Financial Assistance for Families and Kids

Caring for a child with rheumatology issues can be a roller coaster.

Many rheumatology patients will not quality for the assistance listed on this page because it is assessed according to the severity of the case and the child’s condition. If your child has one joint affected you might not quality. In some cases a health care card will be given by itself.

A health care card and a hospital outpatient prescription will enable you to get a month’s supply of a particular medication for $5.30 through the hospital pharmacy. If your cash flow is an issue this can make a big difference over several months.

Sometimes a condition may be minor at first and then worsen over time. After a while it may become clear that the cost of medications and therapies is stretching your budget. Perhaps your child needs more and more care – that is the thing with rheumatology, it can be a bit of a roller coaster ride.

What is important is that you understand what is available if and when you need it. Some of the supports on this page are means tested and some are not. Some rely on a GP filled out form, some forms can be completed by your specialist.

It is our goal to eventually have a fairly comprehensive list of supports that you can tap in to when it is appropriate. If you would like to help write up a support service you have used please contact us using the form below.

Roller coaster photo courtesy of rollerfan at Fickr Creative Commons.