Consumer - What is TWWIIA

TWWIIA – What is it?

This new legislation, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999:

• Increases beneficiary choice in obtaining rehabilitation and vocational services
• Removes barriers that require people with disabilities to choose between health care coverage and work
• Ensures that Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in work and lessen their dependence on public benefits.

Background

The Social Security Administration indicates that historically only about 1% of SSI or SSDI beneficiaries get off entitlements due to work. Of those, 30% return to entitlements.

If only ½ of 1% of beneficiaries would leave rolls by going to work, it would represent $3.5 billion in savings to the system.

There are nearly one million SSI/SSDI beneficiaries in New York State.

VESID serves some 25,000 beneficiaries a year, placing about 5,000 into work.

Ticket to Work should expand options so that more SSI/SSDI recipients who want to work can.

Work Incentives offered by TWWIIA:

• Expanded Health Care
• States have the option of legislating Medicaid Buy-In programs.
• Well crafted legislation would allow workers to purchase Medicaid coverage critical to keeping them on the job. New York’s Medicaid Buy-In Program begins April, 2003.

Suspension of Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR)

Under existing law, most SSDI and SSI recipients will have a CDR every 3 years.

TWWIIA suspends CDR while an individual is actively involved in the Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Program.

Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits

"Easy Back On" provisions allow people who are unable to continue to work due to their medical condition to be reinstated into SSI or SSDI and related medical programs.

Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach (BP, A&O)

Community-based specialists will disseminate accurate information about work and its effect on Social Security benefits to beneficiaries with disabilities.

SSA awarded seven grants totaling nearly $1.5 million to provide this service throughout NYS. VESID had an active role in the cooperative effort to develop the grant proposals.

Core Features of Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficienty Program

Employment Networks are being established throughout NYS. They are private or public, for-profit or not-for-profit entities. VESID may elect to be an EN. There are, as of October 1, 2002, 95 ENs in New York. For a list, go to www.yourtickettowork.com

ENs will provide vocational rehabilitation, and/or employment and support services.

Tickets will be mailed to eligible SSI/SSDI recipients who may then select an EN for service.

ENs (other than VR agencies) may choose which beneficiaries they will serve.

ENs may choose between two payment systems, BOTH of which are outcome based.

VR agencies may choose to be paid either under traditional cost reimbursement or as an EN.

Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program

New York is an early implementation state.

Ticket to Work Self-Sufficiency regulations were released December, 2001..

Recruitment of ENs began April, 2001 and is on-going.

SSA mailed the first Tickets in February, 2002.

600,000 Tickets were mailed to New Yorkers on SSI/SSDI during 2002.

Challenges for VESID

Create effective partnerships

Plan and manage new workload

Manage budgetary impact

Create policy and procedures for effective implementation.

Ensure availability of and access to quality services.