Trump’s return sparks are worried about cuts at Medicaid, disability services

Proponents of disabilities are preparing to ward off potentially seismic cuts in medical and community services, since President Donald Trump is back in the White House and the Republicans have control over Capitol Hill.

According to reports, the Republicans in the US representative house report a “menu” of possible options to reduce more than 5 trillion dollars in expenses in order to finance tax cuts and other trump priorities. Options described in a document received by Politico show that up to 2.3 trillion US dollars can come from Medicaid.

If such cuts became reality, according to KFF, almost a third of the forecast Medicaid expenditure over 10 years would be carried out by a non -profit organization that conducts health policy research.

This is the concerns about supporters of disabilities that have been going on for years to see larger investments in Medicaid-home and community services, the primary support system of the state for people with developmental disorders.

“It would be difficult to overestimate how serious these are threats,” said Zoe Gross, director of advocacy at Autistic Self Self Advocacy Network. “Medicaid is a Lifeline program for our community – we have to make it clear that it should be expanded and should not be looted for the payment of tax cuts for billionaires.”

The supporters have been warning for years that the Medicaid Home and Community-based service system is under extreme pressure. A recently from hundreds of providers of disabled providers showed nationwide survey that 69% of new customers and 39% closed programs or services in the previous year, and over a third stated that they were considering additional program cuts.

In addition to the options that the Republicans report on, Medicaid are moving to one “per head table” system. The Federal Government currently offers the states to have matching grants for the payment of the nursing costs for people who are suitable for Medicaid, no matter how expensive. As part of a per capita-CAP system, however, the government would provide a defined amount of money for each participant who leaves the states in order to compensate for a difference in the costs.

The design of the document also lists, which reduce the agreed funds that the Federal Government for Medicaid provides and implement the work requirements for the program and other options for saving the savings.

“We have concerns that the states have to find new funds when reducing the Medicaid financing of states in order to compensate for the lack of state budget budgets. If no new funds can be found, optional services such as community-based services for people with IDD are often reduced, which leads to longer waiting lists for (home and community services) and higher rates of unnecessary and expensive institutionalization, ”said Elise Aguilar. Senior Director of Federal Relations in the American Network of Community Options and Resources or Ancor, which represents invalid service providers across the country.

All of this have supporters to experience Déjà VU from Trump’s first term as president when the Republicans tried to switch Medicaid to a system with a capital cap system.

“Some of the suggestions we listen to them.” This would give access to local (and) community-based services with extreme risk, increase the waiting lists and further tighten the Direct Care Workforce crisis. “

A wide coalition of over 200 groups that represent people with disabilities, family supervisors, seniors and nursing staff came together this month in a letter to the leader of the house and the Senate to defend themselves against the cuts against Medicaid.

“We are deeply concerned about the recent statements of some congress management that support suggestions that would deeply reduce the financing of Medicaid. Medicaid is already slim and efficient, ”says correspondence, which is organized by disability and aging cooperation and the consortium for components with disabilities. “We reject the per capita caps, block subsidies, work requirements, restrictions on the authorization, enrollment and other cuts or harmful changes to the Medicaid program. The result is the same: coverage of people with disabilities, older adults and others who otherwise cannot afford health care and long -term services and support. “

Proponents now say that they meet with the legislator and activate their members to talk about the importance of medicaid for this population.

“Whether the cuts are made in the form of a work request (or) per head pool means that everything means that the federal dollar that go into Medicaid decreases, and there is no state budget that could make this loss,” said Jorwic. “People with disabilities and their nurses should be set to changes and cuts against Medicaid as well as the threats to special debt services and prepare themselves to share it, as recently stated.”