Ryancare Cuts Funding for People with Disabilities

The Republican leadership’s plan to roll back Medicaid puts families with disabilities in a dire situation.

Many American families rely upon Medicaid to pay for the expensive care that comes with disabilities. Families with special needs rely upon Medicaid for specialized care for daily living and to pay caretakers so that parents can work.

However, the Ryan plan might jeopardize those who rely upon Medicaid for disabilities. Speaker Ryan’s plan places a per-person cap for all Americans, including people with disabilities, children, and the elderly.

Conservatives previously advocated for block granting Medicaid to the states, where states can have more flexibility to care for their citizens. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told Breitbart News about her support for block granting Medicaid to the states. She said, “We already give them the responsibility [for Medicare], so let’s give them the authority and the money and you can get rid of some of the constraints from the federal government and offer a better product at a more affordable cost and help more people. States have always been a great center for innovation.”

Block granting Medicaid, as opposed to capping Medicaid spending per person, would allow states to have flexibility for American families with disabilities.

Ryancare received criticism based on the Congressional Budget Office analysis stating that 14 million would lose insurance in 2018, and that as many as one million people could be forced to purchase insurance with the Ryan plan’s insurance mandate.

In an op-ed in the Denver Post, Alyssa Robert, a Colorado native, wrote that Republican leaders should listen to those including the disability lobby who do not have the most powerful lobbyists or the loudest pundits on the air. She wrote, “The disability community doesn’t have the top lobbyists on payroll or the loudest pundits making our case on cable news. My brother is oblivious to the entire issue, despite its immeasurable impact on his future. But if Republicans in Congress push through sweeping cuts to care for the most vulnerable, they should reconsider why they entered public service.”