Washington · special-needs funding & services
How the Katie Beckett (TEFRA) Medicaid pathway works in Washington: get Medicaid for a disabled child based on the child's income, not the parents'. Often no waitlist.
The short version: Katie Beckett (also called the TEFRA option) is a Medicaid pathway that looks only at the child's income and assets, not the parents'. That means many middle- and higher-income families whose child has a significant disability can get full Medicaid for that child, even when they earn far too much for "regular" Medicaid.
Why parents care:
Eligibility usually hinges on the child meeting a disability/"institutional level of care" standard and the child's own income/assets being under the limit. It is one of the most under-used benefits in the country; many families simply never hear about it.
Rules and waitlists in Washington change constantly. The fastest way to know what's working right now is to ask parents who just did it. Join the free community.
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General information, not legal/financial advice. Program names, amounts, and eligibility change and vary, so always confirm with the official source linked above.