Air Force Spouse fights for military families with special needs

Mark Brighton

In an effort to support programs and policies that help military families with special needs, one military spouse recently testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcomittee on Personnel, the Capital Flyer reports.

Jeremy Hilton, himself a Navy veteran who was recognized as the 2012 Military Spouse of the Year, joined a number of military and healthcare officials to explain to congress members how difficult it can be to care for a child with special needs in the military. For one, caring for a child with a disability can be stressful and expensive. The experience is made more complicated by frequent military moves, which place the child at the bottom of the new location's waitlist for services.

Hilton and his supporters argued that "far-reaching systemic changes are needed in our nation's health, education and long-term service systems to address the significant barriers faced by exceptional family members."

"This hearing is a critical step in addressing and acting on these extraordinarily important issues to our military families," Hilton told the news outlet.

Some of Hilton's suggestions included a military Medicaid waiver, an interstate compact to allow for portability of care and allowing military members to maintain their waitlist eligibility based on their home state, the news source reports. He also recommends extending benefits offered under TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO).

The military has one program in place already that seeks to help military families with special needs get the care they need for their children. The Exceptional Family Member Program assists families with everything from assignments to community resources to make sure the individual with special needs is receiving the care he or she needs.

<hr/>

News brought to you by PCS-Lodging.com - your one stop shop for military lodging.