How to Get Your Autistic Child a Pennsylvania Medical Card

If you have a child with autism in Pennsylvania, your child can get the medical card to pay for treatments and therapies. Most people with autistic children think they have too much income to qualify for a medical card. This is not true in Pennsylvania. There is a law that allows children diagnosed with one of the autism spectrum disorders to receive the Pennsylvania medical card no matter what the income is in the household.

To get your autistic child a Pennsylvania medical card all you have to do is get your doctor to write down your child's autism diagnosis on a prescription pad or any other form. Then take the autism diagnosis to your local Welfare/Assistance office. You will then fill out the application for the Pennsylvania medical card.

You have to include the household income when filling out the application for your autistic child to receive the Pennsylvania medical card. However, the income will not be counted against your autistic child.

When filling out the application for your autistic child to receive the medical card you will want to include the following on top of the page that asks if you are applying for this person - "MA FOR DISABLED CHILD HANDBOOK SECTION 355.4". This tells the person reviewing your application that you are applying for a child that has the diagnosis of autism.

You can also get your autistic child a Pennsylvania medical card by filling out the application online using the Compass website. Once you have filled out the application your local office will contact you to come in.

When you go to your local Welfare/Assistance office to apply for a Pennsylvania medical card for your autistic child you will need to bring the following items.

*their birth certificate

*your driver's license

*proof of income

*social security cards for all members of the household

*proof that you are a PA resident

*the paper from the doctor with your child's autism diagnosis

Your child will receive a temporary medical card number the same day your application is approved. You can then use the Pennsylvania medical card to get your autistic child the treatments and therapies they require. The medical card can be used for more services than most other medical insurances will cover.

Note-You may have heard that in order for your autistic child to get the PA medical card you have to apply for social security. This is no longer true. All you have to do now is take the diagnosis from the doctor stating that your child is autistic to your local assistance office.They may then refer you to apply for social security, but your autistic child will still get the medical card.