Contact:
Amy Devine
(608) 267-0214
Disability Rights Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s designated Protection and Advocacy system for people with disabilities, applauds all U.S. Senators who voted against recent health care reform bills to cut and cap Medicaid and repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The bill passed in the U.S. House in May and the numerous bills recently set forth by the Senate contained devastating cuts to Medicaid, rolled back protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and would have led to loss of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.
Wisconsin’s cost-effective Medicaid program is critical for 1.2 million children and adults on Medicaid. Wisconsin has been an innovative leader in providing home-based services for children and adults with disabilities to live and work in the community, and two-thirds of federal Medicaid funding is spent on people with disabilities and older adults. Daniel Idzikowski, DRW Executive Director, said, “Because of our close affinity and understanding of Medicaid waiver programs critical for people with disabilities, and because of the extraordinary gains in health care coverage by people with disabilities under the Affordable Care Act, we have firmly opposed any efforts to dismantle the ACA, or to limit, cap, or reduce the federal government’s contribution to the Medicaid program. Medicaid has facilitated the great
transformation to community living for people with disabilities, and continues to provide a critical source of funding when skilled care is required.”
DRW is pleased that the Senate has rejected the health care reform bills and continues to strongly oppose any proposal to dilute the protections now afforded people with disabilities through the Affordable Care Act, including cuts to or caps on Medicaid funding. DRW calls upon all members of Congress to work together in a bi-partisan effort to strengthen the health care system for people with disabilities and to meet with people with disabilities to gain their input for any reform.
