Medical System
Children in the United States with chronic conditions and/or special health care needs have more medical options available to them than ever before. New treatments, new drugs and new therapies are being identified and utilized daily by specialists in their increasingly specialized areas of expertise.
Yet, as the very systems of care improve, the complexity of the medical system increases daily. Parents of children with special health care needs are left with a bewildering array of choices. They face a challenge finding out what options are best, or even available, for their children.
Additionally, while each Specialist works with increasing skill with the aspect of the child's condition that he or she knows best, too often no one is left with a complete picture of the child's care and needs.
The complexity of the systems of care—and sometimes the complexity of the child's chronic condition itself—as well as the child's age and the family's geographic location and income, can lead to communication gaps that are frustrating for the child, along with the family, the physicians and the educators who are each independently working with the child.
The Caring Program: Care Coordination for Children with Special Health Care Needs can help. Free medical care coordination for children enrolled in CHIP through Highmark and this website also provides resources for any child with chronic medical conditions and/or special health care needs.