Medicaid for Special Needs Kids (MKSN)

What is Medicaid
for Special Needs Kids?

Currently, Medicaid Waivers have wait lists that are several years long. Many families who have children with disabilities are unaware that they may qualify for a program called Medicaid for Special Needs Kids (MKSN). Your child can be on MKSN while they are waiting for their waiver spot; but please note that your child is not required to be on a waiver waiting list to qualify for MKSN. 

Medicaid for Special Needs Kids provides the same Medicaid coverage that you would get on a Medicaid Waiver (also known as an Home and Community Based (HCBS) Waiver) However, there are eligibility requirements. To find out if your child is eligible for MKSN, you must fill out a Medicaid application and mail it to your local DHS Office.

To be eligible, your child must be under the age of 19, Disabled (meeting the standards of the Social Security Administration), Income eligible (income must be no more than 300% of the federal poverty level for your family size), and a U.S. citizen.

More Information

• To learn more information about MKSN, please visit the Iowa Health and Human Services page here. 
•  To learn how to apply for Medicaid, please click here. 
• The paper application for HCBS Waivers can be found here. Helpful Hint: on page 17 you can check the box for HCBS waivers. It has also been recommended to write which waiver(s) you're applying for at the top of the front page to help get it processed.

If you want to learn more about Medicaid/HCBS Waivers, check out our Webinar on our YouTube Channel here: