States are specifically key to solving for SSI and SSDI benefits
Barnes et al 21 – Barnes is a former research analyst, Edelberg is a senior fellow at The Hamilton Project, Estep is a former research analyst, Greenstein is a visiting fellow for The Hamilton Project, Macklin is a Former Senior Research Assistant (Mitchell Barnes, Lauren Bauer, Wendy Edelberg, Sara Estep, Robert Greenstein, Moriah Macklin, “The social insurance system in the US: Policies to protect workers and families”, Brookings Institute, June 23, 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-social-insurance-system-in-the-u-s-policies-to-protect-workers-and-families/)//TMMS
A more experimental path to disability reform, proposed in a THP proposal by Jeffrey Liebman and Jack Smalligan (2013), would institute three demonstration projects to build evidence on the impact of various types of early interventions for disability applicants. The first trial would screen applicants to target those with highest potential for returning to work if provided the proper range of services, and would supply candidates with targeted vocational and health interventions and some form of wage-replacement to test improvements in well-being and employment outcomes. A second trial would allow states to redirect portions of existing funding streams for programs like Medicaid, TANF, and vocational training to target populations that are at risk of receiving lifetime SSI and SSDI benefits, offering states incentive funding for measures to reduce participation in disability programs. The third demonstration project would provide a tax credit incentive to employers against their disability insurance payroll taxes for employers that reduce their disability incidence by at least 20 percent.