State fund helps pay for children's medical needs On Dec. 13 Gov. Jon S. Corzine announced more than $3.3 million in financial grants awarded by the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission (CICRFC) to help families dealing with their children's extraordinary medical expenses. "The Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund provides New Jersey families with financial assistance for uncovered medical bills related to their child's illness," Corzine said. "This fund ensures that families can focus on the important needs of their children without worrying about their ability to pay for necessary medical care." According to a press release from the governor's office, the CICRF awards approved for the first six months of this fiscal year will help 146 eligible families pay for uncovered expenses associated with their child's illness. "This represents aid to 37 additional families amounting to $1 million more for the same time period last year. This alone shows us the need growing at an astronomical rate," said Department of Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez. "I am proud to say that New Jersey can provide this safety net through CICRFC - unique in the United States - for so many families when they face catastrophic medical costs for their child." Since its creation in 1989, the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund has awarded more than $108 million to more than 4,500 New Jersey families, in every county of the state, according to the press release. "By helping families maintain their family life while caring for a sick child and coping with mounting medical bills, the fund does almost as much for the family's state of mind as it does for their finances," said Jane Lorber, chair of the commission. Families of any income may qualify, and the fund does not limit coverage to specific diseases or diagnoses. Eligible medical and related expenses are those not fully covered by insurance, state, or federal programs, and include hospital and physician bills, medications, medical equipment, psychiatric care, home health care, and specialized home and vehicle modifications. "We define catastrophic in terms of the economic impact the child's illness has on the family. We look at how high the uncovered medical expenses are compared with the family income," said Ralph J. Condo, executive director of the fund. "A family may have health insurance, but coverage often is inadequate and mounting bills can quickly become catastrophic for a family. The fund helps families weather a financial crisis and return to the routine responsibilities of their lives." The fund is collected from an annual surcharge of $1 per employee levied on all employers who are subject to the New Jersey Unemployment Compensation Law. A family may qualify for the fund's help if a child's unreimbursed medical and related expenses exceed 10 percent of the family's income up to $100,000 plus 15 percent of any excess income over $100,000. The child must have been 21 years or younger when the medical expenses were incurred and families must be state residents. Expenses must have been incurred during a previous 12-month period, and expenses dating back to January 1988 will be considered. While the legislation that created the fund protects the anonymity of families applying for help, several families who have received grant awards from the fund were willing to share their experience at the ceremony in Trenton. They included: • Michael and Donna Henry of Bordentown, Burlington County, who purchased a specialized, modified van for their son Sean, who is now 15 years old. Sean was born with a neurological disorder of the brain and nervous system and must use a wheelchair for mobility as well as requiring assistance with all activities of daily living. In order to access their home with the wheelchair, his family purchased a portable ramp to transport the wheelchair into the home. Although insured, the family realized these types of expenses were not covered by insurance, but would be considered by the fund. The commission was able to assist this family with an award of more than $25,000. • Bonnie Maisto of Middlesex, Middlesex County, was facing the challenge of transporting her son Aaron, now 13 years old, as his neuromuscular disorder progressed. As a single mother who has remained on good terms with her ex-husband, she also realized how important it was for Aaron to see his father consistently. So the modified vehicle not only helps Aaron get to his required medical appointments and therapies, it also helps to keep his family intact in spite of the fact that they no longer all live under one roof. The commission was able to assist in this endeavor with an award of $37,000 toward the cost of the modified vehicle