Take Observe: Members of the Home Committee on Power & Commerce are drafting a finances which is extremely prone to suggest extreme cuts to Medicaid. No matter kind these cuts take, they’re prone to disproportionately hurt individuals with disabilities, together with individuals dwelling with severe psychological sickness and autism spectrum issues, their households, the communities wherein they reside, and the professionals and organizations who take care of them.
Take Motion: Contact your Senators and Representatives – allow them to know your story and the way cuts to Medicaid will harm you and your family members with severe psychological sickness and autism spectrum issues (ASD).
Straight name the Home Committee on Power & Commerce and the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, Labor & Pensions and share your considerations with the employees of these committees.
Background Data:
Psychological Well being Information Schooling, Inc., the writer of Behavioral Well being Information and Autism Spectrum Information, is a non-partisan, non-profit group. Its mission is “… enhancing the lives of people dwelling with autism, psychological well being challenges, and substance use issues whereas additionally supporting their households, caregivers, and the skilled communities that serve them by offering a trusted supply of science-based data, training, advocacy, and high quality sources locally.”
It is best to know that extraordinary budgetary circumstances are presently enjoying out in Congress, which is able to probably have huge penalties for the teams our publications serve. Home Committee on Power & Commerce (E&C), which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, has been directed to chop $880 billion {dollars} over ten years from the packages for which it has accountability. The markup for that invoice is slated to happen on Could 7, 2025.
Evaluation from the Congressional Finances Workplace means that the E&C Committee will probably be unable to succeed in its aim with out important reductions to Medicaid. Inevitably, such cuts would have dire penalties for the therapy and restoration of people with severe psychological sickness and ASD.
The main points of healthcare finance, together with Medicaid, are very complicated. Over current years, the variety of Medicaid beneficiaries considerably expanded because of passage of the Reasonably priced Care Act (ACA) and the Households First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). At present, there are 6.9 million Medicaid beneficiaries in New York, roughly 10% of whom are disabled, together with these with severe psychological sickness and ASD. New Yorkers with severe psychological sickness and ASD take pleasure in entry to a broad array of recovery-oriented companies that rely on Medicaid for his or her financing. After the FFCRA expired in March 2023, nearly one million New Yorkers misplaced their protection beneath Medicaid. The efforts of a number of states so as to add work necessities for Medicaid eligibility had been blocked by the courts. Arkansas had such a requirement in place for one 12 months earlier than it was ended; throughout that 12 months, these with psychological well being disabilities and ASD disproportionately misplaced their eligibility.
Medicaid cuts could be effectuated by decreasing the federal share contribution, shifting federal funds to dam grants or per-capita grants, curbing supplier taxes, or by reinstituting work necessities. We anticipate that all or any of those could also be employed and that the implications for Medicaid beneficiaries with severe psychological sickness and ASD can be catastrophic.
In providing this abstract of what could occur to Medicaid, we’re becoming a member of with many advocacy organizations engaged on behalf of these dwelling with severe psychological sickness and ASD in urging that you just as a involved citizen make your voice heard. Hopefully, by appearing in live performance, we will make a distinction!
To study extra in regards to the Psychological Well being Information Schooling Board of Administrators, view the complete itemizing right here. For questions or correspondence, please contact David Minot, Govt Director, at dminot@mhnews.org.