Wednesday November 11, 1998
Program allows disabled to keep health plans
Many disabled Americans are reluctant to enter the workforce because
they fear losing their Medicaid or Medicare health
coverage. However, new pilot programs in three states -- Oregon,
Wisconsin and Vermont -- are designed to allow the
disabled to accept jobs and still retain their health coverage.
``These projects are providing national leadership that will pave the
way for people with disabilities to return to work without
the fear of losing health insurance coverage,'' said Rosemary Gibson,
senior program officer at the nonprofit Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, which is funding the effort.
The initiatives, collectively entitled ``Building Health Systems for
People with Chronic Illness,'' are a joint effort of the
Foundation and state governments in Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Over 80% of chronically disabled Americans are unemployed. 'Building
Health Systems' director Dr. F. Marc LaForce points
out that ``people with disabilities perceive the potential loss of
essential healthcare benefits as the main barrier to obtaining
employment, after their disability itself.''
Under the new initiatives, however, participants would use existing
federal waiver systems to continue receiving Medicaid or
Medicare coverage after they enter the workforce.
Proponents of these programs point out that the nation will be the
ultimate beneficiary as disabled individuals become more
productive, taxpaying citizens. In a recent speech, Wisconsin Governor
Tommy G. Thompson said that ``we are wasting too
much talent by allowing legitimate fears over healthcare to keep people
with disabilities out of the workforce.'' He urged that
government ``give people with disabilities their freedom by protecting
their health.''
The three state projects are experimental pilot programs, according to
officials at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In an
interview with Reuters Health, program deputy director Jay Wussow
described the initiatives as ``demonstration projects''
aimed at helping state and federal policymakers decide ``how the system
could be improved to provide greater flexibility and
more options to people with disabilities.''
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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