Featured Condtion/Disease: Cerebral Palsy

We are featuring a childhood/infant disease or condition informational post every other Friday.  Today's topic is Cerebral Palsy.

Definition

Cerebral palsy is a group of problems that make it difficult for people to control their own physical movement. A child with cerebral palsy can't move muscles normally. Cerebral palsy is caused when the part of the brain that controls muscle movement doesn't work properly. How much control the child has of movements will depend on how much the brain differs from normal.

In most cases, cerebral palsy doesn't worsen with age. This means children don't usually lose things they have already learned. Most children benefit greatly from treatment and therapy.


Getting  Help

If you have a child from the age from birth to three years old, you can have your child screened for cerebral palsy through the Florida Early Steps program.  Click here to see a list of Early Steps offices in your area.


More Information

To get more information about Cerebral Palsy, click here.

*Most of the information provided here is from the Teach More/Love More site, click here to visit their site.

Prescription Drug Price Comparison Tool

The cost of medical prescriptions can be expensive. The Florida office of the Attorney General & the Agency for Health Care Administration have launched a website HERE, to help Florida citizens afford their medical prescriptions.  The site called, "Florida Drug Prescription Prices" over a series of pull-down menus which will allow to select the county, city, and prescriptions you're looking for.  After you've made your selections, a list will appear showing stores/pharmacies offering your prescription dosage.  The list is ordered by the cost of the prescription.

Also on the site, is public announcement with lists of $4.00 generic prescriptions offered at different pharmacies.  Those links are HERE and HERE.

Available on this blog (in the bottom right corner) are two lists with links to prescription drug discount programs.

Help With Medicare Assistance

Are you currently enrolled in Medicare and need some assistance?

The Social Security Administration may be able to assist you.  They offer a program to help individuals who enrolled in Medicare with their costs.  This program is not a replacement for enrolling in a Medicare Part D drug program.  If you're eligible, you can get extra help to pay for the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments related to the Medicare Prescription Drug program. However, you must be enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug plan to get this extra help.

The guidelines for eligibility and the application are located HERE as well as contact information for any questions you may have.  To see if you're eligible, go HERE.

SafeLink Wireless - Free Cell Phones

Do you or a loved one have a medical condition that may require immediate medical assistance but don't possess a phone?  There may be a solution for you.

SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides a free cell phone and airtime each month to income eligible customers.

To Qualify:
The process to qualify depends on the State you live in. In general, you may qualify if...You already participate in another State or Federal assistance program such as Federal Public Housing Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid.  Or your total household income is at or below 135% of the poverty guidelines set by your State and/or the Federal Government. And no one in your household currently receives service from another phone carrier. And you have a valid United States Postal Address. In order to receive your free phone you must live at a residence that can receive mail from the US Post Office. Sorry, but P.O. Boxes cannot be accepted.  In addition to meeting the guidelines above you will also be required to provide proof of your participation in an assistance program, or proof of your income level.

You can enroll online at www.safelink.com . To apply you will need your address and social security number. If you exceed the free airtime (68 minutes in Florida), you can purchase additional minutes.

SAFELINK WIRELESS® service is a U.S. government supported program for income eligible households provided by TracFone Wireless, Inc. TracFone Wireless is America’s largest and number one prepaid cell phone provider in the U.S.

Medicaid Online Tutorial

The Pasco County Library System has launched a new tutorial to assist people who want to apply for Medicaid using the Access Florida web page, located here.  You can view the tutorial by clicking this link or going to the E-Government Tools Page here, selecting Tutorials, and then click on the image of the Medicaid video.  The E-Government Tools Page also contains a lot of other tutorials, videos, and government information.