Chapter 7 - Comparable Services and Benefits

(A)  Before RSB provides any vocational rehabilitation service to an eligible individual or members of the eligible individual’s family, RSB shall determine whether comparable services and benefits are available under any other program, except when RSB is providing the following services: 361.5(b)(10

1.   Evaluation of rehabilitation potential;

2.   Counseling, guidance and referral;

3.   Vocational and other training services, including personal and vocational adjustment, books, tools and other training materials, that are not provided in institutions of higher education;

4.   Job placement;

5.   Rehabilitation engineering services; and

6.   Post‑employment services that include rehabilitation services listed in paragraphs (6)(A)1.‑5.

(B)  RSB shall require that if comparable services and benefits are available to an eligible individual, the eligible individual must utilize the comparable services and benefits to meet, in whole or in part, the cost of the eligible individual’s vocational rehabilitation services, except in the situation stated in Subsection (C) and (D) below.

NOTE: Eligible individuals whose IPE includes college-level academic study  must apply for Pell Grant assistance regardless of eligibility and annually provide a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) in order to satisfy this requirement. (Per Page 5-1, RSB College Handbook)

NOTE: RSB does not consider as comparable benefits those awards and scholarships based on merit, or those which are not restricted to specific college-related expenses (tuition, books, college expenses). (Per Sec. 101(a)(8)(A)(ii) Rehabilitation Act Amendments, RSA-PAC-90-7

NOTE: The following list represents the most commonly encountered comparable benefits in the RSB service community and should be checked before service delivery on all cases:

Medicaid

Medicare

Pell Grant

Any non-merit based scholarship

Any merit scholarships that are specifically dedicated to specific educational costs such as Tuition, books/supplies and paid directly to the school

Private medical insurance

Any other medical insurance

Veteran’s Administration (for health care and rehabilitation center programming)

Worker’s Compensation  (when a person has been injured on the job)

(C)  RSB shall not determine whether comparable services and benefits are available under any other program if the determination of the availability of comparable services and benefits would delay the provision of vocational rehabilitation services to any eligible individual who is at extreme medical risk. RSB shall base a determination of extreme medical risk upon medical evidence provided by an appropriate licensed medical professional. 361.5(b)(21)

(D) Per Part 361.53 of the Final Regulations and Sec. 101(a)(8) of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments, RSB shall not require consideration of comparable services or benefits if to do so would result in delays in 1) progress toward achieving an employment outcome identified in the IPE or 2) an immediate job placement.361.53 Sec.101(a)(8)

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