Health Insurance
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools must develop a transition plan for students with disabilities starting at age 16 to assist with their post-graduation life. Transition education focuses on planning and teaching activities that facilitate the transition from school life to community life, emphasizing the educational outcomes that need to be achieved in the future. This involves establishing collaborative systems between disability service agencies and planning for participation in postsecondary education, vocational education, employment, lifelong learning, adult services, independent living, and community activities before high school graduation.
Transition services are intended to help youth with disabilities make the transition from the world of secondary school to the world of adulthood. That said, it helps to know how IDEA defines transition services.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a health insurance program for individuals with limited income and assets. In most states, children who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are eligible for Medicaid coverage. In some cases, eligibility for SSI automatically grants Medicaid coverage. However, in states where this is not the case, an application must be submitted. Even if a child is not eligible for SSI, they may still qualify for Medicaid. It’s advisable to contact the state’s Medicaid agency or the state or county social welfare office to confirm eligibility.
Medicare
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for individuals aged 65 and older, as well as for those who have received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for at least two years.
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
CHIP provides health insurance for children in working families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private health insurance. The program is implemented in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and offers coverage for prescription drugs, vision, hearing, and mental health services.
Transition services
means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that
(1) Is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation;
(2) Is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes
- Instruction;
- Related services;
- Community experiences;
- The development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and
- If appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation.
The services are to be planned as a group and are intended to drive toward a result—they should not be haphazard or scattershot activities, but coordinated with each other to achieve that outcome or result. Preparing children with disabilities to “lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible” is one of IDEA’s stated objectives.
The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
is a family-centered plan that details early intervention services and supports clients from birth to age three. The client’s initial IFSP is completed within 45 days of the family’s first contact with the Regional Center. The IFSP identifies and documents the outcomes desired by the family and clearly outlines how the IFSP team will work to achieve these goals. The IFSP comprehensively addresses health and safety-related issues, including the following:
- A record of the current physical development levels, including vision, hearing, and health status
- A description of the current cognitive, communication, social, emotional, and adaptive developmental levels
- A description of the family's concerns, priorities, the specific supports the child needs, and how these will be met
- A plan detailing the types and amounts of services and supports, the providers, and the locations of service provision
- Criteria, procedures, and timelines for assessing progress
- Procedures to ensure a smooth transition from Early Start to the next stage at age three
