Today is
Friday, July 4, 2008


To be eligible for Careteam services, you must live in Horry, Georgetown, or Williamsburg County and have medical documentation of your HIV positive diagnosis. A phone call to our office requesting services will begin your registration process. Arrangements are then made for an appointment with a case manager for an interview. If you are unable to come to our office a Case Manager can meet you at another location. Upon completing the paperwork with your Case Manager you are considered a client of Careteam and can request any services we provide. Services are provided according to need. Our clients are eligible for, not entitled to, any service we provide. Determination of need is assessed by you and your case manager.

The types of services provided by Careteam are determined by the grants we receive and the needs of our community as a whole. These services are available as long as funding is available. Careteam does not have funding to provide all of our services to all of our clients. Therefore, the need for services is determined on an individual basis. Your case manger will require complete financial information from you and your household to help assess your need. You also be required to provide proof of residency. Most of Careteam funding comes from federal grants which have their own requirements for eligibility. All Careteam clients have the right to appeal decisions made by their case manager. They can do this by contacting the supervisor of case management.

Medical Services

People diagnosed with HIV can live long, normal and productive lives with good medical care and treatment. Primary medical care and Infectious Disease specialty care are imperative to anyone who is diagnosed with HIV. Careteam assists clients in accessing both of these types of medical care. Patients with existing doctors are encouraged to maintain those relationships for primary medical care. Most often primary care physicians will refer their patients with special medical problems to specialists. Careteam. Careteam can act as the entry point for this specialty care. Careteam contracts with physicians who specialize in the treatment of HIV disease to provide care for our clients. For those clients who have no medical insurance, whether Medicaid or private insurance, Careteam pays for or provides assistance for these HIV medical services. Financial assistance is provided for lab work and x-rays as well when requested by our physicians. Careteam is not able to provide assistance to pay for services provided by private physicians, the medications they prescribe or tests, lab work or x-rays they request.

Careteam can also assist clients who have insurance with co-pays and deductibles as needed. Clients who have existing medical insurance through an employer and are considering leaving their position of employment are urged to meet with a Case Manager to discuss COBRA continuation of their group medical benefits. Financial Aid is available to assist in payments for continuing COBRA and existing insurance premiums when needed.

Careteam believes patient education is one of the most important parts of medical services. Up-to-date treatment and drug information is available to you through our staff and physicians. Sources include periodicals and medical references. Free copies of several HIV treatment magazines and the agency newsletter are available by signing up for our client mailing list. All information is sent discreetly in plain envelopes.

Medications Assistance

The good news today is that everyone in the US who needs HIV medications can get them regardless of ability to pay. For those who need assistance, HIV medications are available through Pharmaceutical Drug Assistance Programs, AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. Your case manager will assist you in completing these applications. Careteam also provides assistance for primary care medications for HIV related medical problems when these medications are prescribed by our physicians. Careteam can also assist as needed with insurance co-pays for these types of medications.

Financial Aid Services

The Financial Aid program offered through Caeteam, Inc. assist clients in obtaining benefits. The interview with a Case Manager involves a complete financial assessment. Benefit eligibility will be determined and the application process will be explained to the client. If necessary, Case Managers will advocate on the client's behalf with various agencies and assistance programs.

Housing Services

Careteam, Inc. offers emergency financial assistance on a limited basis for rent, mortgage, and utility cost through our Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program. The Careteam client and Case Manager will complete a financial assessment to ensure eligibility for HOPWA assistance. This funding is for emergency assistance only.

Case Managers will assess eligibility for the following programs and can assist in the application process: Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, and HOPWA.

Legal Services

Volunteer attorneys provide legal services. These services included the preparation of wills, powers of attorney, and health care proxies, which gives someone the authority to act for you in the event you are unable to do so. Clients with children are strongly encouraged to access legal services to provide guardianship and other appropriate planning to assure their children’s needs are met.

Food Bank

Careteam, Inc. has a food bank to assist clients who are in need of added nutritional support. Our food bank services are designed for clients who without help from Careteam would suffer nutritionally. Eligibility for the food bank like all of Careteam services is based on need.

Support Groups & Counseling Referrals

Caretam staff members facilitate support groups where clients can deal with issues like nutrition, self-help, medications, treatment options, relationships, feelings about the illness, HIV education, family issues, etc. Careteam Support Groups are a safe place for our clients to express their feelings and obtain peer support. Groups are at no charge to our clients.

Careteam contracts with local clinicians to provide mental health and substance abuse counseling when needed. Most people when first diagnosed with HIV experience some depression. Other suffer continued problems with depression as they learn to deal with life as a person living with HIV. Others struggle with substance abuse or dependancy issues that interfere with their ability to adhere to HIV treatment regimes. There is no shame in getting help when you need it and we're here to make sure you have access to those services.

 
  

 
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