Florida Introduces An Improved Program For Assisting the Critically Ill
July 07, 2005
Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt, announced a new set of benefits for Florida’s low-income families whose children have life-threatening conditions. In addition to the current services provided to the families receiving Medicaid, they will also be eligible for respite care and counseling services.
Children’s Hospice International (CHI) estimates that 10 million children in the United States are living with a serious chronic or life threatening illness. Valuable and necessary service such as respite services and counseling services have not been available through Medicaid. State officials hope to serve nearly 1,000 children at the seven Florida pilot sites through June 2007.
The government and non-profit partnership, Partners in Care, will allow a combination of medical and support services to be provided from the time of diagnosis, with hope for cure, through bereavement follow-up if cure is not attained. An additional deviation from most hospice services is the fact that the new program will not require children to be in for care within the last six months of life to receive services.
The demonstration program is part of national initiative to provide access to care for all children and their families meeting the criteria of diagnosis with a life-threatening condition. Partners in Care, is the first of a multi-state effort to implement comprehensive programs. For more information on this initiative and to contact elected officials regarding it, visit Children’s Hospice International.
For more information regarding Partners in Care contact the CMS Public Affairs office at 202-690-6145 or visit their website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/services/hospice.asp.
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July 07, 2005
Health and Human Services Secretary, Mike Leavitt, announced a new set of benefits for Florida’s low-income families whose children have life-threatening conditions. In addition to the current services provided to the families receiving Medicaid, they will also be eligible for respite care and counseling services.Children’s Hospice International (CHI) estimates that 10 million children in the United States are living with a serious chronic or life threatening illness. Valuable and necessary service such as respite services and counseling services have not been available through Medicaid. State officials hope to serve nearly 1,000 children at the seven Florida pilot sites through June 2007.
The government and non-profit partnership, Partners in Care, will allow a combination of medical and support services to be provided from the time of diagnosis, with hope for cure, through bereavement follow-up if cure is not attained. An additional deviation from most hospice services is the fact that the new program will not require children to be in for care within the last six months of life to receive services.
The demonstration program is part of national initiative to provide access to care for all children and their families meeting the criteria of diagnosis with a life-threatening condition. Partners in Care, is the first of a multi-state effort to implement comprehensive programs. For more information on this initiative and to contact elected officials regarding it, visit Children’s Hospice International.
For more information regarding Partners in Care contact the CMS Public Affairs office at 202-690-6145 or visit their website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/services/hospice.asp.
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