The Bridge to Independence Program

& The Affordable Care Act

Special Edition:

The BasicsIn the

Courtroom

Medicaid Coverage

and the ACA

300

400

100 100

200 200200

300

200

400

Know Your Rights Wild Card

200

400

100

300

The Bridge to Independence Program

100

300

400

Two BONUS Medicaid

questions:

300

Young adults who aged out of foster

care and are in the Bridge

to Independence Program get these three services

1. Housing support

2. Support from an Independence Coordinator

3. Medicaid coverage

Other than youth who aged out of foster care, the Bridge to Independence program also helps these two

groups of young people

Youth who were adopted at age 16+

and

Youth who entered a guardianship at age 16+

Name at least three of the four eligibility

requirements for all young adults in

the Bridge to Independence

program

1.Education e.g. high school, GED program, college, vocational education program, etc.

2.Employmentworking at least 80 hours per month

3.Employment activitye.g. internship, volunteering, working with a local career center, etc.

4.Medical conditionand can’t do any of the above activities

TRUE or FALSE:

Young adults must sign up for the

Bridge to Independence program right when they age out of foster care

FALSE!

Young adults can come into the program any time before they

turn 21. They can also leave at any time, and then come back

again before 21.

Name a way young adults can provide feedback to the

judge (other than speaking up in

court)

Filling out the Bridge to Independence

Court Questionnaire!

(Youth still in foster care can answer

the Youth Court Questionnaire.)

Name at least TWO differences between review hearings in

the Bridge to Independence program and court hearings in the under 19

foster care system

• Focus: the young adult

• Purpose: to make sure the young adult is getting the services and support they need to become independent

• Held once a year (or upon request)

• Young adults are the advocates! (They can ask for an attorney or CASA volunteer to help if they want to)

• Can be an informal process

• Focus: the parents (and the wellbeing of the child)

• Purpose: to help the parents so the children can return

• Held at least every three months

• A guardian ad litem is the child’s advocate and represents his/her “best interests”

• Formal court hearing

The B2I Program The under 19 system

A guardian ad litem in the under 19

foster care system is different from an attorney in the

Bridge to Independence

program in this important way

• “Client directed” (so the attorney must advocate for what the young adult wants – NOT what the attorney thinks is best)

• Only assigned when the young adult asks for one

• “Best interests” focused (so the GAL advocates for what he/she thinks is best for the child, which may or may not be what the child wants)

• Automatically assigned to every child in foster care

B2I Program Attorney

Under 19 System GAL

In the Bridge to Independence program, a “case review” and a “permanency review

hearing” are different in this way (name at least one)

• Purpose: to make sure the young adult is getting the services and support they need to become independent

• Held once a year (or upon request)

• Held in front of a judge – or someone appointed by a judge

• Purpose: to look at progress made toward goals

• Held every six months

• Held by the Foster Care Review Office and DHHS, along with the young adult and others the young adult wants to bring (e.g. a friend, their CASA volunteer, a supportive adult, etc.)

Permanency Review Hearing

Case Review

Can DHHS require clean background checks for people you want to live

with in the Bridge to Independence

program?

No!

The law says that clean background checks of other

people living in the home can not be

required.

If a young adult stops meeting their

eligibility requirement, they

have this many days before getting

kicked out of the program

60 total days!

The young adult stops meeting

their eligibility requirement (and isn’t meeting a different one)

If the young adult

still isn’t meeting a

requirement, DHHS sends a 30 day

notice of ineligibility

If the young adult

STILL isn’t meeting a

requirement, they are terminated

from the program30 day grace period 30 more days

Name at least four options you have if you disagree with a

decision made about your Bridge to Independence

case

• Talk with your Independence Coordinator

• Request an attorney and/or CASA volunteer• Request forms available at

neappleseed.org/B2I• File an administrative appeal

• Mail in a written letter asking for a fair hearing or fill out DHHS’s “request for fair hearing” form, available at neappleseed.org/B2I

• Request an extra court hearing• Request form available at

neappleseed.org/B2I• Call the Ombudsman’s Office

• 1-800-742-7690• Call Nebraska Appleseed’s Intake Line• 1-800-845-3746

TRUE or FALSE:

If you get kicked out of

the program, you can’t come back in

FALSE!

As long as you meet the eligibility requirements (one of the four activities), you can come in again any time before

you turn 21.

In January 2014, the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) extended this for

youth who were formerly in

foster care.

The ACA extended Medicaid coverage for youth who reached the age of 18 while in foster

care, or aged out of foster care at 19, until their 26th birthday.

Name two eligibility

requirements young adults must meet in

order to get Medicaid coverage

until 26

• Reached age 18 while in foster care or aged out of foster care at 19

• Were in foster care in Nebraska• Under age 26• Had Medicaid when they were in foster care

If you have Medicaid

and they won’t pay for

a service you need, you have this

option

Appeal their decision! Write them a letter asking for a fair

hearing at:Legal Services – Hearing Section

P.O. Box 98914Lincoln NE 68509-8914

OR fill out DHHS’s “request for a fair hearing” form, available

at neappleseed.org/B2I

Contact Nebraska Appleseed’s Intake Line

with any questions or problems: 1-800-845-3746

If you are NOT eligible for Medicaid to 26 under the ACA, how else could you

get Medicaid coverage?

You could be eligible for general

Medicaid coverage if you are:

Pregnant

Aged, blind, or disabled

A very low income parent

Name at least one way to apply for Medicaid

• Apply online through ACCESSNebraska accessnebraska.ne.gov

• Apply online through the Health Insurance Marketplace healthcare.gov

• Download an electronic application http://public-dhhs.ne.gov/Forms/DisplayPDF.aspx?item=3067

• Apply over the phone Lincoln: 402-473-7000 Omaha: 402-595-1178 Statewide: 1-855-632-7633

Name two important questions to look for

when applying for Medicaid online

1.Do you want to find out if you can get help paying for health coverage?• Answer “YES”!

2.Were you ever in foster care?