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Will federal welfare reform affect Iowa children who participate in EPSDT?
The answer is a qualified yes, because Iowa children who receive Supplemental
Security Income (one of the programs affected by reform) are eligible
for Medicaid and this, in turn, allows them to participate in the Early
and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program.
The federal regulations to implement reforms in SSI have yet to be published.
In Iowa since August 22, 1996, approximately 700 new children's SSI applications
have been put on hold until these regulations are available. If you know
of any children's applications on hold, encourage their families to go
to their local Department of Human Services office to see if they are
eligible for any other programs or services.
As the result of federal welfare reform, it appears that about 2,000
Iowa children younger than 18 who currently receive SSI will receive "Beneficiary
Notification" letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In
the near future, physicians will receive "Provider Notification" information
from the SSA as well.
Receiving a Beneficiary Notification letter does not mean that a child
is no longer eligible for SSI or other programs. It means only that the
child's eligibility will be re-evaluated. The cases of children who have
mental disorders, emotional disorders, or maladaptive behaviors are most
likely to be reviewed.
If a child does NOT receive a beneficiary notice, his or her eligibility
is not being questioned. If a child's SSI eligibility is going to be reviewed,
parents will be notified before January 1, 1997.
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How you can help
If a family in your care learns that their child's eligibility for SSI
is going to be reviewed, you may want to share the following information
with them:
No child's benefits will stop before July 1, 1997. If a child is found
to be ineligible for benefits, that decision can be appealed, and the
child's benefits will continue during the appeals process.
If a child's eligibility is going to be reviewed, you can help by providing
the family with such information as:
- Names of prescriptions, other medicines used by the child.
- Hospital stays, surgeries.
- Doctor and clinic visits, and reasons.
- Schools, special classes, tutoring in which the child is enrolled.
- Counseling, therapy the child has had.
- Names and addresses of teachers, counselors.
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For more information about changes in SSI due to federal welfare reform,
you can call the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSI) at 1-800-772-1213,
7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. In Iowa, call your Regional Social
Security Office. Additional information is also available on the Web at:
Social Security Administration Home Page
http://www.ssa.gov/.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health
Welfare reform and SSI
http://wwww.bazelon.org/.
HandsNet
Children, Youth, and Family Welfare Reform Watch
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