NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — New funding will allow an additional 1,300 children to be enrolled in the state’s Katie Beckett Program, a program for children with disabilities or complex medical needs who are not eligible for Medicaid due to their parent’s income.
The Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) announced Monday that the funding will allow additional enrollments in the program’s Part B.
The department said Part B had nearly reached its original capacity of 2,700 children, with 2,552 currently enrolled and additional slots pending enrollment.
“Almost every day, I hear from a family who has told me how the Katie Beckett Program has changed their lives,” DIDD Commissioner Brad Turner said in a release. “From covering the costs of needed therapies to providing desperately needed respite, the flexible funding provided through Part B gives families the options and funding to address their child’s complex needs and live healthy, happy lives.”
Tennessee’s Katie Beckett Program is divided into Part A and Part B.
Part A provides Medicaid services plus non-medical support for children with the most significant disabilities or complex medical needs. Part B is a Medicaid diversion program that provides an annual $10,000 in support to children not enrolled in Medicaid to help meet their needs.
According to the department, nearly all families enrolled in Part B use its healthcare reimbursement account (HRA) service, which operates like an employer-sponsored flexible spending account.
The department said Part A still has slots available.
More information about the Katie Beckett Program can be found on the state’s website.
Tennessee became the 50th and final state to implement such a program in 2020.
