RAISE The Standard, June 2023, v.9 n.6

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Benefits Coordination

Maximizing Public Benefits

When it comes to disability-related government programs, there is good news and there is bad news. The good news is that there are a range of publicly funded local, state and federal programs that can benefit people with a disability.

The bad news is that eligibility is often based on income – or rather, lack of income. And it can be a full-time job to apply for these programs, manage them, and maximize the benefits. In this issue of RAISE The Standard, we will explore the challenges within our nation’s disability benefits system, unpack several of the benefits programs offered for people with disabilities, and share ways to maximize them for independence and self-direction.

Economic Justice is Disability Justice

In the United States, unemployment in disability communities exceeds 70 percent. This number is a direct result of unjust systems that limit access to education, jobs, housing, and transport for disabled people. Activist Dessa Cosma asks us, in this short video, to reimagine these systems so that, together, we can create a future of work that is beneficial for everyone.

“Everything that is wrong with our society was a set of choices and the beautiful thing about that is that we can make different choices. So there is this huge opportunity to rebuild our world in a way that works for people, and not just a few people.”

–Dessa Cosma, disability advocate and director of Detroit Disability Power.

Click here to access her perspective.

Want to take a deeper dive into the issue of Disability Economic Justice?

More than 31 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities still face poverty rates twice as high as those without a disability, and are paid 74 cents on the dollar compared to people without disabilities. Many of these challenges are rooted in the public policies that govern housing, employment, and government benefit programs.

In the spring of 2022, the Century Foundation and the Ford Foundation launched the Disability Economic Justice Collaborative—a first-of-its-kind initiative that brings together leading disability organizations with an array of influential researchers and policy experts to drive a disability economic justice agenda.

Click here to access the webinar.

“Medicaid Unwinding!”

It sounds scary, doesn’t it?

It does not have to be. Medicaid unwinding just refers to a process for redetermination of Medicaid eligibility.

Here is the back story: When the pandemic started, Congress told state Medicaid programs to keep people continuously enrolled through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In exchange, states got more federal funding.

During the last three years, Medicaid enrollment has grown substantially and the uninsured rate has dropped. Last winter, Congress ended continuous enrollment, and phased down the extra federal funds. States are now required to reassess EVERY person in the program to determine eligibility, a process which began in April.

Eligibility hinges on a few things:

1. Financial Eligibility: Individuals must provide income and asset information requested by their state Medicaid office.
2. Residence: Individuals must reside in the state where they apply. Applicants must be a US citizens or otherwise "qualified non-citizens". Click here to learn more: https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/lawfully-present-immigrants/ Some states may also provide coverage to children under 18, regardless of immigration status.
3. Disability Status: Some individuals are exempt from the income rules, including those whose eligibility is based on blindness, disability, or age (those 65 and older qualify for the exemption).

Click here to access information on Medicaid eligibility.

Advocates have suggested that millions are at risk of losing coverage. Those at greatest risk include immigrants, people who have moved, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), and people with disabilities. They may lose coverage or experience a gap in coverage due to barriers which prevent them from completing the renewal process, even if they remain eligible for coverage. Enrollees who have moved may not receive important notices like those for renewal, especially if they have not updated their contact information with the state Medicaid agency.

Want to learn more about Medicaid Unwinding? Click here.

In this short video, Sima Ladjevardian, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, describes the importance of updating records with your state’s Medicaid program. She reminds people:

•   Make sure all your information is accurate.

•   Stay alert to communications from the state plan.

•   Respond to requests for information right away.

•   Consider healthcare.gov or CHIP.

•   Remember that this process does not affect your immigration status.

Click here to access the video.

SSI and SSDI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are two of the most common social security benefits. Both are federal financial assistance programs overseen by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and both serve similar populations. These programs have different requirements, benefits, and funding sources. Is either one is right for you?

SSI (https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/) provides minimum, basic financial assistance to older adults and people with disabilities (regardless of age) with very limited incomes and resources.

SSDI supports individuals who are disabled and have a qualifying work history, either through their own employment or a family member (spouse/parent).

The major difference is that SSI determination is based on age, disability and limited income/resources, whereas SSDI determination is based on disability and work credits.

In addition, in most states, an SSI recipient will automatically qualify for health care coverage through Medicaid. A person with SSDI, on the other hand, will automatically qualify for Medicare after 24 months of receiving disability payments.

It is possible that if you have both limited income/resources and a work history, you can qualify for both benefits.

You can apply for SSI online only if you are an adult with a disability. SSI applications are not available online for people applying for a child under age 18 with a disability or a non-disabled senior over 65. These individuals must visit their local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

You can apply for SSDI benefits online at any age. You also can apply by calling Social Security 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or in person at your local office.

Denied? Yep, many SSI/SSDI applications are wrongly denied. If you have been turned down and believe you qualify for these benefits, find an advocate familiar with Social Security disability policy to represent you. The National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives can help. Call for a referral at 1-800-431-2804.

Ticket to Work

Many people believe that in order to qualify for means-tested government benefits such as Medicare and SSI or SSDI, a good-paying job or career is out of the question. The Ticket to Work Program offers Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities the choices, opportunities and supports needed to find and keep employment, increase their earnings through work, and reduce their reliance on cash benefits to the greatest extent possible.

Administered by the Social Security's Office of Research, Demonstration and Employment Support (ORDES), the program helps beneficiaries ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefits, or both, based on a disability that creates an impediment to work.

The Ticket to Work program allows people to keep some cash benefits, and their Medicaid or Medicare insurance, while they transition to the workplace. This allows beneficiaries to get the services and support they need to go to work and to earn more money. Getting back into the program, should that be necessary, is quick and easy.

Click here to access a short animated video about Ticket to Work produced by the Social Security Administration.

Learn more about these programs at the following links:

https://choosework.ssa.gov/

https://yourtickettowork.ssa.gov/

Contact the Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY)

ADA Requirements

for Effective Communication

Did you know that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that State and local governments, as well as businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public, communicate effectively with people with disabilities? The goal is to ensure that communication with people with disabilities is as effective as communication with people without disabilities.

Because the nature of communication differs from situation to situation, effective solutions may differ too. For example, buying a car is more complex than buying dinner and requires different solutions. The goal is to find a solution that fits the circumstances.

Communication aids and services include:

• American Sign Language interpreters
• video remote interpreting
• note takers
• large print materials
• captioning
• accessible electronic and information technology
• other similar services and actions

The ADA places responsibility for providing effective communication, including the use of interpreters, directly on covered entities. They cannot require a person to bring an interpreter.

Click here to learn more about communication requirements under the ADA.

There are eight (8) Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Parent Centers throughout the US that provide training and programming to youth/young adults with disabilities and their families, professionals, and other PTIs and CPRCs on the issues surrounding youth transition.

RSA Parent Centers are funded by the Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) under the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), which is part of the US Department of Education.

In this issue of RAISE, meet Project Launch of the PACER Center (Region C1). They partner with other parent centers to achieve the employment and independent living goals of individuals with disabilities in an 8-state region (Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan). PACER coordinates joint activities with parent centers in these states to share expertise among centers, supporting support training activities that meet the needs of transition-age youth with disabilities and their family members. The project includes focused activities which ensure that it meets the needs of culturally diverse, linguistically diverse and other underserved families.

While they offer many resources, here is one to check out: PACER Center’s Project produced a YouTube video on work incentives through the Social Security Administration.

Click here to view the work incentives video.

SSA RESOURCES

Webinars: SSA hosts monthly webinars which provide information you can use on your path to financial independence through work. Discover programs, resources and information while learning about how Social Security's Ticket to Work Program can help.

Click here to access the past webinars.

The SSA “Red Book”: This is a general reference tool designed to provide a working knowledge of these provisions. The Red Book is written primarily for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve persons with disabilities. Applicants and beneficiaries can also use it as a self-help guide.

• Click here to access the Red Book.

• Click here to access the 2023 updates.

• Haga clic aquí para acceder al Libro Rojo en español.

Social Security Disability Insurance Webinar: The Office of Senator Bob Casey hosted a webinar on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program.

Click here to access the webinar.

RAISE The Standard enewsletter identifies and shares resources that the Rehabilitation Services Administration Parent Training and Information Centers (RSA-PTI) can use and share with families.

The RAISE Technical Assistance Center is working to advance the accessibility of its digital resources, including its websites, enewsletters and various digital documents.

* For more on SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and all of the complementary programs supported, visit spanadvocacy.org.