In the District of Columbia, Medicaid plays a crucial role in supporting children, adults, and senior citizens with disabilities to provide healthcare, in-home support, and community access to live independently. Over 300,000 DC residents, including people with disabilities, represent over half of the DC population that will be impacted by proposed Medicaid cuts. The threats to Medicaid will have a direct impact on the well-being of people with disabilities and their families, as well as the facilities, organizations, and agencies that are employed to provide services and supports.
Families are deeply concerned about how Medicaid would provide adequate healthcare and support for home and community-based services in the future if proposed cuts are enacted. Some families are still recovering from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic that led to the loss of family members, increased debt, failing health, and unemployment. The pandemic caused an increased need for mental health assessments and psychological evaluations that some families are still waiting for more than a year or more for service. Also, some families are still experiencing challenges with receiving and retaining Medicaid services due to technological challenges post-pandemic.
Families are concerned that the pending Medicaid cuts will substantially impact their family member with a disability in these areas of support and services such as:
• Care coordination of healthcare by care managers and service coordinators
• Home Health Services: Skilled nursing care, companion care, and respite care
• Long-term care facilities (i.e., nursing home services)
• Personal Care Aide Services
• Medical supplies and equipment
• SNAP and free school lunch programs
• Emergency Department/Hospitalization Services
• Managed care plan for children with special needs
• Support groups for parents of children with special needs
• Therapeutic Services: Speech and Language Therapies, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis
• Dental Services
• Adaptive and Assistive Technology
• Sports and recreational groups
• Transportation to work, doctor appointments, and social activities
• Determination of implementation of Individual and Family Support Plan, Individualized Education Program and Individualized Service Plan
• Protection and advocacy supports
The funds for these services and supports could be removed and/or limited and it would directly affect the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families. It may jeopardize families in a position to provide full-time care and support if jobs are lost and financial means to maintain housing, food, transportation and other essential needs are lost.
Ultimately, families are apprehensive that the pending cuts to DC Medicaid could be the regression of DC’s efforts to create a community that supports people with disabilities and their families to be valued DC residents who can live and thrive in safe and supportive communities.
Please join the Support Parents of the Quality Trust Family Ties of DC at the Family Support Council meeting on this Thursday, May 22 at 1:00 pm for parents, caregivers, and family members to strategize with local disability groups, agencies, and organizations to create a collaborative voice and presence showing that family members with disabilities matter! Click here to read more about Funding of District Medicaid Services.
If you have any questions, please contact Rhonda White, Co-Chair of Family Support Council by email: [email protected] or call at (202) 459-4002.