Ways to Get an iPad if You’re on a Tight Budget

By John Hartford

An iPad is practically a must for any special needs child today. These mobile devices are proving especially adept at teaching and motivating children with movement, speech, hearing or cognitive delays to communicate. With the touch of a finger, worlds open up, frustrations vanish, and goals are achieved. What’s not to love?

For starters, the cost of an iPad begins at about $500.  And, while they are becoming essential development tools for many children with disabilities, it can be hard to get them paid for private insurance. And, they are not reimbursed by Medicare.

Why? The explanation from Medicare is that reimbursing for iPads would be too open to fraud and that the devices don’t have a long shelf-life. Anybody could order one by saying it’s a communication device for a disabled person, and then use it for themselves.

On the other hand, Medicare will reimburse up to $7,000 for much more expensive systems known as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, including speech-generating devices (SGDs) and non-SGDs. These are designed exclusively for people who are disabled. However, they are bulky, non-mobile systems, and they lack the ability to run the hundreds of applications being developed today for use by special needs children.

Hopefully, the government will review and make changes to this policy in line with what surely is becoming the AAC technology of the future and what makes economic sense.

If you have private insurance, be sure to find out what it will cover under “durable medical equipment.” Sometimes, with the right documentation, private insurance will cover at least part of the cost of an iPad. For more advice, check out 5 Steps to Getting an iPad Covered by Insurance: A Mom’s Story of Success.

There are a number of organizations that offer to help families obtain an iPad for their child. Most require you tell them how your child plans to use the device and what you see as the benefit.

• iHelp for Special Needs – This site will help you raise funds for an iPad. They’ll direct 20% of sales to certain retailers to an account in your name.

• The Conover Company – This software development company offers grants in the form of iPods or iPads. Fill out their application online.

• The Prayer Child Foundation – You write a letter and mail it in for this one.  This group decides once a month what their budget is and who they will approve. Everyone is notified within 4 to 6 weeks as to the status of their request.

• iPads4U – This site showcases iPad applications for children with special needs and raises funds from developers and others for iPads and iPods, which are donated to special needs children. Fill out the application at the bottom of the page.

State Assisted Technology Centers

Another place to check for possible free use of an iPad is your state’s Assisted Technology Center. These centers, established under the Americans with Disabilities Act, are set up to help people with disabilities access technology that can improve their lives. They provide equipment loan programs so you can try out a device before buying it, along with information and referrals and training programs. Check with your state’s center to see what’s available.

Let CP Families know if you find any other sources for iPads and we’ll pass the information on. If we all start bombarding insurance companies and the government with how our children can benefit from mobile technology (thus, saving them money in the long run!), maybe they will begin to change their outdated policies.

Good article for medical caregivers about reimbursement for ACC devices

Overview of Medicare ACC reimbursement issues