State Funded Aid

The state of Ohio has an umbrella health care organization that exists to financially support all kids with medical handicaps, Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH). BCMH also provides support to special needs children that require ongoing medical treatments including diabetes, heart defects, chronic lung disease, cancer and hearing loss. The financial support is intended not only to help families without insurance, but also to supplement insurance to meet any co-pays or services not covered. This includes the cost of hearing aids and services associated with hearing loss.

While families must meet certain income requirements for treatment services, any and all diagnostic services are covered regardless of income. This means that any screenings, tests, x-rays, specialist appointments leading up to a diagnosis are covered 100% by BCMH. Your insurance will be the first payer, but any out of pocket costs will be picked up by BCMH. In addition BCMH provides extremely low-cost payment plans for hearing aids, public nurse visits and access to a variety of specialists.

I am not sure of state-funded organizations in different states as our experience is solely in Ohio. However, The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities has an awesome website that allows you to search for agencies by state.

During that first meeting with our caseworker, we filled out the initial paperwork for BCMH to apply for financial support for diagnostic services. Within 4 weeks we received a letter of approval that we would be required to submit to all doctors or providers (i.e. children's hospitals, labs, etc.) that Abigail would be receiving care from.