Mosaic

Advocacy is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Jon and Jim Livingston

Staying active helps keep hope alive.

Please keep calling your U.S. Senators and telling them the proposed health legislation is bad for people with disabilities.

Advocates have been on a journey since January to protect the integrity of Medicaid for people with intellectual disabilities.

Working toward any goal is a journey of ups and downs, filled with trials, tribulations, and stagnation. Achieving a goal is only part of success; on the journey is where you grow, learn, and endure sacrifices that make the achievement worth it.

It’s been quite the journey for health care reform. Three delayed votes, a passed House bill, and thousands of messages sent advocating for Medicaid remains a valuable safety net for people with disabilities.

Unfortunately, we haven’t reached the goal of #SavingMedicaid yet. The Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) still remains a threat to Mosaic’s mission since it caps and reduces critical Medicaid funding for people with disabilities.

My experiences of being a back-of-the-pack triathlete have taught me that training for any event, a 5k run to a 100-mile bike ride, is a journey. For my first triathlon, I had awesome training days where I thought Nike should be giving me an endorsement deal. I also had days where I would literally lay on the trail and wonder how I’m going to make it back to my house.

Most of my training days were not a remarkable occasion – not great, not bad, just occurred. Somedays I wondered if that one run or swim was even making a difference toward achieving my goal.

During the public policy process, like training for an athletic event, you’ll experience highs, lows, and stagnation. You’ll wonder if what you’re doing is even making a difference. Does that one action alert matter? Does one phone call make an impact? Do they even look at these action center messages?

YES, engaging your members of Congress make a tremendous difference!

Medicaid reform continues to be part of health care reform discussions and there will be a vote soon. To achieve the goal of affecting positive change for people with disabilities, advocates must continue engaging their members of Congress.

Our work isn’t done. We must continue our exercises in preparation for the big event.

Please keep making your calls, engaging your U.S. Senators and House member, and being a fierce advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.

Your advocacy will make a difference in the lives of people like Jon, who with this father, Jim, is featured in our latest video in the Faces of Medicaid series. Please watch it and share it with others.

Sign up for Mosaic Allied Voices (MAV) to stay up-to-date on disability issues and visit the MAV Action Center to contact your members of Congress.

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