Discover how the Katie Beckett Waiver process works, how to fill out your child’s application, and why it's so important that you complete it for your autistic child!
Idaho, like most other states, offers a way for the parents of disabled children to access Medicaid services regardless of their household income. If you’re living in Idaho and parenting an autistic child, you need to apply for this program…it could be the difference between getting your child the support they need for free, or having to pay $10,000 or more a month for therapies.
Read on to discover what the Katie Beckett Waiver is, how it can help your family, and most importantly, how you can apply for it.
What is the Katie Beckett Waiver?
The Idaho Health and Welfare website describes the Katie Beckett program as a “Medicaid program for children living at home with long-term disabilities or complex medical needs, who may be eligible for Medicaid services even if their family income is above Medicaid federal poverty guidelines.”
It’s a way for families of disabled children to keep their children in their homes, care for them, and get the support and therapies they need…even if their family may not qualify for traditional Medicaid due to income-based reasons.
Who is eligible for the Katie Beckett Waiver?
All Idaho children from birth through age 18 who are living with one of “the big four” conditions are eligible (although the final determination of eligibility will be determined by Health and Welfare, and also takes a few other factors into consideration…for more information, see this link).
The four conditions are:
- Autism
- Epilepsy
- Cerebral Palsy
- Intellectual disability, defined as an IQ below 75
Please note that the rules for approving applications for children under age 5 are different from those for children who are aged 5 or older. Because so many of the conditions are a developmental delay, and since wait times for assessments are so long, the State gives families of kids aged 0-5 time to get their “official diagnoses,” while offering them coverage even if they may not eventually receive a diagnosis of autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or intellectual disability.
If your child is over age 5 and does not have one of these diagnoses, there is a potential path forward! I’ll talk about it below when we get to the application process.
How can the Katie Beckett Waiver help your Idaho family?
Even with “good” private insurance, by the time we applied for the program, we were looking at almost $40,000 worth of medical debt for both kids. And that was after we already paid out of pocket almost $5,000 for one type of therapy that wasn’t covered by our insurance.
Fortunately, the program as of now, will backdate your approval to 90 days before you apply. That means they’ll retroactively cover those pending medical claims you have going back for close to 3 months.
In addition to potentially helping you not go broke while caring for your child(ren), the program also opens up the possibility of getting additional resources like Habilitative Intervention Support, case management, and more.
Once you’re approved for the waiver or can access Medicaid through financial need, you can apply for the Developmental Disabilities program which opens up a whole new world of support!
Applying for the Katie Beckett Waiver in Idaho
Ok, take a deep breath and do your best to remember this is a process that is, in my opinion, purposefully made difficult to deter people from applying.
Make sure you take notes as you go of what dates you sent out the paperwork, and take notes of any communication (email or phone calls) you have…be sure to write down the name of whom you spoke with, what was discussed, and the date! This may come in handy later, especially if you need to file an appeal.
All that being said, the process is doable and you can handle it, promise!
Step 1
Apply for Medicaid. You can do this in one of six ways, and you will need to have your ID card, household income information, and your immigration status (if applicable).
- Online by visiting this link
- By calling toll-free, 1-877-456-1233
- In-person (find your closest field office here)
- By downloading and completing an application and then sending it in via:
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 1-866-434-8278 (toll-free)
- Mail: Self Reliance Programs, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0026
Very important step: Write on your application that you are applying for the Katie Beckett program.
If your child is older than 5 and does not have an official diagnosis, also indicate that you’d like to fill out the “Related Conditions Form.” This is a form that your pediatrician will fill out saying that the challenges your child has are similar enough to one of the four qualifying diagnoses that they should receive services under the program.
If you qualify for Medicaid based on your income, you will simply be granted Medicaid coverage going forward. If your income is over the allowable limit, you will proceed to Step 2.
In the meantime, you should be getting together all of your child’s diagnosis paperwork, therapist notes, evaluations, and doctor’s office notes that you can to support your claim that your child is disabled and needs the support of the Katie Beckett program.
Step 2
You’ll receive your Katie Beckett application. Fill it out and mail it back in the envelope they provide. It will go to a business named Liberty Healthcare - don't worry, they work with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to coordinate the program.
This is their address and phone number if you have questions…
Liberty Healthcare Corporation
Idaho Independent Assessment Services Program
8850 W. Emerald Street, Suite 164
Boise ID 83704
ph# 208-258-7980
You’ll need to put all the medical records in with the application packet, and the completed “Related Conditions Form” if you’re using it. Feel free to drown them in whatever paperwork you think is necessary and let them sort it out.. don't send irrelevant things, but anything that documents your child’s diagnosis or struggles is fair game!
I also suggest you keep copies, either digital or paper of everything you send to them in case your application is lost or misplaced…you don’t want to go through all that work again!
Step 3
Wait.
It could be a few weeks, or it may be a few months, depending on how much of a backlog Liberty is working through. It’s ok to call every few weeks and check on the status of your application and to ensure they received it. In fact, I’d suggest that you call them about 2 weeks after you send in your application to check that they have received it, then check in with them every 3-4 weeks after that until…
Step 4
Liberty will most likely contact you to do a 2-3 hour interview where they ask a lot of questions about your child and their struggles. It says on their website that they don’t always do the interview, but of the over 1,000 families I know who access this program, I don’t know any who haven’t had to do the initial eligibility meeting.
Pre-Covid, the interviews were all done in person. Since Covid, everything has been done virtually. I’m not sure in the future if they will be shifting back towards in-person assessments, but our most recent re-evaluations have all been done virtually.
The Liberty assessor will want to see your kiddo, and try to talk with them for a few minutes, but they do not have to be there for the entire interview. You may want to arrange for someone else to watch kiddo while you finish the interview. Don’t worry if they display negative behaviors or are “rude” to the assessor - you want them to see your child’s true nature and challenges.
This part is crucial: answer all the questions they ask like your child was completely alone, and having the worst day of their life. Seriously. This is not the time to minimize their challenges….if you want your child to have the best chance of being approved for the program, let the interviewer see how they struggle.
It sucks as a parent to go over the hard things and see how far “behind” your kiddo is, but your kiddo needs you to be strong so they can get the support you both need.
Step 5
You’ll either be approved, or denied. And just like waiting to get your assessment scheduled, no one can say how long it will take…but they will backdate your application to 90 days from the date you applied if you’re approved.
If you feel like your child’s application was denied in error, you can go here to appeal the decision.
Resources to help you during the application process
It’s a giant slog, I’m not going to lie. And there are parts of it that can be downright soul-crushing. As a self-care coach for parents of autistic children (and someone who has been through this process twice), I have some suggestions for helping you navigate the stress that comes up during the application process.
- Practices Mindfulness in the midst of all the chaos. Discover a series of autism-specific guided meditations here.
- Focus on self-care. To make it easy, you can download your free copy of "7 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Stress: A Guide for Parents of Autistic Children" by clicking here.
- Take care of yourself after the in-person interview. I know how hard those “tell me about all the problems your child has” interviews can go. That’s why I wrote an article with my 7 top tips for taking care of yourself when it’s all over…you can check it out here.
Remember that you’re doing the best you can and that it’s enough! No one parents alone, even on this journey that seems so lonely sometimes.
If you’d like to surround yourself with other parents who are navigating the same journey and are dedicated to their own self-care and well-being, please join us over on my Instagram or Facebook communities…they’re a great place to get the support and encouragement you need to become an Empowered and Engaged Autism Parent!
Disclaimer: While this post is Idaho-specific, you may be able to glean some information about your state's application process and policies. I am by no means an expert on this topic, and the application process may change at any time. This does not constitute legal or medical advice. For questions about what services are available in your local area, I suggest you contact your local Parent Resource Council.
Meet your self-care coach!
