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NASHVILLE—The Division of TennCare and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) announced that more than 1000 children have been enrolled in the Katie Beckett Program since it opened one year ago. There are currently no waiting lists for services in either part of the program.
“We’ve already seen how the Katie Beckett Program can change the lives of children and families for the better here in Tennessee,” said DIDD Commissioner Brad Turner. “From providing life-changing supports to medically complex kids to offsetting the financial burden of co-pays and premiums for families, this program is helping families in ways they might not have realized were possible.”
The Katie Beckett Program is for children with disabilities and/or complex medical needs who are not currently Medicaid eligible because of their parent’s income or assets. Tennessee’s Katie Beckett Program has two parts. Part A provides Medicaid services to children with the most significant disabilities or complex medical needs. Part B is a Medicaid diversion program, which means children are not enrolled in Medicaid, but receive a capped package of supports of up to $10,000 annually to help cover the cost of private insurance or care their insurance does not cover.
The program was designed based on feedback from families, advocates, and medical experts. TennCare and DIDD continue to meet with a technical advisory group to review program successes, challenges, and solicit feedback on potential program adjustments.
“Tennessee’s Katie Beckett Program is a model for collaboration and innovation,” said TennCare Director Stephen Smith. “We are excited about the opportunities this program will provide to Tennesseans and encouraged by this first year of implementation.” The Katie Beckett Program was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee in May 2019. The program was launched on November 23, 2020, three weeks after receiving federal approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Families who are interested in applying can fill out a self-referral form on the TennCare Connect website. Once the referral is completed, a DIDD case manager will contact them to follow up and continue the assessment process. Find more information about the Katie Beckett Program at: https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/katie-beckett-waiver.html