From The Front: NMSS 12-99

Federal Update

As one of the last acts before adjournment, Congress passed the Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 ( WIIA). WIIA will make it easier for individuals with disabilities to continue working or return to work, and gain access to or retain government sponsored health care coverage. In addition, the bill will expand vocatinal rehabilitation options and improve dissemination of information regardng these new work incentives. H.R. 1180 had a rocky road to final passage.

The difficulty was finding and agreeing to offsets (finding money to cover the cost of the bill from other programs) that would not affect individuals with disabilities. The offset problem continued up until the final days before passage. Both the Senate and the House Commerce Committee had not provided initial offsets when they passed the bill. Compounding the problem, the House Ways & Means Committee and the full House passed the bil without fully funding imporant health care provisions. The federal health care provisons were the most controversial piece of the bill throughout the process. At various times the extended Medicare provision, the Medicaid demonstration prodject, and the Medicaid buy-in program were in danger of being cut or minimally funded. Through hard work and great grassroots efforts, the final bill contains a signifcant amount of what disability advocates requested.

WIIA will:

Expand access to Medicaid by 54 months, for a total of 102 months, SSI beneficiaries earning more than $700 a month. Currently, expanded access to Medicaid ends after 48 months. The additional 54 months will help individuals earn the 30 work creditis necessary to purchase Medicare at a lower premium when they complete their 102-month period of extended eligibility.

Give states the option to allow working individuals with disabilities - with annual incomes up to $75,000 - to buy into Medicid on a sliding fe scale. States currently have the option to provide a buy-in option for incomes up to approximately $20,000.

Give states that participate in the above program the option to allow individuals who become ineligible for Medicaid because their condition improves (but still have a severe medical impairment) to buy into the program.

Give states the option to participate in a Medicaid demonstration program for workers with a potentially disabling conditon who are expected to meet the SSI definition of disability if they did not receive medical services. The expanded Medicare and Medicaid programs will offer an opportunity for health care coverage for individuals who would otherwise have dufficulty obtaining insurance.

Allow expedited reentry into SSI or SSD for those who become unable to work and file a request within 60 months of the last date of benefit coverage.

Provide a ticket to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other supprt services such as assistive technology from an empoyment network of their choice to help them enter the workforce.

Advocates should be proud of their efforts. It was only due to an extensive grassroots effort that this bill passed.

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