Where Can Families Without Health Insurance Get Eyeglasses?

“Do you know any group that assists families without health insurance in getting eyeglasses, especially for my daughter?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff is very aware of the importance of being able to see clearly in order to read.

The first step taken was to contact the county’s Job and Family Services [JFS]. They informed us that the individual should fill out a state of Ohio Request for Cash, Food, and Medical Assistance application. The application may be accessed online at http://jfs.ohio.gov or by visiting their county’s JFS office.  Even if the parents do not meet the income requirements, the child may be eligible to receive the aid needed.

JFS also recommended that our patron phone 211. 211 Ohio can be reached by simply dialing 211. In Trumbull County the caller will reach Trumbull 211, Community Solutions; in Mahoning County, Help Hotline Crisis Center; and in Portage County, United Way 211Portage. The appropriate local information and referral agency will give the caller contact information as to groups and government agencies which may be able to assist her in getting the necessary eye exam and glasses for her daughter.

Do You Have to be a Citizen of Canada to Receive Public Health Benefits?

“Do you have to be a citizen of Canada to receive health benefits or can you just be a resident?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff knows that many individuals are unable to afford health insurance. We are sure that many people will find the answer to this question to be interesting.

Searching online, we typed in the question: “Do you need to be a Canadian citizen to have health care?” Eliminating the websites which discussed the pros and cons of socialized medicine, we found the site for Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The page Live in Canada links to About being a permanent resident of Canada. Permanent residents and their dependents are able to receive most of the social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including health care coverage. There is also information about immigrating and applying for permanent status. If our patron would choose to move there, they would have to live in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period to keep their status as a permanent resident.

The public health insurance in Canada is paid for through taxes. It is different in each province and territory and, depending on your coverage you may also require temporary private health insurance. This will also be necessary while waiting on your permanent resident status to be approved. “You must buy this private insurance within five days of arriving in your province or territory or insurance companies may not provide coverage for you. Refugee claimants who cannot afford private health insurance and refugee claimants living in provinces that have a three-month waiting period can receive emergency and essential health services at no cost”. Some of the public plans do not cover dental expenses, private hospital rooms, prescription drugs, ambulance services and prescription eyeglasses.

We were surprised to find that the Canadian health care system seems to be a combination of public and private coverage. 

Health Insurance for Children

“I saw an article about health insurance for children in Ohio. Can you find me any information?” The Newton Falls Public Library staff knows that this is important as they see more individuals losing employment and insurances.

There are different options for families to consider and the state’s website for Jobs and Family Services [http://jfs.ohio.gov/] is an excellent place to begin. The state of Ohio has several different programs. Healthy Start (SCHIP) and Healthy Families are Medicaid programs. Healthy Start is available to pregnant woman and/or children younger than 19 in families with income up to 200% of the federal poverty level. Healthy Families is available to those having a child younger than 19 years of age, with income up to 90% of the Federal Poverty Level.

The Children's Buy-In Program is for children with serious illnesses whose families earn more than $42,000 a year and cannot find coverage or private insurance that is priced reasonably. Your child might be eligible for CBI if he/she is younger than age 19, a United States citizen and a resident of Ohio, in a family whose gross income is more than 300% of the FPL, has not had any insurance for at least 6 months before enrolling and is not eligible for Medicaid. Your child must also meet one of the following to qualify: unable to obtain creditable coverage due to a pre-existing condition, lost only available creditable coverage due to exhausting a lifetime benefit , only available coverage is more than twice the state premium for CBI, or participates in the program for medically handicapped children (ODH/BCMH).

The county health departments also offer preventive health services to families and children. Contact the Newton Falls Public Library staff for the information you need to reach your local county’s agency. Trumbull County’s immunization schedules for children and adults are available online at http://www.tcbh.org/nursing.cfm. Family and Children’s First Council of Trumbull County [http://www.familyfirsttrumbull.org/] has programs related to children’s health including Help Me Grow for pregnant women and children under 3 years and Second Step, a school based prevention program.

The library has resources available to assist parents in making wise health care decisions for their children. Some of the titles which may be borrowed are: Your Child's Health: the parents' one-stop reference guide to: symptoms, emergencies, common illnesses, behavior problems, healthy development by Barton D. Schmitt, Naturally Healthy Babies and Children: a commonsense guide to herbal remedies, nutrition, and health” by Aviva Romm, and “Childhood Diseases and Disorders Sourcebook: basic consumer health information about medical problems often encountered in pre-adolescent children, including respiratory tract ailments, ear infections, sore throats, disorders of the skin and scalp, digestive and genitourinary diseases, infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, chronic physical and developmental disorders, allergies, and more: along with information about diagnostic tests, common childhood surgeries, and frequently used medications, with a glossary of important terms and resource directory.

By going online and accessing the Ohio Web Library [http://www.ohioweblibrary.org/] with your library card, you can find additional information by selecting ‘Resources’ and then ‘Health and Medicine.’ The ‘Consumer Health Complete’ allows you to search a variety of medical and health resources. If you are looking for specific non-emergency information, choosing NetWellness permits you to ‘Ask an Expert.’