According to the CDC, medical costs for children with cerebral palsy (CP) are 10 times higher than medical costs for children without cerebral palsy. Even with help from insurance, this can put a financial strain on the individuals and families, which is why the Cerebral Palsy Association of Colorado Springs offers financial assistance to help cover medical costs and enrichment programs that aren’t paid for by insurance companies. Currently, aid is capped at $300 per family due to our funding constraints.
Children and adults with cerebral palsy can apply for financial assistance to help with uncovered medical costs, Medicaid, and any insurance coverage cost of the treatment, equipment, and enrichment programs for the individual with CP.
What can financial assistance be used for? You want to make sure that your loved one is receiving the best treatment for cerebral palsy. Some common CP treatments, such as pinpoint massage therapy, are not covered by many insurance companies. Speech therapy and physical therapy for cerebral palsy may be partially covered or only covered for a specific number of visits, so CPACS assistance can be used to fill the gap.
Financial assistance can also be used for equipment costs. We provide free equipment loans through our lending closet, but some individuals with CP need custom braces or other equipment that we don’t have. Children may also outgrow equipment before the insurance benefits reset, so we are happy to offer assistance in these situations.
We also accept financial assistance requests for recreational or enrichment opportunities. With medical treatment taking financial priority, you may not have the extra money to send your loved one to camp or to pay for other activities that they enjoy. We love being able to help with these costs. Sponsoring children and adults for Fishing has No Boundaries is one of our personal favorites, but we also sponsor adaptive skiing and swimming.
How does one request financial assistance? The first step toward requesting financial assistance is completing the allocation request form. This form will ask you to fill out your personal information and details about your request. If the request is for a medical expense, we may request documentation from the insurance company showing that they denied payment. If you have any questions about the form or what documentation to include, please contact us.
Once we receive your allocation request, our executive director will present your request to the board. The board will vote on your request and decide on an amount. Our executive director will then pay out the approved amount for financial assistance.