The Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment: Implications for National Health Care Reform

Individuals with potentially disabling conditions have distinct health care needs, which if left unmet, can lead to the onset of a disability and enrollment in a federal disability benefit program. The Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment (DMIE), administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and authorized under the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, awards funds to states to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions for workers with potentially disabling conditions. This issue brief describes DMIE interventions in Hawaii, Kansas, Minnesota, and Texas, and discusses what they might tell us about designing policy initiatives for workers with potentially disabling conditions in the context of national health care reform.