Beckett Program

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Thought you'd like to know some history about a federal program that

helps families who earn too much money to get Medicaid caring for

children with special health care needs. This information may help you if you

make too much money to receive SSI.

Kristy Colvin

www.imdsa.com

Subject: [FV-Talk] Beckett Waiver History

All, thought I would share this with you, Bowen

Kathleen Kearney is a graduate nursing student at Emory University,

as

well as, has a law degree from another State. As part of her graduate

program, she is researching the history of the Beckett Waiver.

The History of the " Beckett Waiver "

Kathleen Kearney, RN, BSN, JD

At 6 months of age, Beckett contracted viral

encephalitis,

had a tracheostomy tube inserted into her throat, and spent three years

in

an Iowa pediatric intensive care unit.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn1> [1]

According

to her mother, Beckett, " it became increasingly clear could

just

as easily and effectively receive care at home as she could at the

hospital.

But federal law stated that she would lose her Medicaid eligibility if

she

wasn't in a hospital or institution. "

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn2> [2]

In late 1981, with the help of President Reagan, Beckett

was

granted a special waiver so her parents' income was not deemed

(counted) for

purposes of her Medicaid eligibility.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn3> [3] At

a

November 10, 1981, news conference, President Reagan used " as an

example of someone who had been kept hospitalized because of

bureaucratic

paper work... "

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn4> [4] On

November 12, 1981, Schweiker, the Secretary of Health and

Human

Services, waived the Medicaid eligibility rules " to let return

home

without loss of Federal welfare. "

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn5> [5]

Beckett was not the recipient of the first " Beckett "

deeming

waiver because the option did not exist in 1981. Trollinger, a

spokesperson for Social Security Administration in January 1982,

stated

" when asked if there have been other waivers of the rules in cases

similar

to 's:'[t]hat decision applied to her only, and there have been

no

other exceptions made.' "

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn6> [6] At

that

time, 's health care costs were approximately $12,000 to $15,000

per

year, and when she returned home, the costs decreased to approximately

$2,000 to $3,000 per year.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn7> [7]

Beckett worked with Representative Tom Tauke to

create a

policy that would waive income limits to establish Medicaid

eligibility.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn8> [8]

Beckett has stated that policymakers " often don't understand that

circumstances in health care financing have changed so dramatically

that it

affects even those families who make above 600 percent of the federal

poverty level. "

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn9> [9]

The " Beckett " Medicaid Eligibility Option appeared in the Tax

Equity

and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn10> [10]

Even

today, states are not required to participate. However, if a state

chooses

to offer the " Beckett " waiver, it must submit an application for

approval to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

In 1986, Wren of the Health Care Financing Administration

reported

that only 12 states were utilizing the option waiver.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn11> [11]

In

1988, the congressional Task Force on Technology-Dependent Children

estimated that " fewer than 400 are being cared for at home under the

Medicaid waivers now allowed. "

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn12> [12]

In 2001, the only national study ever conducted concluded that 20

states

enrolled approximately 25,000 children in Medicaid through the

Beckett

option. <http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn13>

[13]

At that time, Wisconsin had the highest number of enrollees (4,300)

and

Georgia was the second highest ranked state by awarding Becket

waivers

to 4,086 children.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn14> [14]

Arkansas, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Wisconsin had the

largest

number of enrollees, which accounted for 70% of all children with

Beckett waivers in the entire country.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn15> [15]

Now, Beckett is twenty-seven years old and a

productive

member of our society. Growing up, she was never enrolled in special

education classes.

<http://mailcenter.comcast.net/wm/toolbar/notheme.html#_edn16> [16]

Ms.

Beckett still has a tracheostomy and needs to be connected to a

ventilator

at night. She graduated from Mount Mercy College with a bachelors

degree in

English.

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[17]