Hemophilia is a very expensive disease to treat. Annual costs frequently exceed $100,000. Private insurance rarely covers all medical needs. To help offset the costs of privately insured patients with bleeding disorders, the state of Illinois offers a program for non-Medicaid insured persons. For adults, this program helps pay what insurance does not for comprehensive hemophilia clinic and factor. Minors can receive assistance from the SHP for the cost of factor, and assistance with the cost of comprehensive clinic from a sister program administered by the Department of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). These programs pay after private insurance has been utilized. How much it pays depends on your income and the type of coverage you have. You may order a copy of the one-page application from Internal Revenue Service. The IRS may be reached, toll free, at 1-800-829-1040 or through the Internet at www.irs.gov.

A separate program, PSI, a not-for-profit organization, may also be helpful. They offer two programs that assist families of people with bleeding disorders. One program, the “Items Program,” offers concrete items associated with complications associated with bleeding disorders, such as ice packs or ace bandages. Another program,“Quality of Life Program,” helps offset health costs as insurance or COBRA premiums for a two-year period. Also consider “Patient Assistance” programs through your home care company. (For more information, please refer to MASAC recommendation # 153. Also explore eligibility for I-CHIP, Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Initiative, as described below.

Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (I-CHIP)
Illinois residents with hemophilia who are lacking insurance may wish to apply for ICHIP. There are three plans available, depending on how a person qualifies. Often, patients who have an income but cannot obtain private health insurance or Medicaid apply for I-CHIP. I-CHIP applicants may have been denied commercial coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition, have an individual policy highly similar to CHIP that costs more than they would pay for CHIP coverage or if have one of 31 medical conditions presumed to result in an automatic rejection by an insurance company. Those who “max out” on their private insurance should consider an application, if they meet the other criteria. Among these 31 conditions are hemophilia (classical), and cerebrovascular accident (stroke.) Due to a cap on enrollment, applicants for the traditional program may be put on a waiting list before enrollment is complete. II-CHIP was established and is maintained by the state of Illinois, and administered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield. It is not a welfare or entitlement program, nor is it an insurance company. It is subject to its own enabling Act. Recipients for I-CHIP are eligible for assistance through the Illinois Hemophilia Program but a separate application is required. This program is described on this page, above. If you would like to find out more information on I-CHIP and to receive an application, visit the Web site www.chip.state.il.us/chip. Alternatively, you may reach an agent at I-CHIP by calling 1-800-962-8384.