Sen. Scott, Colleagues Introduce SENIOR CARE Act to Ensure Working Seniors With Disabilities Keep Medicaid Coverage

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, issued the following news release on May 11, 2021:

Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) joined U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in introducing the bipartisan Supporting And Empowering the Nation to Improve Outcomes That Reaffirm Careers, Activities, and Recreation for the Elderly (SENIOR CARE) Act. The SENIOR CARE Act lifts the Ticket To Work Program's Medicaid age restriction to allow Americans with disabilities over the age of 65 to continue to work AND remain eligible for Medicaid.

"People with disabilities, especially those 65 and older, deserve every opportunity to continue maintaining Medicaid coverage and the ability to fulfill their American Dream," said Ranking Member Scott. "We need to ensure that these seniors are supported and not arbitrarily carved out of their livelihoods. I look forward to introducing the bipartisan SENIOR CARE Act and removing barriers for millions of Americans."

The Ticket To Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 created opportunities to increase workforce participation by expanding Medicaid's income eligibility limits for Americans with disabilities. The expansion allowed citizens with disabilities to accept higher-paying jobs without sacrificing Medicaid coverage.

Over the past two decades, the program has allowed people with disabilities to work and receive long-term care services through Medicaid that most employer-sponsored insurance plans do not cover. The 1999 law, however, capped the participation age at 65, thus preventing people with disabilities from continuing to work past age 65 and retain their Medicaid coverage. The SENIOR CARE Act would remove the age limit and ensure every senior with disabilities has the opportunity to work beyond age 65 and remain eligible for Medicaid.