Working Missouri adults with disabilities will soon get their income limits increased to help them keep and maintain their health insurance.
Rep. Melanie Stinnett, R-Springfield, was the inspiration behind legislation signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson. Stinnett proposed changes to the Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program.
“The Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program changes that we put forward in this legislation change the limits on income for individuals with disabilities so that they are able to make more wages, hopefully take promotions and raises within their current work or take new jobs that pay them more without losing access to their really important medical coverage,” she said.
Up to $50,000 would be exempt from a spouse’s income toward that limit, according to Stinnett.
Stinnett said there’s a disregard for retirement accounts.
“Often, we look at these programs and we think, ‘oh these individuals should be able to make wages, they should be able to work within their communities.’ But the flipside of that is, if we do not allow them to create assets, what’s the point? We want them to be able to save for their retirement for that time when they want to retire and do other things with their life,” said Stinnett.
Regarding premiums, Stinnett said that the cap is at 250% of the federal poverty level.
“Below that, there maybe a small premium, still, and that still is, like I said, the cap, so after a certain point you still would not qualify for Ticket to Work, but we hope that that’s at a point where then you would be able to afford covering that medical coverage yourself.”
The new law begins August 28.
Click here or here for more information on the Ticket to Work Health Assurance Program.
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