Medicaid Services Are Vital For All

Over forty years ago, we adopted Geraldo. He has multiple disabilities resulting from maternal abuse. We knew it would be challenging  caring for him, but we felt ready. We really loved him and wanted him to be part of our family.    He was also ready to leave the residential treatment facility he was living in and join our family.

Medicaid services provided not only the healthcare coverage we needed health care, but case management services and habilitation specialists  who provided services while we worked.  For a while, we were paid for the case management from our private family insurance, but we were quickly reached our lifetime cap. The access to Medicaid for Geraldo saved our family from losing our private insurance.  

Recently, I had to retire early from teaching to stay home with Geraldo; we could not find a worker to provide services. Thankfully, the Medicaid waiver program allows parents to be paid for providing the services themselves, which has allowed us to pay the mortgage.  We are grateful since this allows us to pay the mortgage. Also, it also keeps him in his home.  

We are now in danger of losing these services. If Congress cuts Medicaid spending, we could lose as much as $27 billion in federal funding just in North Carolina alone.  We will be forced to make some hard decisions to live without the extra funds. We may have to sell our house and find a smaller place.  This is not a pleasant solution for us, but we will survive.  Many others in our situation are not as fortunate.

Without Medicaid services, many families will face the reality of not being able to care for their child with special needs while meeting the needs of the rest of their family.  In the United States of America, we are heading back to the days of institutionalization or worse. 

But beyond this, cuts like this to Community Based services in favor of institutionalization for people with disabilities don’t save us money in the long run. This isn’t new information. In fact, one of the most widely cited studies on the cost effectiveness of community based services for people like Geraldo goes back to 2009. The report from the National Council on Disability shows that while the average annual cost of institutionalization for people with high support need disabilities was $188,318, the average annual cost of community based support services was $42,486.

To me, the biggest benefit of Medicaid coverage is a humane one.  I am certain not one of us would like to permanently live in an institution.  I am also certain no one would want to drop one of their family members off at one either.  Please join me in advocating for these services by calling your representatives and urging them to keep Medicaid funding. Medicaid as it provides vitally-needed services for our most vulnerable citizens.