Affiliations: Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Chicago, IL, USA | Chicago Medical-Legal Partnership for Children, Legal Council of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | Legal Council of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | Sidley Austin LLP (PILI at Chicago Medical-Legal
Partnership for Children)
Note: [] Corresponding author: Stephanie Altman, Sargent Shriver National
Center on Poverty Law. 50 E. Washington Street, Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60602,
USA. Tel.: +1 312 263 3830; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: While all children face challenges as they become adults, children
with chronic medical conditions or disabilities face unique barriers in their
transition to adulthood. Children, especially those who are low income and have
special needs, are eligible for a range of supports including income supports,
health care coverage, vocational and educational supports. These supports are
critical to sound health because they ensure access to necessary medical
services, while also offsetting the social determinants that negatively affect
health. Unfortunately, as children transition into adulthood, eligibility for
these benefits can change abruptly or even end entirely. If medical providers
have a better understanding of five transition key dates, they can positively
impact their patients' health by ensuring continuous coverage through the
transition to adulthood. The key dates are as follows: (1) transition services
for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) must begin by age
16 (in some states such as Illinois, these services must be in place by age 14
1/2); (2) at age 18, eligibility for income supports may change; (3) at age 19,
eligibility for Medicaid may change; (4) at graduation, eligibility for
educational supports will end unless steps are taken to extend those benefits
until age 22; and (5) when individuals prepare to enter the workforce, they
will become eligible for vocational rehabilitation services. With an
understanding of these key transition dates and how to partner with social
services and advocacy organizations on behalf of their patients, medical
providers can help to ensure that transition-age patients retain the holistic
social services and supports they need to protect their health.
Keywords: Transition, children, youth, medical-legal partnership, Medicaid, disability, Social Security, public benefits, health insurance, Affordable Care Act, vocational rehabilitation
