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The Bridge to Independence Program
& The Affordable Care Act
Special Edition:
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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
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Young adults who aged out of foster
care and are in the Bridge
to Independence Program get these three services
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1. Housing support
2. Support from an Independence Coordinator
3. Medicaid coverage
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Other than youth who aged out of foster care, the Bridge to Independence program also helps these two
groups of young people
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Youth who were adopted at age 16+
and
Youth who entered a guardianship at age 16+
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Name at least three of the four eligibility
requirements for all young adults in
the Bridge to Independence
program
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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
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TRUE or FALSE:
Young adults must sign up for the
Bridge to Independence program right when they age out of foster care
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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.
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Name a way young adults can provide feedback to the
judge (other than speaking up in
court)
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Filling out the Bridge to Independence
Court Questionnaire!
(Youth still in foster care can answer
the Youth Court Questionnaire.)
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Name at least TWO differences between review hearings in
the Bridge to Independence program and court hearings in the under 19
foster care system
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• 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
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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
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• “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
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In the Bridge to Independence program, a “case review” and a “permanency review
hearing” are different in this way (name at least one)
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• 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
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Can DHHS require clean background checks for people you want to live
with in the Bridge to Independence
program?
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No!
The law says that clean background checks of other
people living in the home can not be
required.
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If a young adult stops meeting their
eligibility requirement, they
have this many days before getting
kicked out of the program
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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
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Name at least four options you have if you disagree with a
decision made about your Bridge to Independence
case
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• 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
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TRUE or FALSE:
If you get kicked out of
the program, you can’t come back in
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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.
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In January 2014, the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) extended this for
youth who were formerly in
foster care.
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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.
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Name two eligibility
requirements young adults must meet in
order to get Medicaid coverage
until 26
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• 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
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If you have Medicaid
and they won’t pay for
a service you need, you have this
option
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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
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If you are NOT eligible for Medicaid to 26 under the ACA, how else could you
get Medicaid coverage?
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You could be eligible for general
Medicaid coverage if you are:
Pregnant
Aged, blind, or disabled
A very low income parent
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Name at least one way to apply for Medicaid
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• 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
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Name two important questions to look for
when applying for Medicaid online
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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?
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