Ability Specialists Blog

Families Pinched By Cost Of Special Needs Care

// January 12th, 2010 // News That Affects You

A quarter of low-income Americans who have a child with a disability spend over 3 percent of their income to meet their child’s health needs, but how much a family spends can vary greatly depending on the state where they live.

Despite programs like Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), low-income families are reporting significant out-of-pocket health-related expenditures for a child with a disability. A family of four living at the federal poverty level is spending about $1,200 a year out-of-pocket on therapy, home modifications, wheelchairs, diapers and other health-related needs, according to the findings of a study published in the December supplement of the journal Pediatrics.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/12/08/families-pinched-cost/6383/