PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFITS

1. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFITS Public Assistance Benefits for Children And Caregivers in North Carolina Presented by Legal Aid of North Carolina

2. Program Categories • Food • Shelter • Income • Child Care • Health Care

3. Food – Food Stamps • The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as Food Stamps)is a federal food assistance program that helps provide food assistance to low-income families. • Monthly allotments of SNAP benefits are issued via Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT cards) .

4. Food - WIC • Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a federal program designed to provide food to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and infants and children until the age of five.

5. Shelter – Emergency Assistance Emergency Assistanceprovides a cash payment to assist with families’ sporadic emergency needs, such as utility disconnection or eviction.

6. Shelter – Crisis Intervention Program • The Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) is a Federally-funded program that provides cash assistance to low-income households that are in a heating or cooling related emergency.

7. Shelter- LIEAP The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federally-funded program that provides for a one-time cash payment to help eligible households pay their heating bills. This payment is usually received in February of each year.

8. Shelter - Weatherization The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is designed to help low-income people save energy and reduce expenses through the installation of energy conservation materials, the implementation of energy efficiency measures in their homes and energy education.

9. Income – Work First Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), called Work First Family Assistance in NC, gives cash assistance, short-term training and other services to help children’s caregivers become employed and self-sufficient. 2-year limitation.

10. Child Care Subsidies NC DHHS uses a combination of state and federal funds to provide subsidized child care services to eligible households through a locally administered state-supervised voucher system.

11. Health Care The Many Faces of Medicaid

12. Health Care – Medicaid Citizenship Requirements To be eligible for full Medicaid, an individual must be -- • a U.S. citizen, or • an alien admitted to the US under a specific immigration status Other immigrants are eligible for Medicaid for emergency medical services only.

13. Health Care – Emergency Medicaid Some qualified aliens have a 5-year disqualification period, during which they are eligible for Medicaid for emergency medical services only.

14. Definition – Emergency Services • Treatment after the sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity, including severe pain, such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy, or death.

15. Health Care – Baby Love • Baby Love provides formal case management services to eligible women during and after pregnancy and intervention as early in pregnancy as possible to promote healthy pregnancy and positive birth outcomes. 

16. Health Care – Medicaid/Health Check Health Check is Medicaid for children that covers complete medical and dental check-ups, and provides vision and hearing screenings and referrals for treatment.

17. Health Care – NC Health Choice • Children who are under age 19 may qualify for free or low cost health insurance if they are uninsured and if the household income is higher than the Medicaid limits but less than 200% of the poverty level. There is no limit on assets.

18. Health Care – Medicaid for Infants Medicaid for Infants up to age 1 The family income limit is equal to 185% of the poverty level. There is no limit on assets.

19. Health Care – Children to Age 5 Medicaid for Children from age 1 through age 5 The family income limit is equal to 133% of the poverty level. There is no asset limit.

20. Health Care – Children 6 to 18 Medicaid for Children from age 6 to age 18 The family income limit is equal to 100% of the poverty level, which is lower than the income limit for younger children. There is no asset limit.

21. Health Care – Children Over 18 Medicaid for Caretakers and Children age 19 and 20 The income limit is lower than the income limit for children through the age of 18. There is a limit on assets.

22. Health Care – Medically Needy Medicaid coverage is available for caregivers and children whose incomes are higher. Households must meet a deductible and there is a limit on assets.

23. Health – MA-CAP-C • The Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) provides cost-effective home care for medically fragile children through age 18 who would otherwise require long-term hospital care or nursing facility care.

24. Health Care – MA-CAP/C Community Alternative Program for Children • For medically high risk children under age 18 and who would be institutionalized in a nursing facility or hospital without the Medicaid payment for the home care available through CAP/C; • Who require Medicaid coverage through CAP/C services in addition to CAP/C case management to remain safely in their primary residence; and • Who have been ruled disabled by Disability Determination Services (DDS).

25. Health Care - BCCCP • Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) is a screening service for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer. • The recipient receives a blue Medicaid card giving access to covered services provided under the Medicaid program. • This is limited coverage and not “full” Medicaid.

26. Health Care – Be Smart • BE SMART is designed to reduce unintended pregnancies and improve the wellbeing of children and families by extending eligibility for family planning services to eligible women between the ages of 19 through 55 and men ages 19 through 60.

27. Health Care - Transportation If the recipient is unable to arrange and/or pay for medical transportation, the county department must arrange or provide transportation to services covered by North Carolina Medicaid for authorized recipients.

28. Reference Links • North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (www.ncdhhs.gov) • NCDHHS Division of Medical Services (www.ncdhhs.gov/dma) • U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (www.dhhs.gov) • Legal Aid of North Carolina (www.legalaidnc.org)

29. Resource Links • Federal Health Insurance Laws begin at www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/42cfrv2_06.html • Medicaid Laws begin at www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_06/42cfrv4_06.html