What Would You Do Without Your Aide?

The President and Congress are talking about making large funding cuts to all state Medicaid programs. Many know that Medicaid funds health care for low-income people. But Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) “waivers” also fund services and supports that allow people with disabilities to to live in their community — not in a nursing home or other institution. Medicaid-funded services like aides are key to enabling AAC users and other people with disabilities to live full lives. 

Cutting Medicaid would hurt people who need AAC by limiting these critical services. 

Many Members of Congress do not know the essential role of Medicaid in supporting our lives. They need to hear our stories! Please make a difference! Tell your US Representative and Senators and/or your Governor what would happen if you lost your Medicaid waiver services. Write them an email, record and send them a video of yourself, or ask for a Zoom or in-person meeting in your district as soon as possible. Congress is planning to act soon!

Our amazing partners have created tools and resources to make telling your story and staying informed as easy as possible. 

MEDICAID ADVOCACY TOOLS AND RESOURCES:

• • Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
    • Medicaid Action Alert: explains the issue in plain language and provides a sample email to request meetings, what to say, and key terms
    • A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Medicaid: includes an Easy Read version that uses pictures along with text
    • Medicaid Webinar Recording: answers: “What is Medicaid and how can we save it — again?”

• • The Arc of the United States
    • Digital Form for Emailing Congress
    • Digital Form to Submit to Congress and The Arc
    • Explanatory Videos
    • Petition to Protect Medicaid

• • Caring Across Generations
    • Digital Form for Emailing Congress
    • “Medicaid Minute” Videos
    • Congressional Outreach Tools for Advocates: features call script, talking points, email templates, fact sheets, and more resources for sharing your story

• • The Century Foundation
    • “Yardstick for Medicaid Budget Targets” Blog Post

• • Community Catalyst
    • One-Pagers: on Medicaid work requirements, block grants, and per capita caps

• • Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities
    • Request for Medicaid personal stories in states with Democrat Senators: these are for use in floor speeches. Please email Senator Chuck Schumer’s office via Lizzy_Burke@schumer.senate.gov and Claudia_Brady@schumer.senate.gov.

• • Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
    • Hands Off Our Medicaid Online Resource: uses videos to describe why Medicaid-funded personal care services matter

• • Families USA
    • Medicaid 101 Fact Sheet

• • Center for Children & Families (CCF) at Georgetown University
    • Report: regarding the importance of Medicaid for small towns and rural areas

• • Health Affairs
    • Article by Sara Rosenbaum and Alison Barkoff: “What Lies Ahead For Medicaid in Budget Reconciliation?”

• • Justice in Aging
    • Fact Sheet: “Work Requirements Would Cut Medicaid for Older Adults With Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions”

• • Little Lobbyists
    • “Saving Medicaid: What You Can Do” Resources: contains a list of each state’s unique name for Medicaid services

• • National Health Law Program (NHeLP)
    • Brief: “‘Unfit’ to work? How Medicaid Work Requirements Hurt People with Disabilities”
    • Medicaid Defense Resource List: also prepared by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), Community Catalyst, and Families USA

Download in PDF form here.