Valued Program Endangered by Budget Cuts

AHCCCS Freedom to Work (AZ’s Ticket to Work)

Health Care Program for Arizonans with Disabilities that Work

Let us be tax payers, instead of tax takers!

Give Arizonan’s with a disability a hand up, not a hand out - Retain the AHCCCS Freedom to Work (Ticket to Work) health plan. It allows Arizonans with disabilities to work their way out of poverty, maintain vital AHCCCS eligibility until they can get their own health insurance while paying a monthly premium and sharing their healthcare cost.

AHCCCS Freedom to Work can help people earn their way off public assistance rolls completely. Support self-sufficiency!

Why do we need AHCCCS Freedom to Work?

• Arizonan’s with disabilities are the poorest of the poor.

§ SSI beneficiaries can only get up to $674/mo.(2009)

§ SSDI beneficiaries get an average monthly benefit of $1006) – 2006/07 Social Security Admin.

• Many of the 192,429 working age Arizonans receiving either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance living in poverty, could work if provided necessary health care assistance.
• Social Security rules offer new federal work incentives to work to help beneficiaries work their way to self-sufficiency.
• Without this program, few people with severe disabilities on AHCCCS will be able to take the risk of losing necessary healthcare coverage to try working again.
• Young people with disabilities will face a future of poverty and dependency because without necessary healthcare, they will never be able to take advantage of the other work incentives available.

This is a moment in history for individuals with disabilities who can and want to work.

Many people with disabilities, ages 18-64, and on SSA benefits want to work but fear losing necessary health care. AHCCCS Freedom to Work is key to removing healthcare as a barrier to employment. The Ticket to Work & Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 offered states options to create a “Medicaid Buy-in” program that matches state funds ($2 for $1) to provide expanded Medicaid (AHCCCS) eligibility for people with disabilities who work. Arizona implemented our “Buy-in” program in January 2003 (99 legislators voted “yes” in 2001.)

Who is using the AHCCCS Freedom to Work:

· 1,049 (10/09) working Arizonan’s with disabilities are able to work, maintain health care while paying in a share of the cost through monthly premiums. Enrollment has been stable for the last year.

· Most had already been on AHCCCS/ALTCS previously.

· Most of these individuals are willingly risking the loss of their Social Security cash benefits, because of the commitment Arizona made to them in 2001 that they could keep their AHCCCS health insurance if they are working.

Benefits to all Arizonans:

• 1,000 individuals work @ $20,000/year (single person income) = $20 million in wages spent directly in Arizona businesses.
• 1,000 individuals (taking a standard deduction) = $360,000 in Arizona state income tax.
• Anyone can acquire a disability anytime!

For more information contact David at ABIL 602-443-0723 or davidc@abil.org

(11/9/09)

The AHCCCS Freedom to Work = Employment = Self-Sufficiency = Economic Stimulus!

Issue: The Legislature is meeting this week to close the budget deficits for 2010 (this current budget year) and 2011 (starts July 2010.)

One program they are talking about eliminating in 2011 is the AHCCCS Freedom to Work (FTW) health plan they call “Ticket to Work”. Attached is a fact sheet on the FTW program.

What you can do to protect this important program:

Contact your legislator at www.azleg.gov (you can find your legislators here too)

· If you email: Put your name and address at the top of your email. Use your subject line to say: Constituent – Protect Ticket to Work AHCCCS plan in 2011!

· Ask them to fight to protect funding for this program that helps people with disabilities work

· Suggest they eliminate some of the tax credits we can not longer afford, such as country club memberships

· Tell them your story if you are on the FTW program – briefly why it is so important for you

You can make a difference! Don’t let them make decisions without you! Nothing about us without us!