Medicaid Waivers Targeting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Reduce The Need For Parents To Stop Working

Abstract

Several states have passed Medicaid home and community-based services waivers that expand eligibility criteria and available services for children with autism spectrum disorder. Although previous research has shown considerable variation in these waivers, little is known about the programs’ impact on parents’ workforce participation. We used nationally representative survey data combined with detailed information on state Medicaid waiver programs to determine the effects of waivers on whether parents of children with autism spectrum disorder had to stop working because of the child’s condition. Increases in the Medicaid home and community-based services waiver cost limit and enrollment limit significantly reduced the likelihood that a parent had to stop working, although the results varied considerably by household income level. These findings suggest that the Medicaid waivers are effective policies to address the care-related needs of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Comparing impact on the family and insurance coverage in children with cerebral palsy and children with another special healthcare need

“…Currently, there is a growing number of states providing additional funding and expanding support services for children and families with autism (Leslie et al, ). CP is a neurodevelopmental disorder that also has a myriad of comorbid conditions.…”

“…Insurance coverage should be supplemented with funding for support services that occur within the home and community. As seen among families caring with a child with autism, utilization of waivers for support services may reduce the need for parents to stop working (Leslie et al, ).…”

What Else Is Needed in the Korean Government’s Master Plan for People With Developmental Disabilities?

“…The term ‘developmental disability’ in South Korea (hereafter Korea) encompasses both intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD); these disabilities require specialized social support, as they start early in children’s lives and continue as they grow [1,2]. If parents of disabled children were to exclusively assume all responsibilities for child-rearing, they would be forced into a state of poverty as they would not be able to maintain stable jobs, and they also would become perpetually restless due to the inability to escape from their lifelong duties [3,4]. As portrayed in the media from time to time, extreme circumstances can even drive parents to murder their own disabled children and to commit suicide themselves [5].…”

“…The entire nation witnessed the dreadful circumstances that disabled children and their parents must face in our society through this incident. Developmental disabilities are categorized as severe because they often manifest through significant deficiencies in cognitive and communication skills, rendering independent living an impossibility and special education a quintessential necessity for the affected individuals [3-7]. Therefore, those parents were determined to persuade the local residents, even by kneeling to beg them to reconsider their opposition, in the hopes of establishing a special education school for their children [6].…”

“…Furthermore, it has broadened its coverage to include social welfare services and special education, as well as medical services. The fact that even the USA, where healthcare is largely privatized, provides medical services, special education, and social welfare to individuals with ASD via Medicaid is highly significant for our society [3,7-9].…”