A Winning Ticket for Nebraska
By Joni Thomas, Nebraska Department Of Health And Human Services
Nebraskans with disabilities recently began receiving a unique ticket in the mail. It's part of an innovative national program called Ticket to Work, and has the potential to be a winning ticket for Nebraska.
Ticket to Work is a key component of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1999. The goal of Ticket to Work is to provide more choices and opportunities for people with disabilities to find meaningful employment. The program is under the authority of the Social Security Administration, and is administered nationally by MAXIMUS, Inc. The impact of Ticket to Work programs in other states has been broad, benefiting people with disabilities, employers and taxpayers. Over time Nebraskans will see the same benefits.
For people with disabilities, Ticket to Work has the potential to provide meaningful employment opportunities. Many people with disabilities want to work and contribute to our state and nation, but have been frustrated with the employment process. Ticket to Work helps break down some of the traditional barriers to employment-training, more rewarding jobs, and, once employed, the potential loss of benefits. Ticket to Work addresses all of these issues.
As part of Ticket to Work, special Employment Networks (ENs) have been created on a national, state and local level. These ENs are service providers, ready to provide support and employment-related assistance to people with disabilities. There are incentives for ENs to identify an individual's potential skills and provide training, with a goal to help each person open up new employment opportunities.
Just as important, people with disabilities who find employment do not run the risk of losing their medical benefits, which are critical to help cover health care costs not typically covered by traditional insurance. Under previous programs once you earned a certain income on your job, there was the potential to lose a portion of your medical benefits. As a result, people found it cost them more to work than to stay on government benefit programs. Ticket to Work solves that problem because it allows people with disabilities to get a job, and still receive important medical benefits.
For employers, Ticket to Work will help expand the overall workforce in Nebraska. People with disabilities are anxious to contribute their skills and become productive employees. However, the lack of funding for training and support programs has limited employment opportunities for many people. The creation of ENs, which are designed to specifically provide training and support to people with disabilities, should create more skilled employees, who are then eager to utilize their skills in the workplace.
For taxpayers, Ticket to Work has the potential to add to the overall taxpayer pool in our state. Rather than rely solely on federal and state benefits, Ticket to Work will assist people with disabilities in finding meaningful jobs. And as they receive paychecks, they will pay federal and state taxes, as well as have additional income to support the local and state economy. Ticket to Work is not a mandatory program. People who receive a Ticket can participate on a voluntary basis. For many people with disabilities, this program provides a new opportunity to receive training, find a good job and contribute to Nebraska's economy.
I urge people with disabilities to look for their Ticket to Work in the mail, and if you would like to learn more about the program, call the Hotline for Disability Services at 1-800-742-7594 TTY. I also urge employers to take a close look at how people with disabilities might be able to contribute to your company.
It's not often you have a chance to hold a winning ticket, but Ticket to Work can be a winner for everyone in Nebraska.
Joni Thomas is Medicaid Infrastructure/Real Choice Grant Coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services System.
(November 7, 2003)