Evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program, Implementation ...

98Figure VI.3. Total SSA Payments to SVRAs and ENs$140,000,000$120,000,000$100,000,000$80,000,000$60,000,000$40,000,000$20,000,000$0FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04VR PaymentsEN PaymentsSource: MPR tabulations of SSA administrative data.The reasons for the substantial decline in the number of traditional payment claims inboth FY2003 and FY2004 are not completely clear. While probably not a major factor, thedesign of TTW could have reduced payments in the short term. In particular, while SSAmade a single payment for eligible beneficiaries through the traditional payment system,milestone payments can occur over 12 months, and outcome payments are spread out over60 or more months for beneficiaries who work enough to stop receiving cash benefits.Thus, efforts by TTW providers to help beneficiaries during the first years of TTW rolloutwould be expected to reduce revenue in the short term but increase it in following years.Such a rise in SSA payments will in fact be an important indication of TTW success.Nevertheless, given that most Tickets have been assigned under the traditional paymentsystem, the effect of delayed payments is not likely to be large. Furthermore, both thefederal officials and SVRA representatives we spoke with said it is unlikely that TTW isresponsible for the reduction in the traditional payment claims. Because SVRAs submitclaims to SSA only after an individual has worked at SGA for nine consecutive months,payments in any given year largely reflect beneficiaries enrolled and served in previous years.For SVRA clients who receive SSI or DI and achieve a successful rehabilitation outcome, themean length of time the client receives services is 25 months (Gilmore 2004). Therefore, itis likely that the bulk of claims submitted in FY2003 and FY2004 were for beneficiaries whobegan receiving services during FY2001 or 2002. Because TTW was first rolled out inVI: State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Participation in Ticket to Work