In a follow-up to the Department of Public Welfare co-pay program that has many families of children with disabilities feeling they are being punished financially by the payments, CBS 21 has an exclusive interview with DPW Secretary Gary Alexander to address them.
At a rally at the Capitol rotunda Tuesday, one by one parents of children with disabilities from all around Pennsylvania shared their stories of struggle with the challenges of raising a special needs child.
They came to the rally because they now have the added challenge of co-payments being assessed to families on medical assistance by the department of public welfare.
Wendy Mancuso of Cumberland County brought her son Daniel with her to the crowded rally. She's worried that autism treatments for Daniel will be taken away.
“He's been so patient and so tolerable of this whole process and I'm so proud of you and I want so much for my son and if they take this away from him, (gets emotional) they take away his future,” Mancuso explained to CBS 21.
The co-payments would be up to five percent of the gross household income, and Jim Bouder, parent advocate and father of a son with autism says these payments will have the biggest impact on families with kids who have the greatest need.
“That would mean somebody making $46,200, a family of four, would have to make co-pays in that amount in excess of $2,300 per year,” Bouder told us.
In the interest of full disclosure, CBS 21’s Sherry Christian has a daughter with autism, so her family will be one of those affected by the co-pays.
But we didn't have to use my daughter as an example in this report, there are plenty of other parents who are concerned about Secretary Alexander's co-pay initiative so he agreed to sit down with her to address those concerns.
In the exclusive interview, Secretary Alexander repeated several times that services for families will not be taken away.
“And if a family has a hardship in paying, these services will never be denied,” Alexander told us.
So Secretary Alexander, to families of children with disabilities who say they're being punished financially for something they didn't do, you say what?
“What I would say is we're trying to do this through a premium program, but the federal government hopefully through their wisdom they would allow us to do that so a lot of these families won't have to pay that,” Alexander explained.
FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY C0-PAYS:
DPW has started to mail out notices to families of children with disabilities who may be subject to the copays. Because both the obligation to pay copays and the cap on the amount of copays a family will have to pay depends on the amount of parental income as listed in DPW’s records, it is essential families check the notice they get to be sure that the income listed is correct. We know of several families whose letters listed incomes well above their actual incomes.
If the income listed in your letter is incorrect, you should:
First- file an appeal. Attached to the notice is information about filing an appeal. Read it carefully and follow the instructions. Make a copy of the notice and your appeal and, if possible, mail it certified so you have a receipt to prove when it was mailed.
Second- call your child’s caseworker at the County Assistance Office (not your child’s case manager or supports coordinator). If you can get through, tell them you have filed an appeal and will be sending them copies of pay stubs or other documents verifying your current income.
Third- Make copies of pay stubs or other documents verifying your current income and mail them (certified if possible) to your County Assistance Office. Make sure to put your child’s name and case number on each document (in case these documents get separated). Include a copy of the notice you received.
You can submit your concerns about the co-pays via regular mail:
Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance Programs
c/o Deputy Secretary's Office
Attention: Regulations Coordinator, Room 515
Health and Welfare Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
If you require an auxiliary aid or service:
AT&T Relay Service (800) 654-5984 (TDD users)
(800) 654-5988 (voice users)
Watch the complete interview with Sec. Alexander:
Watch the complete interview with Rep. Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster)
Complete interview with parent advocate Jim Bouder:
Complete interview with Wendy Mancuso:
At a rally at the Capitol rotunda Tuesday, one by one parents of children with disabilities from all around Pennsylvania shared their stories of struggle with the challenges of raising a special needs child.
They came to the rally because they now have the added challenge of co-payments being assessed to families on medical assistance by the department of public welfare.
Wendy Mancuso of Cumberland County brought her son Daniel with her to the crowded rally. She's worried that autism treatments for Daniel will be taken away.
“He's been so patient and so tolerable of this whole process and I'm so proud of you and I want so much for my son and if they take this away from him, (gets emotional) they take away his future,” Mancuso explained to CBS 21.
The co-payments would be up to five percent of the gross household income, and Jim Bouder, parent advocate and father of a son with autism says these payments will have the biggest impact on families with kids who have the greatest need.
“That would mean somebody making $46,200, a family of four, would have to make co-pays in that amount in excess of $2,300 per year,” Bouder told us.
In the interest of full disclosure, CBS 21’s Sherry Christian has a daughter with autism, so her family will be one of those affected by the co-pays.
But we didn't have to use my daughter as an example in this report, there are plenty of other parents who are concerned about Secretary Alexander's co-pay initiative so he agreed to sit down with her to address those concerns.
In the exclusive interview, Secretary Alexander repeated several times that services for families will not be taken away.
“And if a family has a hardship in paying, these services will never be denied,” Alexander told us.
So Secretary Alexander, to families of children with disabilities who say they're being punished financially for something they didn't do, you say what?
“What I would say is we're trying to do this through a premium program, but the federal government hopefully through their wisdom they would allow us to do that so a lot of these families won't have to pay that,” Alexander explained.
FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY C0-PAYS:
DPW has started to mail out notices to families of children with disabilities who may be subject to the copays. Because both the obligation to pay copays and the cap on the amount of copays a family will have to pay depends on the amount of parental income as listed in DPW’s records, it is essential families check the notice they get to be sure that the income listed is correct. We know of several families whose letters listed incomes well above their actual incomes.
If the income listed in your letter is incorrect, you should:
First- file an appeal. Attached to the notice is information about filing an appeal. Read it carefully and follow the instructions. Make a copy of the notice and your appeal and, if possible, mail it certified so you have a receipt to prove when it was mailed.
Second- call your child’s caseworker at the County Assistance Office (not your child’s case manager or supports coordinator). If you can get through, tell them you have filed an appeal and will be sending them copies of pay stubs or other documents verifying your current income.
Third- Make copies of pay stubs or other documents verifying your current income and mail them (certified if possible) to your County Assistance Office. Make sure to put your child’s name and case number on each document (in case these documents get separated). Include a copy of the notice you received.
You can submit your concerns about the co-pays via regular mail:
Department of Public Welfare, Office of Medical Assistance Programs
c/o Deputy Secretary's Office
Attention: Regulations Coordinator, Room 515
Health and Welfare Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
If you require an auxiliary aid or service:
AT&T Relay Service (800) 654-5984 (TDD users)
(800) 654-5988 (voice users)
Watch the complete interview with Sec. Alexander:
Watch the complete interview with Rep. Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster)
Complete interview with parent advocate Jim Bouder:
Complete interview with Wendy Mancuso: