Family Voices Indiana

ALPHABET SOUP: Health Care Definitions for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Families in the United States are finding that their family’s health insurance picture is changing. This seems especially true for those families that have children with special health care needs. We must understand health insurance jargon in order to make good decisions for our children. If, unfortunately, decisions are made for us, it is even more important to know what they will mean for our child. Here’s a beginning list of definitions. Please send us those we missed, and we’ll update this list. Thanks! Access - Ability to receive services from a health care system or provider. Acute Care - Medical services provided after an accident or for a disease, usually for a short time. Adverse Selection - Occurs when those joining a health plan have higher medical costs than the general population; if too many enrollees have higher than average medical costs, the health pla

YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS! Parenting a child with special health care needs is not easy. The 40,000 members of Family Voices, most of us parents, want you to know you’re not alone on this challenging journey. We’re there with you! And we’ve learned that the sooner we become advocates --- informed, strong voices for our children --- the smoother life becomes for our child and family. The following advocacy tips, based on years of experience from hundreds of families, focus on health, which is the mission of Family Voices. You can use these tips with your child’s doctor, hospital, clinic, therapists, preschool, child care center, classroom, community, and with extended family and neighbors. Always begin, of course, with one child…yours. 1. Believe with all your heart that your child, like all children, is wonderful --- even when she or he gobbles up so much of your time and energy. Tell all the world about this precious gift! 2. As soon as possible