If you are applying for medical benefits:
When you get DHS medical benefits, DHS will pay your medical bills for covered
services. During this time, you must let DHS have any money you get from private
health insurance or from an injury. DHS will not take more than the amount paid
in assistance for you and your family.
Working with Office of Private Health Partnerships
DHS works with the Office of Private Health Partnerships (OPHP) to provide Healthy
KidsConnect medical coverage for your children. While your children are getting Healthy
KidsConnect benefits, you may need to fill out and submit forms to OPHP. OPHP will let
you know if you need to do anything further.
Helping get other medical coverage
You will need to work with DHS to try and get medical coverage or money for medical
care from other sources. This means:
For yourself: You must try to get things such as:
- Health insurance from your employer (DHS may be able to help you pay for this).
- Insurance payments because of an injury.
- Medical coverage from the Veteran's Administration.
For your children: If the other parent isn't living with you, you may need to
work with the states Child Support Program to get health care coverage and medical
cash support for the children.
Working with child support
While you are getting medical benefits you will need to work with the states Child
Support Program.
NOTE: This does not apply if your children are receiving Childrens Health
Insurance Program benefits or Healthy KidsConnect benefits.
Important: You do not have to work with child support if you think it would
mean danger for you or your children.
Working with child support can mean:
- Helping to locate your child's other parent.
- Legally naming the child's father (establishing paternity).
- Getting an order for health care coverage.
- Getting an order for cash to help with your child's medical expenses.
If you are pregnant and you only want state medical coverage for yourself, you do
not have to work with child support.
What you need to know about "assigning support"
"Support" means money you get for you or your children, like alimony or child support.
It includes cash ordered to help you pay for your child's medical expenses. When you get
DHS medical for your child, you are "assigning" the state the right to keep the medical
cash support anyone in your family gets from another person. The money goes to repay the
state for the medical benefits your child gets.
This means that while you are getting DHS medical benefits:
The state will keep all medical cash support payments received for you to help pay for
your childs medical expenses. This includes current and past-due payments.
When your child leaves the medical program:
- Current support payments will go to you.
- Any past-due payments for months your child was on medical assistance will be
kept by the state.
- Any past-due payments for months your child was not on medical assistance may
go to you.
If you have other insurance:
If you or a member of your family have other medical insurance, tell the provider
(doctor, clinic or hospital) before you get care. They must bill the other insurance
company before they bill DHS.
If DHS pays a medical bill that should have been paid by insurance, DHS will take
action to get its money back. For example:
- If DHS pays a bill that private insurance should have paid, DHS will try to
get the money back from the insurance company.
- If DHS pays a medical bill and the provider also gets paid by an insurance
company, DHS will try to get its money back from the provider.
- If DHS pays a medical bill and an insurance company sends you a check for
it, DHS will try to get its money back from you.