MBI-WPD Outreach Brief A Disability Population Overview of the Bronx WIPA Office Area The Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD) program is an important health insurance option, and ensuring that all New Yorkers with disabilities have knowledge of it is critical to its success. Toward that end, this brief describes the population with disabilities that could be potentially eligible for participation in the MBI-WPD. The analysis provided is configured regionally by the counties in each of the seven primary Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) regions established by the Social Security Administration. About the Bronx WIPA Office Area There are approximately 852,800 persons ages 16-64 living in the Bronx. Of this population, approximately 14.9% or 126,800 have a disability. The Bronx accounts for approximately 9.4% of the total New York state disability population ages 16-64. The American Community Survey The data used to identify this group were taken from the American Community Survey (ACS), an ongoing annual Census Bureau survey designed to collect the same information as the Decennial Census long form on an annual basis. The ACS provides the most accurate, up to date data about America’s communities for community leaders and policy makers. In the ACS, disability is defined as “a long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition. This condition can make it difficult for a person to do activities such as walking, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, learning, or remembering (question asked of persons ages 5 years old and older). This condition can also impede a person from being able to go outside the home alone or to work at a job or business (question asked of persons ages 15 years old and older).” The ACS asks questions to differentiate between six types of disability. Of persons with a disability, 58.8% (74,600) report more than one of disability type. The Bronx Population with Disabilities, Ages 16-64 (ACS 2005-2007) Type— Sensory Disability Definition (Question asked on ACS to Determine Disability) “Does this person have any of the following long-lasting conditions (a) blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment…” Percent of area population– 3.2 percent Number of people— 26,900 Type— Physical Disability Definition (Question asked on ACS to Determine Disability) “Does this person have any of the following long-lasting conditions (b) a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying.” Percent of area population– 9.0 percent Number of people— 77,000 Type— Mental Disability Definition (Question asked on ACS to Determine Disability) “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: (a) learning, remembering, or concentrating…” Percent of area population– 6.0 percent Number of people— 51,400 Type— Self-care Disability Definition (Question asked on ACS to Determine Disability) “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: (b) dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home…” Percent of area population– 2.6 percent Number of people— 22,500 Type— Go-Outside Home Disability Definition (Question asked on ACS to Determine Disability) “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: (a.) going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor’s office?” Percent of area population– 4.4 percent Number of people— 37,600 Type— Employment Disability Definition (Question asked on ACS to Determine Disability) “Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: (b.) Working at a job or business?” Percent of area population– 8.4 percent Number of people— 71,300 Identifying the Potential Eligible MBI-WPD This brief focuses on the population with a disability who may be eligible for the Medicaid Buy-In Working Persons with a Disability (MBI-WPD) program. We determined this using the information available in the US Census Bureau’s American Population Survey (ACS 2005-2007). The MBI-WPD population is limited to the following: persons ages 16-64 with a disability who are U.S citizens, are not SSI beneficiaries, and live in households at 250% or less of the poverty level. Of the 126,800 persons ages 16-64 with a disability living in the Bronx: • 85.3% are US citizens • 71.1% do not receive SSI • 73.7% live at 250% of poverty level or less Altogether, 38.4% of persons ages 16-64 with disabilities living in the Bronx (about 48,700 people) fulfill all three criteria above. The 48,700 potential MBI-WPD account for 10.3% of New York State’s total potential MBI-WPD population. Characteristics of the potential Medicaid Buy-In population with disabilities The following are the characteristics of the potential Medicaid Buy-In population identified above. Note that as 55.9% (27,200) reported more than one disability type, the total will add up to more than 100%. Disability Type - Sensory Percent – 20.3 % Number – 9,900 Disability Type - Physical Percent - 61.8% Number - 30,100 Disability Type - Mental Percent - 38.6% Number - 18,800 Disability Type - Self-care Percent - 14.6% Number - 7,100 Disability Type - Go-outside-home Percent - 26.7% Number - 13,000 Disability Type - Employment Disability Percent - 51.7% Number - 25,200 Gender - Woman Percent – 57.7% Number – 28,100 Gender - Men Percent – 42.3% Number – 20,600 Age Category – 16-20 Percent – 9.0% Number – 4,400 Age Category – 21-35 Percent – 17.7% Number – 8,600 Characteristics of the potential Medicaid Buy-In population with disabilities (Continued) Age Category – 36-50 Percent – 35.1% Number – 17,100 Age Category - 51-64 Percent - 38.4% Number - 18,700 Minority (non-white and/or of Hispanic/Latino origin) Of the potential MBI-WPD population living in the Bronx, 90.3% (44,000) are minorities. This accounts for about 21.9% of the total New York state potential MBI-WPD minority population. Race Category - White Percent – 23.2% Number – 11,300 Race Category – Black/African American Percent – 33.1% Number – 16,100 Race Category – Native American Percent – 1.8% Number – 900 Race Category - Asian Percent – 2.5% Number – 1,200 Race Category – Other Race(s) Percent – 39.4% Number – 19,200 Hispanic/Latino origin - Hispanic Percent – 56.1% Number – 27,300 Hispanic/Latino origin – Non-Hispanic Percent – 43.9% Number – 21,400 Language Spoken at Home - English Percent – 44.8% Number – 21,800 Language Spoken at Home - Spanish Percent – 49.7% Number – 24,200 Language Spoken at Home - Some other language Percent – 5.7% Number – 2,800 Educational Attainment - Less than High School Percent – 44.1% Number – 21,500 Educational Attainment - High School/GED Percent – 27.3% Number – 13,300 Educational Attainment - Some College or Associates Degree Percent – 22.2% Number – 10,800 Educational Attainment - BA/BS degree or higher Percent – 6.4% Number – 3,100 Employment Status - Employed Percent – 24.8% Number – 12,100 Employment Status – Full time (35+ hrs/wk) Percent – 68.6% Number – 8,300 Employment Status – Part time Percent – 32.2% Number – 3,900 Employment Status – Self-Employed (part time or full time) Percent – 2.5% Number - 300 Employment Status – Not Employed Percent – 75.2% Number – 36,600 Employment Status – Looking For Work Percent – 11.2% Number – 4,100 Employment Status – Not Looking For Work Percent – 88.5% Number – 32,400 When last worked – Currently Working Percent – 24.8% Number – 12,100 When last worked – Worked in Past Year Percent – 10.5% Number – 5,100 When last worked – 1-5 Years Ago Percent – 19.9% Number – 9,700 When last worked – 5 or More Years Ago or Never Worked Percent – 44.8% Number – 21,800 The New York Makes Work Pay Initiative is a Comprehensive Employment Services Medicaid Infrastructure Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) and its management partners the Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Employment and Disability Institute (EDI) at Cornell University. The New York Makes Work Pay Initiative is currently funded for calendar years 2009 and 2010 and will provide an array of services to individuals with disabilities and the agencies and advocates that serve them, helping to remove obstacles to work and pave the way to self-supporting employment. To learn more about the New York Makes Work Pay Initiative go to ilr-edi-r1.ilr.cornell.edu/nymakesworkpay/.