A nationally noted expert on special needs planning, he is the past President of the Special Needs Alliance, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting families with special needs planning and related issues.
My No. 1 piece of advice is to seek out seasoned financial professionals with experience in special needs planning.
Don McNay is the founder of McNay Consulting, http://www.mcnayconsulting.com/, a nationally recognized structured settlement, mediation consulting and special needs planning firm.
Partners also include two not-for-profit health insurance companies--including my organization, VNSNY CHOICE Health Plans, through its SelectHealth Special Needs Plan--which cover the cost of treatment, recognizing that the true value of the treatment lies not just in delivering the medication but in ensuring that it is taken appropriately.
The particular events sampled were very much driven by the questions and concerns we had regarding Medicaid-supported HIV/AIDS care and the Special Needs Plan.
However, individuals who enrolled in a Special Needs Plan were likely to report better problem resolution, perhaps reflecting their proactive choice in care.
Again, people who were willing to enroll in a Special Needs Plan were less likely to report that they felt uncomfortable seeking help.
Clients who had enrolled in a Special Needs Plan were less likely to experience difficulties getting their problems addressed and questions answered.
Conversely, patients who changed their care arrangements by enrolling in one of the new Medicaid Special Needs Plan were less likely to believe that nothing could help their problems.
Overall, 86.9% of all children were enrolled through standard Medicaid, 2.2% through Child Health Plus, a NY State insurance for children under the age of 19 who are not eligible for Medicaid; 8.9% through Family Health Plus, a NY State plan for families not eligible for Medicaid; 0.7% through a commercial MetroPlus plan; and 1.3%, through a Medicaid HIV special needs plan.
