Maine
I. Overview of a State's Comprehensive Person-Centered Employment Initiatives
Maine CHOICES Project for Workers with Disabilities
Maine CHOICES (Continuing Health Options and Incentives via coordinated
Employment Supports) is a Medicaid infrastructure enhancement project
that builds on the strength of Maine’s current Medicaid Buy-in
Program. Maine.
CHOICES undertakes a significant multi-year research, program development
and partnership-building initiative. Its goals are:
- To improve access to competitive employment for people with disabilities;
- To advance technical understanding of how Medicaid-funded services
specifically support the competitive employment of people with disabilities,
and to devise equitable and effective methods for targeting Medicaid
resources to that end;
- To improve the coordination of multiple policies and programs available
to support competitive employment among people with disabilities;
and
- To increase collaborative efforts with other states to promote
employment of people with disabilities.
The above is taken from the home page of Medicaid Infrastructure
Grant Project
http://choices.muskie.usm.maine.edu/
The Maine "Medicaid Option for Workers with Disabilities Program"
has been in effect since August 1999
New – Download
file of two summary charts
State’s Medicaid Buy-In Program Design Features
- Income Eligibility Criteria
- Resource Limits and Exclusions
- Cost Sharing – Minimum Income Level and Premium or Cost Share
Methods
- Work Related Policies and Protections
State’s SSI and Other Medicaid Income Standards for Adults
with Disabilities
II. What's New and Persons to Contact
New -
Project Choice is preparing a supplement to the Chart Book which will
describe the Personal Assistance Services (PAS) system in Maine to
support employment for persons with disabilities and will summarize
claims, eligibility, survey and other data related to use of PAS by
Medicaid Buy-In enrollees. Intended to be available in Fall 2003
New-
Maine has indicated interest in participating in a Social Security
Demonstration Project for SSDI beneficiaries which would provide for
a gradual reduction ($1 for $2 earning for those receiving SSDI. For
a link to the material prepared by the Choices Project on this issue
go to:
http://choices.muskie.usm.maine.edu/ssdidemo.htm
The Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Project at the Univeristy of Southern
Maine has created a web site which is intended to be a clearinghouse
for information on all Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
activities in Maine.
Link to the site
http://www.maineticket.org/index.htm
Persons to Contact
Larry Glantz
Project Director
CHOICES (Continuing Health Options and Incentives via Coordinated
Employment Supports)
Maine Medicaid Infrastructure Grant
Muskie School of Public Service
University of Southern Maine
96 Falmouth Street
P.O. Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
207-228-8345
E-mail: glantz@usm.maine.edu
III. Program Development - Past and Present
- Executive Branch Leadership, Cross Disability Coalition Leadership
and Interagency Working Groups
- Initial Planning, Information Gathering and Program and Fiscal Estimates
New-
For a description of the development of the Maine program go to the
Maine Case Study prepared by the George Washington University Work
Incentives Project with support from ASPE at the Department of Health
and Human Services and scroll down and click on to the Maine study
in the Table of Contents
http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/EIcasest.htm
Or download a Word file of the Maine Case
Study
IV. State Legislation - Adopted and Pending
V. Current State Policies and Program Descriptions
- State Policies: State Plans, Regulations and Waiver Requests
to Federal Agencies - Pending and Adopted Programs
New
A Medicaid eligibility flow chart was developed which presents
a unique description of the categories of Medicaid eligibility for
persons with disabilities in Maine – including the Maine Medicaid
Buy-In program - based on income eligibility standards in 2001
Download a Word file of the flow
chart
Download a Word file
of the flow chart which also includes information on the number of
enrollees by categories of eligibility in the period July 1999 through
June 2000
- Ensuring Informed Choice and Person - Centered Programs: Benefits
Counseling, Work Force Investment Act Implementation and Related Educational
Services
- Descriptions for Consumers and Staff Training Activities
For a direct link to a Fact Sheet on the Maine Medicaid Buy In
program go to:
http://choices.muskie.usm.maine.edu/wwdoption.htm
VI. Program Data and Impact
- Medicaid Buy-In Data
521 Medicaid Buy-In enrollees as of June 30, 2003
- Consumer Surveys and Evaluation Studies
New
The MaineCare Option for Workers with Disablities: A Survey of
Past and Present Enrollees
Link to report http://choices.muskie.usm.maine.edu/surveycover.htm
New
The Choices Project has prepared a Chart Book which describes the
MaineCare Workers with Disabilities Option and the people who have
enrolled in it during the first three years, 1999-2001.
Go to the following site to download a copy of the Chart Book
http://choices.muskie.usm.maine.edu/chartbook.html
New
Project Choice is preparing a supplement to the Chart Book which will
describe eht Personal Assistance Services (PAS) system in Maine to
support employment for persons with disabilities and will summarize
claims, eligibility, survey and other data related to use of PAS by
Medicaid Buy-In enrollees. Intended to be available in Fall 2003
VII. Comprehensive Employment Initiatives
The Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Project at the Univeristy of Southern
Maine has created a web site which is intended to be a clearinghouse
for information on all Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement
activities in Maine.
Link to the site
http://www.maineticket.org/index.htm
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