LIFE Accounts Feasibility and Demonstration

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Grant Information

Name of Grantee

University of New Hampshire-Institute on Disability/University Center of Excellence in Disability

Title of Grant

Living with Independence, Equality, and Freedom Account Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan for Self-Directing Individuals and Families in New Hampshire

Type of Grant

LIFE Accounts Feasibility and Demonstration

Amount of Grant

$100,000

Year Original Funding Received

2004

Contact Information

For general information about grant activities, please call:

Mary Schuh, Principal Investigator
University of New Hampshire
10 West Edge Drive
Durham, NH 03824
603-862-4320
mary.schuh@unh.edu

Andrew Shepard
UNH-Office of Sponsored Research
51 College Road, Service Building
Durham, NH 03824
603-862-2436
andy.shepard@unh.edu

Subcontractor(s)

For detailed information about grant activities, please call:

Tobey Partch-Davies, Project Director
Southern New Hampshire University
School of Community Economic Development
2500 N. River Road
Manchester, NH 03106
603-644-3159
t.partch-davies@snhu.edu

Target Population(s)

Children and adults with disabilities responsible for self-directing their own services under the Home and Community-Based Care waiver services through In-Home Supports, Consolidated Services, Elderly-Chronically Ill services, and Personal Assistance Services programs.

Goal

Develop an easy-to-use LIFE Accounts savings program that will address the needs of persons with all types of disabilities and their families.

Activities

  • Assess the various factors that could influence the success of a LIFE Accounts savings program, including potential demand, potential and actual ability to save, and barriers to saving, and underutilized but available means for saving for individuals and families who self-direct Medicaid-funded services and supports.
  • Sample and survey individuals who self-direct to obtain information about the characteristics of those interested in participating in the LIFE Accounts savings program and produce a report of the findings.
  • Use the findings to inform a feasibility study and implementation plan and host a conference to elicit feedback on the plan.
  • Develop an implementation plan for a sustainable LIFE Accounts savings program.

Abstract

Many people with disabilities are deterred from accumulating personal savings because doing so may disqualify them from essential public benefits, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Recent changes in the Social Security Improvement Act of 2003, and the establishment of a Medicaid Buy-In program for adult workers with disabilities demonstrates policy innovation to allow for savings accumulation. However, there remain significant program and policy barriers to saving for children, people who are temporarily unable to work, and for caregivers of the same household to purchase items that could substantially improve independence and community participation among citizens with disabilities.

The purpose of this project is to conduct a feasibility study and develop an implementation plan for the establishment of a savings program for children (i.e., parents) and adults with disabilities who self-direct their own Medicaid-funded, community-based, long-term care services without disqualifying beneficiaries from necessary medical or public benefit programs.