What is Medicaid?

Medicaid is a federal program funded by both federal and state governments to provide health and long-term care insurance coverage to low-income people. Low-income children and their parents, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities may be eligible for Medicaid. People who are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are automatically eligible for Medicaid.

What is currently happening with cuts to Medicaid?

The US House of Representatives recently introduced a budget resolution to Congress that would require more than $880 billion in cuts from Medicaid. Medicaid is currently the largest source of federal funding for state budgets and is essential to states’ ability to provide healthcare programs that meet the unique needs of their communities. If the proposed funding cuts are passed, states would face immense financial burdens, and access to healthcare and long-term services would be at risk.

Why is Medicaid important for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)?

Around 15 million people with disabilities are enrolled in Medicaid, making it the largest healthcare provider to people with disabilities. Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), a form of long-term care for people with significant support needs, are also funded through state Medicaid waivers. HCBS provides services and supports for 4.2 million people with disabilities, including those with complex care needs, allowing them to live within their communities rather than in isolated institutional settings, such as nursing homes. Many people with disabilities live on fixed incomes and face barriers to employment and access to private health insurance. They also have high health care needs and spending that are not met by private health insurance companies. People with disabilities rely on Medicaid to address these unique challenges.

How would Medicaid cuts impact people with IDD?

Medicaid enables people with disabilities to be integrated into their communities, to practice more autonomy, and to have more independence. The proposed Medicaid cuts will directly impact the quality of life of people with disabilities, limiting their access to health care and HCBS. Many people with disabilities rely on direct care workers, funded by Medicaid, to help with all aspects of life such as getting in and out of bed, personal hygiene tasks, eating, managing medications, and going to appointments. Medicaid cuts jeopardize access to these levels of care which currently allow people with disabilities to live in integrated settings. People with disabilities have been historically fighting for the right to live independently and to have control over their own lives, and deinstitutionalization has been a major part of this fight. Cuts to Medicaid risk a dangerous set back to the potential institutionalization of people with IDD who rely on Medicaid-funded supports and services to live in the community.