Millions of Children Left Out of Senate Plan to Protect Disabled From Medicaid Cuts
Senate Health Bill Shields Disabled From Medicaid Cuts but Leaves Millions of Kids Vulnerable
Millions of children with disabilities will be excluded from the Senate’s definition of “blind and disabled” children whose health coverage will be exempt from proposed Medicaid cuts. With federal Medicaid spending predicted to drop 35 percent by 2036 under the GOP plan, states would have to shoulder the high medical costs of children with disabilities or else reduce or rescind health services Medicaid now pays for. Those include doctors and specialists, school and home nurses, prescription drugs, and occupational, speech, and physical therapy. Absent those supports paid for by Medicaid, the only option many families will have is institutionalization.
