Medicaid Matters: A Safe Home for Jimmy
Forty-two days.
That’s how many days it’s been since the American Health Care Act (AHCA) was introduced.
Despite a failed attempt to pass the bill a few weeks ago, the AHCA is still being negotiated behind closed doors in Congress. The proposals being discussed would likely erode health care and long-term care protections for people with intellectual disabilities and transform Medicaid from a guaranteed funding stream to a capped program.
It’s incredible to think that a bill that could have such a huge effect on millions of Americans, including the 3,700 people who Mosaic supports, has only been around for 42 days with no public hearing and with strong public opposition.
If block grants or per capita caps are enacted, they will have a devastating effect on people like Jimmy MacGuire, whose story is told by his mother Judy below.
“We’ve fought long and hard for his Medicaid hours,” Judy said. “He does need one-on-one supervised attention. He needs help living day-to-day.”
The AHCA would drastically change many health care provisions and protections and significantly alter how funding is structured for people with intellectual disabilities. The AHCA aims to shrink federal Medicaid funding over time, putting vulnerable people Mosaic supports in danger of losing coverage and access to vital services.
Even though the bill has temporarily gone away, the services for people with intellectual disabilities will continue to be challenged in the future. That’s why we have to be ready.
You can learn more about how Medicaid works here, and how changes will affect the people Mosaic supports here.
Mosaic encourages you to stay informed and involved in the process:
- Sign up for Mosaic Allied Voices to stay up-to-date about prevailing legislation and public policy issues and to learn about opportunities for engaging your government.
- Visit Town Hall Project to learn more about constituent forums in your area with your members of Congress.
- Sign up for updates from your representative and senators in Congress to stay informed about what they are working on for your district or state.
Thank you, again, for all of your emails, calls, and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. Thank you for advocating for a meaningful life for people like Jimmy.