Purpose and Overview

1. Purpose and Overview • Overview of the Ticket Program • Impact on Systems, Agencies and Individuals • Answer Questions • Provide Resources and Contact Information

2. Goals of Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act Legislation • Lower the barriers to employment for people who receive SSI and SSDI • Encourage beneficiaries to access vocational services to assist them to work and achieve self-sufficiency

3. Goals of Ticket to Work (continued) • Provide more vocational options for beneficiaries • Create a comprehensive set of supports for employing people with disabilities

4. What are the Basics? • Expansion of Health Care • Expanded Medicaid • Extended Medicare • Ticket to Work & Self Sufficiency • New Support Structure

5. EXPANDED MEDICAID • Permits states more flexibility to cover people with disabilities who work • Permits states to allow buy-in for those on SSI/SSDI who have medically improved

6. EXTENDED MEDICARE • Medicare (premium-free hospital insurance) coverage is extended for people who receive Social Security Disability benefits and work. • This is an additional 4 and 1/2 years beyond the old law

7. Who Gets A Ticket? • 13 pilot states • Everyone 18 - 64 receiving SSI and SSDI except those expected to make a “medical recovery” • Ticket use is voluntary • Recipient will be able to take the ticket to an EN or State VR agency • Approx. 85,000 in Colorado • Will be sent out over several months

8. What is the TICKET ? New Support Structure • Program Manager • Employment Network • Benefit Planning Assistance and Outreach Grantees • Protection & Advocacy Grantees • Work Incentives Advisory Panel

9. The TICKET • Program Manager (WWW.Maximus.com) • Recruit, monitor and maintain a list of qualified EN participants • Conduct reviews on the individual progress of recipients • Resolve disputes between the EN and the recipient • Facilitate payments to EN

10. The TICKET • Employment Network • Provide employment services • Provide vocational rehabilitation services • Provide other supportive service as determined under the IWPs • Must have contract with the Program Manager in order to be identified as an EN under the Ticket Program

11. What is an Employment Network? • An EN is “an agency or instrumentality of a state or private entity” that assumes responsibility for delivering services to individuals who assign them Tickets. • ENs are a single provider or an association of providers organized to combine their resources into a single entity.

12. What is an Employment Network (continued)? • May provide services directly or through contracts or other arrangements. • An EN must have qualifications, serve a prescribed area, and must do an individual work plan with each consumer served.

13. How is an EN paid? • EN paid if consumer is successful in employment at or above SGA level • EN must choose one of two systems: Outcome or Outcome-Milestone • Public VR can additionally choose traditional reimbursement on a case by case basis

14. Tickets and Consumers • Consumer is exempt from continuing disability reviews while using a Ticket (using = must make progress towards employment after 2 years). • Again, the Ticket has no cash value for consumers.

15. What Does The Consumer Do With The Ticket? • Not required to use the Ticket • If seeking vocational services, can give it to any “registered” employment network (EN) • Can move the Ticket between ENs

16. Employment Support Representatives • SSA pilot project • Denver and Pueblo offices • In-office work incentive specialist • Community outreach • Staff training on work issues • Case management

17. Benefits Planning and Outreach Grants • Provide work incentive planning and assistance to beneficiaries and their families • Conduct outreach efforts to provide customers with information on SSA provisions • Targeted for SSI/SSDI recipients

18. Protection & Advocacy • Non-competitive grants to mandated systems • Provided to all states to provide services to beneficiaries with disabilities • In Colorado - Legal Center for People with Disabilities & Older People • Cannot assist with SSA appeals

19. Colorado Impact • 85,000 Tickets in Colorado • 50% of SSA recipients are DD/MH • 30% of DVR clients are SSA recipients • Four month roll out

20. Colorado Challenges • One of 13 pilot states • No final regulations • No up front money • Educating and informing a number of audiences • Volume of questions • Many unknowns

21. Colorado Challenges • Changes in service delivery • The impact on resources and reimbursement revenue • Creation and partnership of ENs • External pressures to form alliances and composition of those alliances • Internal and external training • Preparation for consumer response

22. Positive Outcomes • Federal focus on employment of persons with disabilities • Long term follow up • Partnerships • Comprehensive work incentive systems • Increased choice and service options

23. Useful Web Sites • www.ssa.gov/work • www.state.co.us/ticket • www.employmentworks.org • www.cdhs.state.co.us/ods/dvr/index.html • www.thelegalcenter.org • www.projectwin.org

24. Contact Information • 1-866-968-7842 (V) Maximus • 1-866-833-2967 (TDD) Maximus • 1-800-772-1213 SSA • 1-877-772-2982 BPAO/CP of CO • 1-800-288-1376 Legal Center

25. Questions? • Frequently asked questions will be maintained on web-site: • www.state.co.us/ticket