Military families who have a family member with special needs may be able to enroll them in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), which provides support and management for their care and services. EFMP is a U.S. Department of Defense program available to members of all military branches, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
Under EFMP, a family member with special needs is a:
- Spouse, child, or incapacitated adult who has special medical needs and requires medical care for a chronic condition, receives ongoing services from a medical specialist or has a significant behavioral health concern; or
- Children (up to age 21) with special education needs who are eligible for or receive early intervention services through an individualized family service plan or special education services through an individual education program.
Components of Exceptional Family Member Program
EFMP Identification and Enrollment
Medical services work with families to identify and enroll eligible family members. Enrollment in EFMP is mandatory for service members with eligible family members; family members may disenroll only when they are no longer the service member’s dependent or their incapacity no longer exists. EFMP can also provide a referral to TRICARE for an evaluation for the TRICARE Extended Care Health Option and ECHO for management of complex medical needs.
EFMP Assignment Coordination
Medical services and military personnel departments work together to coordinate assignments that meet family members’ special medical and educational needs. These services are provided through an installation’s Family Support Center and ease the transition of services for families as they move to new installations. The assignment coordination process considers the following factors:
- Availability of appropriate medical staff
- Distance to care
- Wait time for medical providers
- Severity of the family member’s need
- Frequency of care
EFMP Family Services
This component of EFMP helps families navigate, advocate, and connect through information, referrals, case management, and virtual self-service support. One available service for eligible families is respite care, which may consist of 20 or 32 hours per month, based on their level of need.
Secondary Dependency: When Your Family Member with Special Needs Reaches Age 21
Children or other family members who reach the age of 21 and are incapable of self-support can continue to receive military benefits if they meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Unmarried;
- Incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental incapacity that existed before their 21st birthday (or if a full-time student, their 23rd birthday);
- Dependent on the service member for more than 50% of their support, or were dependent to this degree at the time of the sponsor’s death; and
- The individual’s income, not including the service member’s contribution, is less than 50% of their actual living expenses, with at least 50% of their monthly living expenses paid by the service member.
Other Resources
EFMP provides additional resources for families, including a free special needs consultation through Military OneSource and learning courses for families with members who have special medical or educational needs. The EFMP & Me online tool allows military families with special needs to solve problems, stay informed, organize, locate support, and prepare for the future.
Call Rubin Law to For Help
Rubin Law is the only Illinois law firm to dedicate itself exclusively to providing compassionate legal services for children and adults with special needs. We offer unique legal and future planning techniques to meet your family’s individual needs.
Call us today at 866-TO-RUBIN or email us at email@rubinlaw.com to learn more about the services we can offer you and your family.
