Ticket To Work
And Work Incentives Improvement Act Of 1999
(December 2003)
The Ticket to Work and
Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 was enacted on
The provisions of the law
become effective at various times, generally beginning
one year after enactment. They are described below.
Ticket to Work Program
Most Social Security and
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability beneficiaries will receive a
"ticket" they may use to obtain vocational rehabilitation, employment
or other support services from an approved provider of their choice to help
them go to work and achieve their employment goals.
The Ticket to Work Program is
voluntary.
The program has been phased
in nationally over a three-year period. During the first phase in 2002, SSA
distributed tickets in the following 13 States:
During the second phase, in November 2002 through September 2003, SSA
distributed tickets in the following 20 States: Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut,
Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and in the District of Columbia.
During the third phase, SSA is distributing tickets in November 2003 in the
following 17 States: Alabama, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Maryland,
Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas,
Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, as well as in American Samoa, Guam,
the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Expanded Availability of Health Care Services
Starting
States may provide Medicaid coverage to more people who are still working.
States also may permit working individuals with income above 250 percent of the
federal poverty level to purchase Medicaid coverage. This provision creates an
experiment in which medical assistance will be provided to workers with
impairments who are not yet too disabled to work. In addition, a Medicaid
Infrastructure Grant program is available to support State efforts to increase
employment options for people with disabilities.
To find out if these provisions are available in your state, call the State
Medicaid office in your area or check the State Chart of Work Incentives
Activity at http://www.ssa.gov/work/Beneficiaries/activity.html
The law also expands Medicare coverage to people with
disabilities who work. It extends Part A premium-free coverage for at least
four and-a-half years beyond the current limit (39 months) for most Social
Security disability beneficiaries who work. This is a minimum of eight
and-a-half years for most Social Security disability beneficiaries who work.
Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits
Effective Jan. 1, 2001, when
a person`s Social Security or SSI disability benefits have ended because of
earnings from work, he or she would be able to request reinstatement of
benefits, including Medicare and Medicaid, if applicable, without filing a new
application. Beneficiaries must be unable to work because of their medical
condition. They must file the request for reinstatement with Social Security
within 60 months from the month their benefits are terminated. In addition,
they may receive temporary benefits - as well as Medicare or Medicaid - for up
to six months while their case is being reviewed. If they are found not
disabled, these benefits would not be considered an overpayment.
Deferral of Medical Disability Reviews
Effective
Work Incentives Advisory Panel
The law establishes a Work
Incentives Advisory Panel within Social Security, composed of 12 members appointed
by the President and Congress. The panel is to advise the Commissioner and
report to Congress on implementation of the Ticket to Work Program. At least
one-half of the panel members are required to be individuals with disabilities
or representatives of individuals with disabilities, with consideration given
to current or former Social Security disability beneficiaries.
Work Incentives Outreach Program
The law directs Social
Security to establish a community-based work incentives planning and assistance
program to disseminate accurate information about work incentives and to give
beneficiaries more choice. Social Security has established a program of
cooperative agreements and contracts to provide benefits planning and
assistance to all Social Security disability beneficiaries, including
information about the availability of protection and advocacy services.
Information on these organizations is available at http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/bpaofactsheet.html.
Information on contacting the BPAO program in your State is available at http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/BPAODirectory.html.
The law also directs Social Security to establish a corps of work incentives
specialists within Social Security offices. These specialists provide timely
and accurate information about SSA`s employment support programs for
beneficiaries with disabilities who want to work.
Protection and Advocacy
The law authorizes Social
Security to make payments to protection and advocacy systems established in
each State to provide information, advice and other services to disability
beneficiaries. Information on these organizations is available at http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/pafactsheet.html.
Information on contacting the P&A service in your State is available at http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/BPAODirectory.html.
Demonstration Projects and Studies
The law extends Social
Security disability insurance demonstration authority for five years. Under the
law , Social Security is required to conduct a
demonstration project to test reducing Social Security disability insurance
benefits by $1 for each $2 that a beneficiary earns over a certain amount.
The implementation date for this demonstration will be announced.
This information was taken
from the Social Security website at www.socialsecurity.gov
For more information on mental illness contact:
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Fax: 312-563-0467