Financial Awards to Cover a Child’s Medical Needs Available Through UHCCF

The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) recently reminded parents that families in need of financial help to manage their children’s healthcare demands can apply for grants from the foundation. The grants cover both medical services and equipment, and may be of great help to many families raising children with conditions such as cystic fibrosis.

The grants — up to $5,000 per child with a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per child — help families pay for needed services or equipment, including physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses, and hearing aids.

Grants are open to children ages 16 or younger, residing in the United States. Families must also meet certain economic guidelines and have a commercial health insurance plan. Each grant covers expenses ranging from 60 days before the application, to current and future needs. Applications can be filed through the UHCCF webpages throughout the year, with no deadline.

UHCCF has provided these grants since 2007, awarding a total of more than $29 million spread over some 10,000 grants. The funding covering the grants is provided by individuals, corporations, and the UnitedHealth Group.

“When our daughter Penelope was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech at the age of 3 we were discouraged to find out how expensive speech therapy cost, so imagine our relief when we were approved for a UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation grant that enabled us to get all the help she needed,” Caroline and Robert Belliveau of Revere, Massachusetts, said in a press release. “Penelope has shown immense progress since then, and now at the age of 5 is able to hold complete conversations with her peers. We are eternally grateful for the opportunities this grant has provided us.”

In addition to cystic fibrosis, grants cover medical needs relating to cancer, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hearing loss, autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, and cerebral palsy, among others.

“Many families across the United States are facing a variety of financial challenges, including child-related medical costs. The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation medical grants will help families access and pay for care that will improve their child’s health,” said Matt Peterson, UHCCF president. “We recently awarded our 10,000th child medical grant and are seeking to help thousands of more families. We encourage everyone to spread the word to friends, family members and colleagues that child medical grants are available from the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation.”