FINANCIAL FOCUS
Legislation Moving Toward Boosting Funding for Individuals with Disabilities
By Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC, CFBS
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THE MOST RECENT COVID-19 RELIEF BILL, HAS SPECIFIC PROVISIONS TO HELP THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED THOSE WITH DISABILITIES. SO MANY INDIVIDUALS SAW REDUCED SERVICES OR NO SERVICES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME DUE TO THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES. THIS FORCED SO MANY FAMILIES TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS BETWEEN WORK AND CAREGIVING FOR THEIR LOVED ONES. MANY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, MOST NOTABLY THE ARC OF THE UNITED STATES, HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY WORKING ON BEHALF OF ALL THOSE WITH DISABILITIES TO ENSURE THEIR NEEDS ARE NOT FORGOTTEN, AND THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS RELIEF BILL.
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he American Rescue Plan will provide nearly $13 billion in 2021 to bolster home- and community-based services. These are the services that allow individuals with disabilities to live in their homes and stay in the community instead of living in an institution. This is so important to the health and welfare of individuals and their families. This funding can also be used to provide additional safety measures for the direct support professionals who are providing these home- and community-based services, so they feel comfortable providing these services in the home of the persons they are providing care. The American Rescue Plan also allows for the expansion and extension of many tax credits that can help families, especially if a family member has had to take leave from work to care for their loved one with a disability. One of the largest benefits for adults with a disability within this bill is the fact that all individuals receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income) monthly will receive a stimulus check, regardless of if they are claimed as a dependent by another person for tax purposes. This is such a victory because it places cash in the pockets of these individuals to help pay their bills and possibly help their families as well! If this additional stimulus check causes the individual’s account to increase over the allowable resource limit for Medicaid and SSI, then it may be time to consider opening an ABLE account and transferring those assets into that account. The ABLE account allows the individual with a disability to have more than the asset resource limit and keep all their benefits!
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In another area of disability services, Medicaid Waiver programs, legislation is in “discussion draft” (not passed) for funding to eliminate the waitlist for these programs. The Medicaid Waiver Programs provide the funding for home- and community-based services. These programs are optional and vary greatly between the states. The programs are also tied to the individual state, and because they are optional, the wait to receive these services can be very long. Under this draft legislation, these waiver programs and the home- and community-based services they pay for would no longer be optional under Medicaid, but mandatory. “For the 850,000 people on waiting lists, this would be life-changing,” Nicole Jorwic, senior director of public policy
