In the United States, caring for a child with special health care needs usually means higher medical expenses for a family - particularly for low-income families, who spend a disproportionally large share of their income on their child's care. Yet the amount of financial burden for these families also depends on their state of residence, says Paul T. Shattuck, Ph.D., professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis.
"The percentage of low-income families in a given state with out-of-pocket expenses that exceeded 3 percent of their income varied considerably according to state and ranged from 5 percent to 25. 8 percent (District of Columbia and Montana, respectively). Families living in states with more generous Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) benefits report less financial burden," Shattuck says.
Research has shown that families raising children with disabilities face exceptionally high rates of financial hardship, which can have a negative effect on the children's well-being.
"Policy makers should consider ways to strengthen Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to reduce the financial burdens these families shoulder," Shattuck says.
In a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, Shattuck and lead author Susan Parish, Ph.D., professor of social work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also found that: