Accelerated Benefits Demonstration

The Accelerated Benefits Demonstration project will provide health benefits and employment supports to certain newly entitled Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries. Under current law most SSDI beneficiaries must wait 24 months after cash benefits begin before they become eligible for Medicare. Thus, many people have no health insurance and therefore, have limited access to medical care during a period of time when access to those resources might serve to help improve their medical condition and thereby increase their ability to improve their self-sufficiency through employment.

Phase I (October 2007)  – New York City area, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Houston
Phase II –   Beginning March 2008, enrollments will begin in the following locations:

On January 20, 2006, the research organization MDRC was awarded the contract to implement and evaluate the Accelerated Benefits demonstration. Subcontractors include: Mathematica Policy Research (MPR), POMCO, CareGuide and TransCen, Inc.

Beneficiaries selected for the demonstration project will be randomly assigned to one of three groups.  All will receive their regularly SSDI cash benefits with no change in program rules. In addition, one group will be provided health benefits, a second group will be provided health benefits and receive support under a care management model, and a third group will be a control group that will be used as comparison to see if the intervention results in a difference health and employment outcomes.  The target population will be newly entitled SSDI beneficiaries, under age 55 with at least 18 months before entitlement to Medicare.

The historical rate of return to work for SSDI beneficiaries is relatively low.  We believe that this might be the result of deteriorating medical conditions due to lack of treatment while beneficiaries await entitlement to Medicare.

This research is designed to test whether short term investment in health care for newly entitled SSDI beneficiaries might have long term pay-offs, in terms of improving their medical conditions and increasing the likelihood that they will return to work. The project will help SSA determine the costs and benefits associated with providing immediate medical benefits to these individuals.