I. Overview of a State’s Comprehensive Person-Centered Employment Initiatives
The state of Virginia through a Medicaid Infrastruture Grant (MIG)
is in the process of devisng a Medicaid Buy-In program. The state
legislature in 2003 directed the state Medicaid agency to seek a waiver
under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act to establish a Medicaid
Buy-In program.
The MIG project is also involved in developing a pilot project in
the northern Virginia area to improve utililization of the Section
1619 work incentives provisions for SSI recipients.
(See a description of the Section 1619 Pilot Project under Section
VI Comprehensive Employment Initiatives.)
Link to the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Project Web site
http://www.dmas.state.va.us/mb-home.htm
New – Download
file of Summary chart of State’s SSI and Other Medicaid Income
Standards for Adults with Disabilities
II. What’s New and Persons to Contact
III. Program Development - Past and Present
IV. State Legislation - Adopted and Pending
V. Current State Policies and Program Descriptions
VI. Program Data and Impact
VII. Comprehensive Employment Intiatives
The MIG project staff has provided the leadership in developing a
pilot project in the northern Virginia area to improve utililization
of the Section 1619 work incentives provisions for SSI recipients.
The following is the explanation of the development of the Pilot Project
from the MIG Project Web Site :
“Purpose of the 1619(b) Pilot.
Over the course of beginning work under its Medicaid Infrastructure
Grant, DMAS staff discovered serious difficulties in the state with
the application of Section 1619(b), a work incentive allowing persons
with disabilities receiving SSI to work above the Substantial Gainful
Activity (SGA) level, lose their cash benefits, but still maintainaccess
to critical Medicaid services up to a ceiling.
DMAS staff have noted the following issues: a) lack of understanding
within local and regional
Departments of Social Services (DSS) who move individuals found 1619(b)
eligible by the local and regional SSA offices into 1619(b) Medicaid
status; b) consumers are not aware of the provision and/or do not
understand the provision; and c) possible problems in the exchange
of
information between SSA and DSS offices.
The aims of the pilot are to:
1.Identify tools and mechanisms to provide ongoing training and education
to staff attached
to DSS offices and other germane public entities (case managers, etc.).
2.Develop tools to educate consumers, their families, and front line
providers about 1619(b)
and other similar work incentives.
3.Analyze the current process of identification of eligible 1619(b)
individuals by SSA,
referral and notification of DSS and subsequent enrollment in the
appropriate Medicaid
covered group. Such an analysis would then be used to target problem
areas and make
corrections.
At the 1619(b) Pilot, the participants of the OneSource Project of
the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board work group serve
as a forum for development and/or to solicit input on draft tools
and mechanisms aimed at educating stakeholders about 1619(b) and possibly
other work incentives. These tools and educational events will provide
information about 1619(b) in an easy to understand language and would
offer detailed information on how the process works in Virginia. Fact
sheets and other resources would be developed in more than
one version – one for consumers and families and one for professional
benefits staff.
As part of the pilot, worksheets would be developed on how to determine
the likelihood that an
individual is 1619(b) eligible. Again, these would be two versions
– one lay and one professional. Information items to be contained
in the worksheets would include: a) a description of 1619(b); b) a
description of the identification, referral and enrollment process
in Virginia, possibly a flowchart; c) a glossary with acronyms; and
d) contact phone numbers and agencies. Such tools could be linked
and run parallel with a Web site that could offer more detailed information
on 1619(b) and other key work incentives at both lay and professional
levels. Additionally, Virginia DMAS staff in conjunction with the
pilot workgroup will develop and coordinate pilot training on 1619(b)
both for consumers and professional staff. These trainings will be
evaluated by participants and enhanced before being operationalized
in other parts of the state. Recipients of the training would include
local DSS eligibility workers, local SSA staff, providers and consumers.
Once a preliminary set of educational tools, educational forums,
and provisional remedies to
1619(b) operational issues are developed, the tools will be piloted
in a real world environment
through its consumers, their families, case managers, rehabilitation
specialists, and other
organizations in the pilot area.”
Link to background data and complete description of Section 1619
Pilot Project
http://www.dmas.state.va.us/mb-1619(b)_pilot.htm
Link to access to Virginia Olmsted Report
See Employment Recommendations beginning on page 37 of the report
http://www.vadrs.org/whatsnew.htm
