Katie Beckett Option for Children with Disabilities

Basic Eligibility Requirements:

Katie Beckett is a MaineCare option for children with serious health conditions. To be eligible under the MaineCare Katie Beckett option, a child must:

Be age 18 or younger;
Not be eligible for MaineCare under any other category;
Meet the Social Security definition of disability;
Not live in a hospital, nursing facility, psychiatric hospital, or intermediate care facility for people with mental retardation but need the level of care they provide. (The Katie Beckett option will only cover costs up to what it would cost for institutional care.)

Income Requirements:

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements above, the child must meet financial eligibility criteria. Only the child's income is used to determine if the child is financially eligible for the Katie Beckett option. If the child is financially eligible, the family's size and income is then used to determine if the family must pay a monthly premium. (See "How to figure your monthly premium" for more information on premiums.)

How to file an application:

Call or visit a Department of Health and Human Services local office to talk to an eligibility specialist who can help you apply and can answer questions about the Katie Beckett application process.

Updates and Information:

Katie Beckett Program Information	Dates Updated	Word
Letter to Katie Beckett Families on proposed plan	August 2006	(.doc)
How to figure your monthly premium	August 2006	(.doc)
Latest proposed plan sent to the federal government	August 2006	(.doc)
Current plan approved by federal government	July 2006	(.doc)

Want to apply for MaineCare? Call or visit a Department of Health and Human Services local office. Ask to talk to an eligibility specialist. They decide MaineCare eligibility and can answer questions about the MaineCare application process.

BUREAU INFORmaTION

Katie Beckett Option for Children with Disabilities