California Action Alert on Employment & Disability

Dear Advocates,

AB 1269 is important for Californians with disabilities who want to or do work. If you’re unfamiliar with Medi-Cal’s California Working Disabled Program, please see the following text link that describes the current program. http://www.chiip.org/longdesc/medi-cal_brochure_english.html

AB 1269 adds desperately needed improvements to California’s Medicaid Buy-In Program that were vetoed by the governor two legislative cycles ago because of legal language flaws, and again during the last legislative cycle because of the budget. Advocates have worked closely with the governor’s staff and the state’s fiscal actuaries, and are confident that we have addressed concerns expressed by this administration.

Please let Assemblymember Brownley know that you support her bill as she ushers it through the committee process. It is important to ask people in your personal life and business associates to also send letters of support. Please spread the word.

ACTION ALERT!

Write Letters to Members of the Assembly Committee on Health by April 16, 2009

AB 1269-Fundamental Fairness!

CALIFORNIA WORK GROUP On Work Incentives and Health Care  the CWG

PLEASE SEND TO YOUR COLLEAGUES AND NETWORKS

Dear CWG Participants & AB 1269 Supporters,

We need you, your friends, family, and colleagues to write letters of support by the end of this week!

ACTION STEPS:

1.   Write your letter of support! See our sample letter below that you can edit with your own stories, Assembly contact person, and your personal contact information.

2.   Please send or fax a letter of support to Julia Brownley, the bill’s author attention Irene Ho.

Office of Assembly Member Julia Brownley

Attn: Irene Ho
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0041
Tel: (916) 319-2041
Fax: (916) 319-2141

3.  Send or fax a copy of your letter to Ginny Murphy:

Ginny Murphy
World Institute on Disability
510 16th St. Ste 100
Oakland CA 94612
Ginny@wid.org
Phone: (510) 251-4340
Fax: (510) 763-4109

4.   Forward this email to a friend or colleague who can join us in supporting AB 1269. Consider sending them your letter so they can see why you support the California Working Disabled Program.

Thank you for your action and support! Please contact us if you have any questions. If you need any assistance with this AB 1269 letter of support over the next two days please contact Burns Vick, Policy Consultant, at fburnsvick@sbcglobal.net.

Sincerely,

Bryon MacDonald
Program Director
California Work Incentives Initiative
The World Institute on Disability

Ginny Murphy
Projects Coordinator
California Work Incentives Initiative
World Institute on Disability

Sample letter

“Cut and paste” the following letter into your word processor, then make the needed changes to personalize it:

April ____, 2009

The Honorable Julia Brownley
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0041

Dear Assembly Member Brownley:

YOUR NAME or ORGANIZATION in YOUR CITY is deeply committed to support the improvement of Medi-Cal’s California Working Disabled Program with the features and the fundamental fairness found in your pending legislation AB 1269. ____________A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHY YOU SUPPORT AB 1269… ________________________.

Medi-Cal’s California Working Disabled program (CWD) came about so California workers with a disability who have earned income under 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) can buy into Medi-Cal by paying an affordable monthly premium. This bill would reform the program to enable more disabled individuals to save their earnings without consequence, and enable them to retain their health coverage and hard-earned savings when changing employment during these hard economic times, and when they receive retirement income.

AB 1269 improvements to the California Working Disabled Program:

• Allow enrollees who are temporarily unemployed to remain in the program for up to 26 weeks (6 ½ months) during a work transition;
• Allow enrollees to save their earnings without any limit or ceiling as long as they save them in a separate bank account; and
• Allow enrollees to stay in the program and work by exempting Social Security disability income that converts to retirement income.

In 1999, California passed legislation (AB 155-Migden) that established the California Working Disabled program. While creation of the California Working Disabled program successfully facilitated the return to work for some workers with a disability, program enrollment rates have been much lower than every state projection since 1999. These long sought, non-controversial improvements, and promotion of them by the State of California, can improve employment outcomes for many more California residents working and living with a significant disability.

Thank you for your leadership.

Sincerely,

YOUR SIGNATURE, PRINTED NAME AND ADDRESS or ORGANIZATION’S INFORMATION

—
Ginny Murphy
Projects Coordinator
California Work Incentives Initiative
World Institute on Disability
Phone: (510) 251-4340
Fax: (510) 763-4109
Ginny@wid.org