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Medicaid Buy In-Not Living Up to its Full Potential
(Con’t from pg 1)
The Medicaid Buy In (MBI) was passed
by the NY State Legislature in 2002, after a two year advocacy battle by the
disability community. It provides an incentive for individuals with
disabilities to work without the fear of losing their Medicaid. It allows
working individuals, whose earnings are above the allowable income limit, the
ability to pay a premium and keep their Medicaid. As of 2006, approximately
6,000 people were enrolled in the Medicaid Buy In.
“The Medicaid Buy In, when
administered properly, is a wonderful opportunity for individuals with
disabilities to maintain the health care they need at the same time they are
working.” stated Brad Williams, Executive Director of the New York State
Independent Living Council (NYSILC).
According to a Medicaid Buy In
technical assistance specialist in Buffalo, there is no more funding to do
outreach on the Medicaid Buy In. “The grants that were originally
allocated have run out. Now, people have to find out about the program by word
of mouth or by accident. Therefore, many people who could benefit from the
health insurance coverage are not aware of it.” explained the worker.
In addition, according to the
Department of Health, the county by county breakdown of MBI enrollment is very
inconsistent from county to county. One county may have 14 enrollees for the
MBI and another may have 250.
An informal survey of various DSS
offices statewide, revealed that some workers are uninformed about the Medicaid
Buy In for Working Individuals with Disabilities. Many DSS workers confuse it
with other health insurance programs and therefore give out wrong forms to
applicants. Other workers are confused about the eligibility requirements for
the program and discourage potential applicants who may qualify for the
Medicaid Buy In.
“All of this speaks to the need
for consistent statewide training of all DSS workers who work directly with the
public, and funding for permanent outreach to let the public know that this
wonderful program exists,” stated Michael Kink of Housing Works.
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Recommendations for Emergency Preparedness for
Disabled Individuals
Excerpts from the Executive Summary of
“Assessing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Individuals with
Disabilities” a study done by researchers from the University of New
Mexico and the University of Kansas. The project was funded by the National
Organization on Disability.(NOD) 
1. Independent Living Councils (SILCs)
should be in a leadership role that brings together disability organizations
and emergency management organizations in all states.
2. Staff and consumers of CILs should
implement systematic training and education so that increased numbers of people
with disabilities will have personal disaster plans.
3. An education and training
curriculum should be developed around effective organizational disaster
response and recovery plans for CILs across the country. This should include
content on specific elements of an organizational disaster plan, materials that
can be used by the leadership and staff of CILs and technical assistance to
CILs for developing and implementing these plans.
4. User friendly, evidence-based
research findings should be made available to assist CILs, other
community-based organizations, and interested people with disabilities to help
them understand how existing emergency planning and response systems from
around the country operate.
5. State emergency management
officials should be encouraged to designate one or more disability contacts at
the city and county level as first responders or relief providers for inclusion
in emergency operations centers when a disaster strikes. |
NYS Independent Living Council, Inc.