Is there government aid for babies with birth injuries?

Posted in Birth Injuries, Firm News on March 15, 2019

Parenting is an expensive endeavor as is, but when your child sustains a brain injury, especially one that results in long-term disabilities, it can be even more so. If your Seattle birthing team failed you and your child in that it allowed your child to sustain a disabling birth injury, you may wonder if there are programs available that can help you cover the cost of inevitable expenses that stem from the injury. The good news is, there are.

According to Birth Injury Guide, the United States government has established numerous programs and services designed to provide parents of disabled children with additional financial, medical and educational care assistance. For instance, the Social Security Administration makes Supplemental Security Income available to children with disabilities and their parents. The SSA pays SSI benefits monthly to ensure families of disabled children do not suffer financially. Some birth injuries SSI covers include muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, complete blindness or deafness and serious intellectual disorders in children over seven years of age.

The SSA is not the only government program that provides benefits to disabled children and their families. So too do the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid. Both Medicaid and CHIP extend insurance to children whose parents or guardians meet income requirements. These programs are available to all low-income parents, regardless if their child has a disability or not.

Some conditions benefit greatly from early intervention — early meaning any intervention that occurs from birth until age three. To help parents pay for intervention efforts, the government established the Early Intervention Program.

Finally, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires all states in the nation to provide children with disabilities paid-for special education services. Currently, approximately six million children receive support services via IDEA, several of which are eligible for individual education plans under the Individualized Educational Program.

In addition to educational services, children with disabilities are also privy to counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, transportation to and from school and speech and language pathology services.

The content in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to serve as legal advice.