Some California Children With Disabilities Wait More Than A Year For Medical Equipment

Among respondents to a 2017 survey of parents of children with special health care served by the California Children's Services (CCS) who reported experiencing delays in receiving durable medical equipment, 22% reported waiting a year or more for equipment.  An additional 16% of families said their requests were still unresolved. The delays are due to payer priority/payer of last resort disputes and CCS internal and vendor-related barriers. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has not identified required time frames for providing medically necessary equipment and supplies to children in the CCS program.

These findings were . . .