Article Summary –
Josie Badger’s reliance on Medicaid for her daily care, including the use of a ventilator and power wheelchair, underscores the essential role this program plays in enabling her to live independently and work as a disability rights advocate. The proposed Medicaid cuts, driven by efforts to offset tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, threaten to strip health coverage from millions, including people with disabilities and children, potentially leading to increased nursing home admissions and loss of essential services. Jennifer Garman and Christie Cyktor highlight the adverse effects of these cuts on home- and community-based services and school-based support, emphasizing the long-term detrimental impact on individuals’ ability to work, live independently, and access necessary education and healthcare resources.
Josie Badger relies on Medicaid for essential support.
“I use a ventilator and a power wheelchair,” said Badger, a disability rights advocate from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. “I have 24-hour care, which enables me to get out of bed, work, run a business, foster children, and own a home. Without that coverage, I wouldn’t be here.”
Born with congenital myasthenic syndrome, a condition weakening muscles, Badger spent extensive time in hospitals as a child. Her parents considered divorce solely to secure private insurance for her. “Thankfully, they didn’t,” she shared. “As an adult, I receive Medicaid home-based services, my lifeline.”
Badger now fights to keep that lifeline intact.
To fund tax cuts for the wealthy, House Republicans passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on May 22, cutting $700 billion from Medicaid (for more information, visit CBPP’s website), potentially adding $3.3 trillion to national debt, and causing 13.7 million people to lose healthcare coverage. The House approved it 215-214, with all Pennsylvania Republicans in favor. It’s now before the Senate, and Trump is set to sign it if passed. If the Senate modifies the bill, both chambers must reconcile differences before it reaches the president.
In Pennsylvania, where nearly a quarter of the population is on Medicaid, federal cuts could remove health coverage from hundreds of thousands, impacting people with disabilities and others in nursing homes and children. Approximately 750,000 people with disabilities utilize Medicaid in the state.
“We need to be vocal because many don’t realize these cuts will impact them,” Badger said. “Medicaid funds school services and supports the Affordable Care Act. These services could disappear.”
‘I become paralyzed with the fear’
Loss or reduction of Medicaid would be transformative for Badger. She currently employs six nurses and three home-care attendants, enabling her to reside at home and run her consulting firm. As Republicans push for unprecedented Medicaid cuts, Badger shifts focus from personal impact to rallying support for the program covering 80 million Americans.
“If I dwell on it personally, I freeze with fear and anxiety,” Badger explained. “I need to mobilize others. My community motivates me, highlighting hope’s importance. I’ve dedicated work time to voice many causes, not just Medicaid.”
If the bill passes, Badger said, her caregivers might lose jobs due to funding cuts, potentially forcing people with disabilities into nursing homes.
“Nursing homes are costly last resorts,” Badger said. “We’ll face a reckoning when millions need care, can’t receive it, and end up in underfunded nursing homes.”
Losing home- and community-based services
Jennifer Garman, president of Disability Rights Pennsylvania, is concerned about cuts to home- and community-based services funded by Medicaid, crucial for housing and employment support.
“We already face a waiting list for services for people with intellectual disabilities,” Garman noted. “Cuts could lengthen waits, straining the commonwealth and impacting community access to essential services.”
Christie Cyktor from PEAL Center added that reducing these services would hurt those wishing to contribute to their families and economy. Cyktor, with a congenital disability using a power wheelchair since age 8, emphasized the need for direct-care workers to support independence.
“They want to participate in the workforce,” Cyktor said. “But without direct-care funding, how can they afford it?”
Cyktor benefitted from a direct-care worker in college, enabling her to graduate. “Without her, I couldn’t have lived independently at college,” she said. “She helped me daily, allowing me to pursue my degree.”
Support at school
Medicaid also funds school-based services, vital for students with disabilities needing occupational therapy, mental health care, and specialized equipment. Cuts could have enduring effects, Cyktor warned.
“Medicaid funds many school services,” Cyktor explained. “I work with students remotely, often their only access to occupational therapy. Losing these services impedes crucial development.”
Cyktor assists K-12 students in developing fine motor and executive skills essential for workforce entry. “Cutting them now will have lasting impacts,” she emphasized.
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