Northeast Partnership for Health Systems Development

The Northeast Partnership (NEP)-  is a collaborative effort of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) that receive and provide technical assistance in the design and implementation of Medicaid buy-in programs and policies to improve health and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities who want to work.

Objectives:

• To collect, analyze, and interpret data regarding states Medicaid buy-in health systems development activities for individuals with disabilities and disseminate this information to other states, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), state policy makers, and the general interested public.
• To provide technical assistance and share best practices with state partners and other interested states regarding the range of systems enhancements and Medicaid program options that support the work efforts of individuals with disabilities.
• To facilitate information exchange between states at various stages of infrastructure development in building systems of support for working individuals with disabilities.

In forming this regional partnership we built upon geographical convenience and a long history of cooperation, collaboration, and expertise in the area of Medicaid buy-in and work incentives. In addition, we have a strong interest in benefiting from and sharing technical assistance more broadly with states outside the northeast region. To this end the NEP is a full participating member of National Consortium for Health Systems Development (NCHSD).

Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG):

The MIG is authorized by the federal Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) and funded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The purpose of these grant program are to support people with disabilities in securing and sustaining competitive employment in an integrated setting. The grant program will achieve this goal by providing money to the States to develop and implement the core elements of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, so as to successfully modify their health care delivery systems to meet the needs of people with disabilities who want to work. For state specific activities click here.

National Consortium for Health Systems Development (NCHSD)- The National Consortium for Health Systems Development (NCHSD) facilitates state-to-state information sharing among states that are developing comprehensive health and service systems for people with disabilities who want to work. NCHSD staff and partner states provide flexible, state-tailored technical assistance through a wide variety of activities that build on an extensive network of policy stakeholders. For more information, visit the NCHSD website.

Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program:

On December 17, 1999, President Clinton signed the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. This law includes several important new opportunities for people who receive Social Security disability benefits who want to go to work. The program will offer beneficiaries a greater choice in obtaining the services they need to help them go to work. For more information, please go to our Ticket To Work information page.