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In the United States, caring for a child with special health care needs usually means higher medical expenses for a family - particularly for low-income families, who spend a disproportionally large share of their income on their child's care. Yet the amount of financial burden for these families also depends on their state of residence, according to Paul T. Shattuck, PhD, professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis [Pediatrics, 124: S435-S442]. "The percentage of low-income families in a given state with out-of-pocket expenses that exceeded 3 percent of their income varied considerably according to state and ranged from 5 percent to 25. 8 percent (District of Columbia and Montana, respectively). Families living in states with more generous Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) benefits report less financial burden," Dr. Shattuck said.

Research has shown that families raising children with disabilities face exceptionally high rates of financial hardship, which can have a negative effect on the children's well-being.

President Barack Obama’s heath care reform proposal released Monday includes many of the provisions disability advocates have been pushing for. The $950 billion proposal comes ahead of a bipartisan health care summit planned for Thursday and retains many elements advocates consider favorable for people with disabilities. Notably, the plan would prevent coverage denials based on a preexisting condition and allocate additional federal funds to expand Medicaid.

ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2009) — In the United States, caring for a child with special health care needs usually means higher medical expenses for a family -- particularly for low-income families, who spend a disproportionally large share of their income on their child's care. Yet the amount of financial burden for these families also depends on their state of residence, says Paul T. Shattuck, Ph.D., professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis.

"The percentage of low-income families in a given state with out-of-pocket expenses that exceeded 3 percent of their income varied considerably according to state and ranged from 5 percent to 25. 8 percent (District of Columbia and Montana, respectively). Families living in states with more generous Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) benefits report less financial burden," Shattuck says.

The health overhaul package passed by the House Sunday and sent to the Senate for final action is the most far-reaching health legislation since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

While the underlying Senate bill will become law as soon as President Barack Obama signs it, additional changes will occur if the Senate passes the reconciliation-bill part of the package. The following is a look at the impact of the entire package, which would extend insurance coverage to 32 million additional Americans by 2019, but also have an effect on almost every citizen. Here's where things stand and how you might be affected:

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today called on states and communities to join with HHS to redouble efforts to find and enroll the 5 million children who are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not yet covered.  The Secretary issued this call to action as she opened the National Children’s Health Insurance Summit in Chicago, kicking off the nation’s largest campaign to find and enroll uninsured children in over a decade.

Every week an average of 10 children with serious mental illnesses are admitted to Billings Clinic Psychiatric Center and about the same number are discharged. Most young psychiatric patients stay less than a week. “We try to stabilize them in two or three days,” said Terry Smith, a clinical social worker who cares for kids at Billings Clinic. The kids come from the Billings area, the Hi-Line, Eastern Montana and beyond. Billing Clinic is the only psychiatric hospital in the eastern half of the state that cares for children. It serves all children who need its services, but two-thirds of them depend on Medicaid — the state-federal health program — to pay their medical bills.

Vermont offers the best Medicaid services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities while Mississippi provides the worst, according to an annual ranking released Thursday.

Families will soon have the opportunity to enroll in health care plans, renew their plan, or change to a new plan in the Marketplace.  Open enrollment is from November 15, 2014 through February 15, 2015. Please note that families can enroll anytime if there have been “life changes” (e.g. lost employment and insurance) or if they are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.