HSM 240
Rules are important in every aspect of life. Eligibility rules are equally important for any kind of services offered, especially those offered to assist the general public. The Arc program, as well the local Chemung Arc, is an organization developed to assist those with developmental disabilities and just like every other organization, it has eligibility rules for the people it assists and services. ARC has eligibility requirements that most would consider not too difficult to establish. Any person with any kind of intellectual or developmental disability is accepted into the ARC program, where services vary depending upon need. The catch to these services is the way a person and/or their family will able to financially make the decision to join the organization. The eligibility rules for such programs as Medicare and Medicaid may be the toughest rules to fall into. Being defined as intellectually or developmentally disabled is done by a doctor, usually at a very young age. Being diagnosed as disabled by a doctor falls under: eligibility by professional discretion. Once diagnosed, unfortunately lots of doors and opportunities close for a person. In order to successfully go to ARC for assistance in opening these doors back up, Medicaid is a popular route to take for financial assistance. Information on applying for Medicaid services is very limited online. ARC states, “Medicaid is, however, extremely complicated” (The ARC, 2013). The most basic eligibility rule for Medicaid is income. This is best described as eligibility by means testing. Stigmatization occurs more in the lines of Medicaid than Arc services, but both tie into one another very closely. Medicaid and Medicare are close words, but differ. Medicaid is more of welfare assistance and Medicare is contributed to by workers towards retirement. Welfare has bad stigmatization, which may make some skeptical of applying for Medicaid benefits. Stigmatization
Cited: The Arc. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.thearc.org/find-a-chapter