Service Description: The Ventilator Assisted Children’s Home Program provides services to infants and children with chronic respiratory failure who need ventilator assistance and live at home rather than in institutional or long-term care facilities.
The program provides case management, including professional and family education, monitoring and quality assurance of the home care environment. It also provides respite care for family caregivers to promote optimal home care to ventilator dependent children who are medically stable.
Age Eligibility: Birth to 22 years of age
Criteria for Eligibility: To be eligible for this program, you must meet all of the following criteria: U.S. citizenship, Pennsylvania residency, medical confirmation of chronic respiratory failure, lack of monetary resources or health insurance (including Medical Assistance and Children’s Health Insurance Program). Depending on income, some families may be required to contribute to the cost of their care. If the eligible individual has health coverage, it must be used first to pay for care.
Who Who to Contact: If you would like to learn more about the Department of Health’s Ventilator Assisted Children’s Home Program, contact the toll-free Special Kids Network help line at 1-800-986-4550. An Eligibility Specialist will help you. Eligibility Specialists are available from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
