverage program for low income children.
Medicaid Waiver Programs are available in every state to provide options that are not tied to a family's financial situation. This is extremely important because eligibility for a Medicaid Waiver is based on the income of the individual, not the family. This means that a parent's income and resources are not included when determining if the child is eligible for a waiver. It is focused primarily on the level of care that a child needs and can provide funding for services that include home health care, respite, transportation, supported employment and adult day support.
Medicare provides certain adults with disabilities with publicly funded health insurance. Certain dependent adult children of parents who receive Medicare are also eligible for Medicare if they developed a permanent and severe disability before age 22.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provides a variety of financial assistance programs and supports.
Prescription Assistance programs are available that either fully cover medications or offer them at a significantly reduced cost.
Social Security oversees the SSI and SSDI programs that can provide financial assistance for children and adults with disabilities.
Utilities often have special programs to assist with emergency services, specialized equipment and home energy programs.
Additional Funding Programs from private companies, grants and foundations should be considered.
Assistive Technology, Housing and Home Modifications, Home Care and Durable Medical Equipment (DME), and Food and Nutrition offer specific funding options to consider.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), sometimes referred to as SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), is federally funded health insurance program that complements Medicaid and provides states with additional financing to help support coverage to low income, uninsured children up to age 19. In some states SCHIP is part of the state’s Medicaid program and in some states it is separate. The program is for children whose parents have too much money to be eligible for Medicaid, but not enough to buy private insurance. States may have different family income eligibility requirements.

CHIP Overview from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Insure Kids Now has state program information and contacts.
Healthy Start is the SCHIP program in Ohio.
CHIP factsheet from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Find CHIP contact information for Kentucky and Indiana

EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, requires hospitals and ambulance services to provide care to anyone needing emergency treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to pay. Patients needing emergency treatment can be discharged only under their own informed consent or when their condition requires transfer to a hospital better equipped to administer the treatment.