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Return to Work
The success of the new anti-retroviral therapies have restored the health of many people with HIV disease, enabling them to return to the work force. However, the risk of losing health care coverage (and therefore access to life saving therapy) prevents many people with HIV/AIDS from seeking employment.
Senators Jeffords (R-VT) and Kennedy (D-MA) have introduced an important piece of legislation that will benefit many people living with HIV/AIDS. The bill, "The Work Incentives Improvement Act" (S. 1858), is designed to remove some of the barriers to work faced by people living with disabilities who rely on public assistance.
Access to Care
The Jeffords/Kennedy bill provides people living with disabilities access to Medicaid covered benefits that would include at a minimum prescription drugs and personal assistance services (PAS). States (which operate the Medicaid program) are encouraged to provide these benefits through an increase in the rate of federal Medicaid payments to the state. The bill also provides continued access to Medicare health coverage for individuals who are either eligible for or who are receiving Social Security Disability Income (SSDI). These individuals will be able to keep their Medicare health coverage if they continue to work or return to work.
Access to Other Services
The bill also provides "tickets to work," whereby individuals can present a voucher to a service provider of their choice to receive vocational rehabilitation, employment, and other services they need to facilitate their return to work. For people with HIV/AIDS, the "ticket" approach will allow people to seek assistance from providers with experience in HIV/AIDS.
Low Cost
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the bill will cost $5 billion over five years (at about $1 billion per year). The bill includes "offsets" to pay this relatively low cost. Most important, however, by returning people to work, the bill will save money in the long run.
If 75,000 of the 7.5 million Americans wqith disabilities, just one percent, become successfully employed, savings in cash assistance would total $3.5 billion over the work life of the individuals.
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