Parenting a neurodivergent child is a journey filled with love, joy, and unique challenges. It’s like navigating a labyrinth, especially when understanding the South Dakota Medicaid system. Fear not, dear reader! This blog post is here to be your compass, helping you find your way through the maze of South Dakota Medicaid.
Before we delve into the details, let’s understand what South Dakota Medicaid is. Simply put, it’s a program that provides health coverage for low-income individuals and families, including some low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. For parents of neurodivergent kids, it’s a crucial support system, offering a variety of resources and assistance.
you might wonder, “What makes my child eligible for South Dakota Medicaid?” Good question! The eligibility criteria are based on a few key factors:
So, your child is eligible for South Dakota Medicaid. Great! But how do you apply? Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:
Using tools like Goally can help manage your child’s daily routines and tasks. At the same time, you navigate the Medicaid application process. It’s a win-win!
| Goally Waiver Scorecard | Score |
|---|---|
| Website clarity and ease of navigation | 4/5 |
| Access and requirements of qualification | 4/5 |
| Healthcare coverage | 3/5 |
You can call South Dakota’s Behavioral Services at 605.773.3123
For neurodivergent kids, South Dakota Medicaid waivers can be a lifesaver. These waivers allow the state to “waive” certain Medicaid rules, providing services that might not be under regular Medicaid. This can include home and community-based services, specialized therapies, and more.
Understanding and applying for waivers can feel like a maze. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Here’s a brief overview of the different types of waivers, their eligibility criteria, and benefits:
| Waiver | Eligibility | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| CHOICES Waiver | Children under 21 with a disability | Home and community-based services |
| Family Support Waiver | Children under 18 with a developmental disability | Respite care, specialized medical equipment, etc. |
Looking for fun ways to help your child learn life skills? Try Goally! The Goally tablet comes with award-winning learning apps and video classes to help kids develop the skills they need to become independent with FUN & evidence-based practices.
Our apps teach executive function, language, emotional regulation, finger dexterity skills, and more.
As your child develops new skills, you can increase the difficulty level of the tasks in the app to challenge and motivate them even further. This helps your child grow and progress at their own pace, while also keeping them engaged and excited about their development.
Remember, while navigating the South Dakota Medicaid system may seem daunting, you’re not alone. You can make the system work for your family with the right information and guidance. And remember, every step you take is not just navigating a system – advocating for your child. That’s the most important job of all.
At Goally, we understand the challenges and are here to support you on this journey. Our learning tablet for kids is to help neurodivergent kids thrive, giving you one less thing to worry about as you navigate the South Dakota Medicaid system.
Circumstances/Diagnosis: Children and adults of all ages who have a diagnosis with developmental disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, and Down’s Syndrome. The state requires that individuals need at least an intermediate care facility level of care to qualify. This has a technical definition but essentially just means that the individual is unable to get through their day without a lot of supervision.
Income: Income eligibility is only based on the child’s income and not the parents income. This means that your child is financially eligible for the waiver if they don’t have an income (or they earn less than $2,300 a month).
Service Coordination, Respite Care, Specialized Medical and Adaptive Equipment and Supplies, Nutritional Supplements, Personal Care, Companion Care, Environmental Accessibility Adaptations (Home/vehicle modifications), and standard medicaid benefits.
Contact your local office to apply, find out more information, and to determine if this is your best medicaid waiver option.
South Dakota has a great setup where eligibility for medicaid is expanded for different vulnerable groups, but better than that they provide individualized medicaid applications that provide additional services right off the bat. It seems as though there might be a short waitlist to get these expanded services but based on our research on other states this shouldn’t be longer than a few months. Once your child ages out of the based medicaid services and needs employment and independent living supports you can coordinate moving to a new adult waiver program with your case manager.
This post was originally published on 02/16/2021. It was updated on 09/17/2023.
