Employment Programs

The Center for Workers with Disabilities prepared this report for the Virginia MIG advisory committee. It contains an analysis of the ways states provide personal assistance services (PAS) through a personal care Medicaid State Plan Option (SPO) to persons in Buy-In programs. It looks at specific legislation, State Plans and amendments, administrative rules, and implementation manuals. It ends with recommendations from an analysis conducted for Iowa on whether to implement this option there.

For people with psychiatric disabilities that receive SSDI and/or SSI in Vermont, benefits counseling was found to improve earnings by $1,256 annually. The authors found that this form of support helps overcome significant barriers to employment, such as a fear of a loss of benefits resulting from increased earnings. This article was published in the Psychiatric Services Journal.

Use this presentation to learn how VT has measured the effectiveness of the Working People with Disabilities program. The primary cost measured was money spent on Medicaid claims and benefits counseling. This was compared with the earnings increases experienced by individuals in the program. The analysis found that every $1 spent on new Medicaid claims and benefits counseling, participant earnings increased by $1.23.

Should a state use the cost reimbursement or milestone-outcome payment options in their Ticket to Work (TTW) programs? Vermont commissioned this study to answer this question and to predict future TTW income for the state and for employment network partners.

A 50% increase in the employment rate and average earnings of people with disabilities are the ultimate goals of the “Vermont Works” program. Seven goals and associated strategic initiatives are presented in this plan to achieve those outcomes. The document is the product of two parallel planning processes. One focused broadly on barriers to community inclusion and the second specifically targeted employment supports.

Through the Work Ability program, Utah provides employment support such as personal assistance services and the Medicaid Work Incentive health insurance benefit. The attached brochures outline these specific services, and the website provides more detail on all available benefits. Also posted here is a brochure that highlights the advantages for employers of hiring workers with disabilities and points them towards resources that can help them do so.

South Dakota’s Freedom to Work (FTW) project provides supports to job seekers with disabilities. Here are examples of tools used to publicize the project. The FTW brochure summarizes all associated services, while the Personal Assistance Services brochure and poster and the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance brochure provide more detailed information for those particular services. The website has relevant links and quarterly newsletters about FTW.

Support workers use this tool as a preliminary eligibility test for clients that wish to apply for Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD). Once initial screening is passed, clients receive an application and the questionnaire is sent for eligibility verification.

Medicaid for the Working Disabled, South Carolina’s Buy-In program, helps people with disabilities retain healthcare benefits when they get a job or earn more money. The attached brochure highlights program details, eligibility requirements, and application information. It also lists the phone numbers of county DHHS offices. Also included is a handout for Self-Advocates that lists resources on Self-Determination.

This report looks at the overall effect South Carolina’s Medicaid for the Working Disabled program has on the net state revenue. It also examines predicted impacts of changing program characteristics and eligibility requirements. The state data are compared to other states with Buy-In programs.