Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program (CYSHCN) Including the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Support Services (CYSHCNSS)
Program Goal
To improve the system of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and their families.
Eligibility
CYSHCN are children birth to 21 years of age who have or are suspected of having a serious or chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.
Any child with a special health care need residing in a county that has a CYSHCN Program is eligible for information and referral services.
Description
The CYSHCN Program is a public health program that provides information and referral services for health and related areas for families of CYSHCN. In addition, some of the local CYSHCN programs offer case management services.
The CYSHCN Program also has a financial component, the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Support Services (CYSHCNSS). The CYSHCNSS assists families in paying medical bills for children with severe chronic illnesses and/or physical disabilities, between birth and 21 years of age, who live in New York State and meet county medical and financial eligibility criteria.
The CYSHCNSS is located in many county health departments. Prior authorization from the local CYSHCNSS must be obtained for all services. The CYSHCNSS has two components: the Diagnosis and Evaluation Program (D&E) and the Treatment Program. The D&E Program will reimburse specialty providers for the diagnosis and development of a treatment plan for eligible children. The Treatment Program will reimburse specialty providers for the ongoing health and related services for children who are medically and financially eligible in their county of residence.
The county standards are designed to assist families with low incomes or inadequate private health insurance to obtain medical services for their children.
For More Information
To inquire about what programs (CYSHCN/CYSHCNSS) may be available in your county, call the New York State Department of Health's Growing Up Healthy Hotline at 1-800-522-5006 or call your local health department in the government blue pages of the phone book.
Local program contact and other information is also available at www.health.ny.gov/community/special_needs.
Return to IndexPublication 0548
Revised 10/2013
