Volume 2, Number 2


New Working Healthy Staff Members

Nancy Scott has joined the Working Healthy staff in Topeka as the Benefits Specialist Team Leader, filling the position recently vacated by Craig Perbeck. Nancy comes to the program from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, where she worked in the Disability and Health Division. Nancy can be reached by phone at 785-291-3461 or by e-mail at NAS@srskansas.org

As Working Healthy enrollment continues to rise, the program has also added two new Benefits Specialists. The new Benefits Specialist for the Wichita area is Madeleine Anthony and the new Benefits Specialist for the Manhattan area is Judith Vargas. A new map of the counties covered by each specialist is shown on page 2 and will be posted on the Working Healthy web site. 



Frequently Asked Questions about Working Healthy

Q: Does an individual need to work 40 hours/month to participate in Working Healthy?

A: A person may qualify for Working Healthy if he or she is a recipient of SSDI/SSI or meets the Social Security Administration disability criteria and provides verification of paying FICA or SECA taxes. At this point in time, there is no minimum number of hours for Working Healthy.

Q: If you work in another state, but live in Kansas are you eligible for Working Healthy?

A: Yes, residency is in Kansas. If a person is employed in another state and meets all other eligibility criteria then he or she qualifies for Working Healthy.

Q: Can Working Healthy premiums count as Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE)?

A: No. Working Healthy premiums can not be used as an IRWE for the Working Healthy program. However, premiums can be used as an expense for the food stamp program.

Q: Can the $3.00 co-pay for prescriptions be counted as IRWE or a Blind Related Work Expense (BWE)?

A: Yes, the co-pay for medication can be used as an IRWE or BWE if the medication is necessary for the person to work.

More Questions and Answers can be found on the Working Healthy web site.If you have a question that is not answered here, contact your local benefits specialist!



HELP SAVE TREES! Please sign up to receive this newsletter via e-mail. Contact Noelle at pixie@ku.edu. THANKS

Benefits Specialists' Corner

Benefits Specialists' Corner is a new addition to the Working Healthy newsletter. Look here each issue for a special commentary and/or news from a Benefits Specialist. This issue's featured Specialist is Carrie Boettcher from the Emporia Area Office. Thanks to Carrie and all the Specialists for their hard work and dedication.

Accepting the position of Benefits Specialist with the Working Healthy program at SRS has been an exciting and challenging opportunity. The Working Healthy program has provided an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to work and maintain medical coverage. There are a lot of gaps in the "system" and a lot of disincentives for individuals with a disability to go to work. Working is a positive and healthy activity for many people. Many individuals I have worked with are concerned about medical coverage and employment. Working Healthy has filled a gap out there for a specific group of individuals. Providing outreach on this program has been a critical piece to getting the information to individuals who need this medical coverage. Outreach presentations have been given to a broad array of individuals and service agencies: CDDO's, Mental Health Centers, Independent Living Centers, Health Departments, family members, business leaders, attorneys, etc. Each day is different and poses new challenges for my position. It has been a welcome change to provide crucial information to individuals and watch them make an informed decision of whether or not to work or increase their hours at work. I look forward to watching this program grow and develop.

-Carrie Boettcher, Benefits Specialist

Personal Care Services to Support Employment

When the Working Healthy program was initially being developed, SRS staff and disability advocates acknowledged that personal care services would be essential to support the work efforts of some people with disabilities. However, to implement this part of the program, the state must first obtain approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Staff at SRS Health Care Policy submitted a State Plan Amendment to CMS in late August to define the attendant services that will be available for participants in the Working Healthy Program. CMS must respond to the proposed Amendment by November 27th. At that time, the amendment will either be approved, or suggestions will be provided on how to change it to gain future approval. In its current form, the amendment would cover personal care services for Working Healthy participants who need such services to obtain or maintain employment of at least 40 hours per month. Look for an update in January's newsletter. 

Outreach Activities

Breakthrough Club has completed its outreach activities to consumers, family members, service providers and employers across the state. Twenty presentations were made to a total of 545 individuals. Working Healthy staff members also conducted outreach to community-based organizations, consumers, employment programs, Social Security Administration offices, and SRS staff. The Benefits Specialists conducted 162 of these outreach presentations in July, August and September, reaching 1,411 people. Central office staff made 6 additional presentations to 379 individuals. Additional project outreach took place via the Working Healthy toll-free line and web site (managed by the project staff at KU). Since May more than 100 people have called and over 700 have accessed the web site.

Organizations are encouraged to contact Mary Ellen O'Brien Wright at 785-296-5217 or 800-449-1439, to request informational presentations on Working Healthy.

Working Healthy Enrollment Steadily Rises

Several months into its implementation, the Working Healthy program has 412 enrollees. In the initial weeks of the program, the majority of enrollees did not have enough income to be required to pay a premium. However, premium payers now account for about half all enrollees (see Table 1). Enrollees are required to pay a premium for their continued Medicaid coverage through Working Healthy when their income exceeds 100% of the federal poverty level. People with many different disabilities have enrolled in the program, as illustrated in the pie chart below.



TABLE INFORMATION:

Table title:

Kansas Working Healthy Total Enrollment

July 2002: Total enrollment = 175, 29% of which are paying a premium

August 2002: Total enrollment = 250, 45% of which are paying a premium

September 2002: Total enrollment = 297, 55% of which are paying a premium

October 2002: Total enrollment = 412, 49% of which are paying a premium

Source: Kansas Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS)



PIE CHART INFORMATION:

Title: Enrollees and Disability Type (n=92)

(listed counterclockwise)

Mental illness = 48%

Chronic illness = 16%

Physical disability = 15%

Mental retardation/development disability = 9%

Sensory = 8%

Cognitive = 2%

Traumatic Brain Injury = 1%

HIV = 1%

Source: KU 2002 Baseline Survey of WH Eligibles identified by Kansas SRS

Working Healthy is published quarterly by the KU Department of Health Policy and Management, in cooperation with the KU Division of Adult Studies and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

Additional copies and copies in alternate formats are available upon request by writing the University of Kansas Department of Health Policy and Management, c/o Division of Adult Studies, Attn: Noelle, 1122 West Campus Rd.. JRP Hall Rm. 517, Lawrence, KS 66045, by phone 785-864-7085, by email: pixie@ukans.edu



KU Research Team

Michael Fox, Principal Investigator

Jean Hall, Project Director

Noelle Kurth, Editor

Erin Rink, Research Assistant



SRS, Division of Health Care Policy

Mary Ellen O_Brien Wright, Program Director

Nancy Scott, Benefits Specialist Team Leader