My daughter was diagnosed in December 2000 with type 1 diabetes At that time, she was covered under our insurance with our business. The staff at the business office told us we could have both children covered under Medicaid and they would be covered until the age of 18. Now, we’ve been told that we make too much money and are ineligible for Medicaid and we can’t find anyone to cover our daughter. When we do find someone, it’s so expensive that we can’t afford it. We are divorced now and they live with me. Is there another program that I would qualify for that could help with medical expenses and her doctor’s visits?

I am not sure I have any good options to offer. South Carolina is one of the few states that fails to sponsor a subsidized health insurance program for children. You can learn more about the health insurance programs available in South Carolina from a resource on health insurance published by the Georgetown University School of Public Policy, The Consumer’s Guide to Getting and Keeping Health Insurance in South Carolina. While it sounds radical, my only advice is to consider moving to a state that participate in the CHIPS program by offering health insurance for children.

DSH
Additional comments from Dr. David Schwartz:

In South Carolina, there is a program called Children’s Rehabilitative Services (CRS). This is program for children with special health care needs. There are limitations for enrollment based on diagnoses and income. Nevertheless, diabetes is a potentially covered entity. Contact your local Health Department (in South Carolina, it is called the Department of Health and Environmental Control [DHEC]) for information and application for CRS.

DS