Mathematica Policy Research

Did you miss the disability forum which provided an overview of the Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment? You can access a live recording of presentations where the rationale for DMIE, a review of its core goals, and descriptions of four states’ implementations of the program were presented. Findings and implications for disability policy are discussed as well.

Is Project SEARCH an effective model for increasing employment among students with significant disabilities? This brief considers this work immersion model designed to help students with significant disabilities transition from school to work. Findings suggest that the model presents a promising approach but the author recommends a thorough evaluation and cost-benefit study to determine whether the outcomes are sufficient to justify the program’s high cost.

Learn about the design, methodology and data collection activities for Round 3 of the SSA’s National Beneficiary Survey (NBS). Find descriptive statistics about working-age Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries derived from the national cross-sectional sample of the 2006 NBS. This is the fourth in a series of reports that make up the fifth Ticket to Work evaluation report.

Forty percent of Social Security disability beneficiaries are interested in employment according to this study by Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy. Findings indicate that beneficiaries can be categorized into three groups based on their work-related efforts and expectations. The author concludes that both government and program participants could greatly benefit from Social Security disability programs that provide greater economic incentives and supports for employment.

The fragmentation of care for dually eligible beneficiaries is an ongoing concern. This brief discusses potential methods of reducing this fragmentation and improving nursing facility care for this population. Recommendations involve concentrating responsibility and accountability for prescription drug use, providing financial incentives for nursing facilities to reduce avoidable hospitalizations, and shifting responsibility for long-term nursing facility care from Medicaid to Medicare.

Review efforts to measure and reduce potentially avoidable hospitalization and improve care transitions for individuals who use long-term care. Three areas in which progress is needed are described. The authors conclude with questions deserving more research to fill gaps in knowledge on how best to improve care quality. You can also visit the LTQA website link for more information on the Quality Alliance.

Explore lessons learned in this report on The Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) Projects, part of a broad initiative to encourage disability beneficiaries to return to work. Included are an overview of each of the projects, which shared common goals of improved educational and employment outcomes and reduced reliance on disability benefits. The diversity between initiatives provided an opportunity to explore factors that lead to successful program implementation.

Review the key findings of this report which uses information from multiple state and federal data sources and provides the most comprehensive information to date on patterns of Medicaid and Medicare spending and service use among Buy-In participants. Overall findings suggest that Buy-In participants who are working may require fewer services or a less expensive mix of services than other adult disabled Medicaid enrollees.

This study of the Cash & Counseling demonstration program for adults in the three participating states examines how a new model of consumer-directed care changes the way that consumers with disabilities meet their personal care needs and how that affects their well-being. Demonstration enrollment, which occurred between December 1998 and July 2002, was open to interested beneficiaries who were eligible for PCS under their state Medicaid plan.

This study examines how this model of consumer-direction changes the way consumers meet their personal assistance needs. Consumers reported the type, timing, and amount of personal assistance they received, as well as any home or vehicle modifications and equipment purchases made, to meet their personal assistance needs. This report discusses consumer-satisfaction, unmet needs, and additional Medicaid costs.