Protecting Medicaid Through Debt Ceiling Negotiations

Disability Matters with Joyce Bender

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

#AdvocacyMatters

Protecting Medicaid Through Debt Ceiling Negotiations

Debt ceiling and budget negotiations are under way between President Biden and Congress. This is always a challenging time for disability advocates because we must react to proposals that want to cut Medicaid or limit funding for programs that support people with disabilities.

This afternoon, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) is to meet with President Biden to pick up negotiations that last occurred in February of this year. The U.S. Government is expected to run out of money and not be able to pay all its bills by June 1.

As disability advocates, we must send a message to our legislators that any funding caps, cuts, or changes that limit eligibility for the Medicaid program threaten America’s longstanding promise to people with disabilities that a safety net would be there. Agreeing to cut Medicaid amounts to working against the health and safety of people with disabilities.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill at the end of April that would raise the debt ceiling and slash federal spending bill. That proposal would also impose work requirements on people on Medicaid. The legislation would require someone to look for a job or participate in “community engagement” activities for at least 80 hours per month. People with disabilities unable to work would have to get a doctor’s certification that their disability prevents them from working to bypass the work requirement.

#AdvocacyMatters

Disability advocates need to speak up and tell Congress to stop cutting access to Medicaid and to keep Medicaid out of the debt ceiling negotiations.

Visit disabilityrightspa.org and click on today’s #AdvocacyMatters segment for a link to The Arc’s Action Alert page. There you can send an email to your legislators to support and protect Medicaid through the debt ceiling negotiations.

Links

The Arc’s Action Alert

https://action.thearc.org/bN73uKj?p2asource=ci-2023-0501

Bazelon Fact Sheet

https://www.bazelon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Medicaid-Work-Requirements-PWD-Explained.pdf

CNN Article on House Passed Debt Ceiling Bill

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/26/politics/debt-ceiling-house-vote-negotiations/index.html