Faces of Medicaid

@RepChrisSmith This is why Medicaid matters to our family #SaveMedicaid

From Philly to Florida, this is a bad bill. #SaveMedicaid.

@SenToddYoung @SenDonnelly Medicaid matters to us!!! #SaveMedicaid #facein

@RepThomasMassie I support making changes, not repeal - we need affordable healthcare for all and supports for people with disabilities #SaveMedicaid

#SaveMedicaid

#faces peopleofmedicaid #mylovedones TAG SENATORS #facesofmedicaid #SaveMedicaid

How can you possibly ? @SenBobCasey @lisamurkowski @SenateGOP @McConnellPress @SenJohnMcCain @JeffFlake @johnthune #SaveMedicaid

Thank goodness for Medicaid! Without it, I'd be up the creek without a paddle. Born with Muscular Dystrophy, and having other related medical issues, I am unable to work. I am unable to pay for the ladies who come and assist me through each day just to survive. Many people may think, "Oh, don't be so dramatic!" But in all seriousness, I need help to get up in the morning. I need help with bathrooming. I need help with fixing food. Anything I need help with to complete a day, you, the politician, can do by yourself, most likely (when referring to daily living activities). So, we all know, for a fact, that living at home is cheaper than a nursing home. Medicaid cuts will force disabled people to go into nursing homes, I hear. I'm curious who will pay for that? I've been told I won't have to worry since I am already on Medicaid. But what about others who are yet to need Medicaid, but eventually may? That is what happened to my grandmother. I was living with her when she needed nursing home care at the end of her life. What about the future generations? Disabled people don't choose their situation. I wouldn't wish my physical limitations on anyone. Also, my caregivers only make a little over $11 in the Northern VA area. They are not allowed, by Medicaid rules, allowed to work for me overtime AND are not provided any benefits from their job. We, the disabled "consumer", often have people quit this job because no one can afford to live on the pay with no benefits. Anyway, I have always heard people say, "When you know better, you do better." I respect that philosophy. Senators, I know that you are not deliberately being "mean", so you need to help us save Medicaid, please. You have many constituents/citizens that need you. They need you to use the your power to do good. You have the power to help people who actually need help. Please help. Don't look away. Please. Sincerely, Mei

Medicaid is important to me, I use it to pay for prescription s , Dr. Visits and it helps to pay my Medicare premium.

Dear Senators Johnson & Baldwin, Please vote "No" to this latest version of a Senate Healthcare Bill. This Bill, just like the last will be devastating to children and adults with disabilities. My husband and I adopted a sibling group of 4 from Wisconsin's foster care system. They are now young adults. Two of our daughters require Medicaid to live and work as safely and independently as possible. They are productive, working citizens who live in their community with long-term care support.. Our daughters need Medicaid-funded long-term supports for job coaching, transportation to their jobs, healthcare and other basic daily needs. Your vote will determine if our young adult daughters can continue to work and live safely in their community. Without Medicaid, they will need more costly institutional care which will cost the public even more money and result in less productive and independent lives for these two young women. Our young adult children pay attention to what is happening in their government and they never miss an opportunity to vote and let their voices be heard. They will be watching to see how you vote. Represent them well and do what is right for our most vulnerable, yet productive citizens with disabilities. Cordially, Kim Beloin, Ph.D.

Colin spoke at a non-partisan rally in Lancaster, PA on July 28, 2017 on why Medicaid is so important to people like himself and his friends. Below is a copy of the speech, and a link to the video of the speech. We were happy to be among so many people who cared that night. Robin Buckwalter (mother and legal guardian of Colin) (717) 799-6906. Thank you all for all that you do! Good Evening. My name is Colin Buckwalter. I am 23 years old and I live at the very top of Lancaster County. I went to Cocalico schools for middle school and high school. I also went to Aaron’s Acres camp for many years. Because I have Cerebral Palsy, I use my ECO augmentative communication device to speak with the world. I use my power wheelchair to navigate through life. I am a huge baseball fan. To be honest, I would be home tonight watching my team. But being here is so very important. So I am here with you to come together as community who cares about people. Medicaid supports people who have disabilities like me. It provides people with communication devices like my ECO and the training to learn how to use them. This communication device is my voice. The current bill in the Senate will cut 25% of Medicaid. Think about that. Because of my ECO, I can speak for myself and direct my own care. I can live and participate in my community. I can also use my ECO to interview people for my website. My website will be a back yard travel guide to Lancaster County. I want people to visit beautiful and historic Lancaster county and encourage tourism. This will bring more tourism dollars to Lancaster and possibly bring more money and jobs. I am connected to family and friends because of my ECO. I can meet new people and interview them with my ECO. My family hears that we will be Ok, that THOSE OthER PEOPLE will lose their benefits, not me. But the truth is no one really knows because the health care bill just came out and there are NO hearings to discuss what it may mean for me, for you, for everyone. We don’t know. How can you pass a bill that affects millions and millions of United States citizens and not talk about what it means to those millions of people? How can you try to force it through without hearings on the 4th of July? The celebration of American Independence and not having the basic right to have your voice heard….. that just does not go together. That is not the American way. I went to hear Senator Casey at his town hall on Saturday. I would like to go to a town hall with Senator Toomey, but he is not having town halls to answer questions. So we sent a letter to him instead. Money that is being cut from healthcare will go to pay for a tax cut for the richest of the rich. It’s right there for all the world to see: Take away healthcare so we can make sure that people with money get more money. They could have waited and had another bill. What does that say about Mr. McConnell and Mr. Ryan? They did not even try to hide it. They were in such a rush. I have a friend who I asked to come to the rally tonight. My friend was afraid to come because they are looking for a job. They are afraid that if they come, someone might see them and then not hire them. They feel they cannot exercise their right to listen or their right to speak because it will be held against them. Think about that. Me and my family are not public speakers. But when something this important threatens so many peoples’ lives, we cannot just sit and do nothing. Please join me in speaking up for people who cannot. Please join me and raise our voices so we may be heard. We all can work together for a better country. I have friends who are Republicans. I have friends who are Democrats. I have friends who have never voted their entire lives. We all need to work together to solve our problems. It is hard work to do that, but that is also the American way. To work hard to find solutions. At Senator Casey’s town hall a man asked a question: In this time when everything seems so crazy, where can we find hope? We find hope from everyone here tonight who didn’t stay at home having a hot dinner. Who rolled away from watching their favorite baseball team. Who risked maybe not getting a job. On the 4th of July this year, think about what all those men and women over 200 years ago risked. They decided to stand up for themselves and commit to a new idea and a new country. And then look at your new friends around you tonight and then think: there is hope.

My mom, Evelyn Benjamin, pictured here with our son, Ben who has autism. She has congestive heart failure (with a pacemaker defibrillator) and other chronic health conditions and she needs support with food preparation, personal care, housework, medication, frequent medical appointments, and transportation because she cannot drive because of limited vision following a stroke behind the eye. These are considered Supportive Home Care Services in the Medicaid Home & Community Based Waiver program- IRIS. She uses a walker but has fallen more frequently recently and now has a lifeline she wears when home alone. Depending on how she is feeling, I don’t leave her alone for very long. This has affected my ability to work outside the home. I have a part-time job that I can perform mostly from home but I even had to reduce my hours with that job to meet her needs. We exhausted my mom’s savings when we were caretaking for my dad for 7 years following his major stroke; I think that this happens to a lot of elderly surviving spouses. We are committed to keeping my mom out of a nursing home, but I don’t know how we would do it without help with my mom’s high medication costs and some financial support to meet her care needs. Mom reluctantly applied for Medicaid so that we could continue to support her at home. She sobbed when meeting with the county worker for the assessment saying, “I worked hard my whole life and I never thought it would come to this.” Medicaid was our last resort and it has made a huge difference.

Our son, Ben, age 10, has an autism spectrum diagnosis and we used Medicaid Home & Community Based Children’s Long-term Support waiver funds in addition to our employer-sponsored insurance for him to receive intensive autism treatment. We also utilized Medicaid card services for appointments with specialists, MRIs, EEGs, and medication. When he started autism treatment, he did not respond to his own name, frequently body-slammed us, ran off when out in the community, and barely spoke. Now he is performing grade-level work and is active in Cub Scouts, school orchestra, swim team and computer club. He has some close friends and even went for a sleep-over. We will be forever grateful for the help Medicaid provided. We could not afford $52,000 per year in therapy or even the out-of-pocket insurance obligation of $8000 per year for 3 ½ years. Our mortgage was underwater enough that we could not sell our home to meet his needs- we looked into it. He no longer uses Medicaid but benefits from the infrastructure provided through the Medicaid school-based services funding his public school district receives. We don't know what supports Ben may need in the future so that he can live and work in the community. We want to know that the Medicaid safety net will be there. Please vote "no" to the BCRA and please protect Medicaid.

@SenatorIsakson Please protect individuals w/ #disabilities so they may have necessary healthcare & services. #NoCutsNoCaps #SaveMedicaid

@senrobportman #SaveMedicaid Vote No on the proposed Healthcare bill.

@jsull123 @FUCKTRUMPBLOTUS @bigsarg1sg @PilotCollins07 @OurLives @POTUS Tell my 26yo autistic son who's been looking for work. No one will hire him. #YouAreAMoron #SaveMedicaid

@SenToddYoung Medicaid Matters to Me. #SaveMedicaid #FaceIn

Buckle Up! It's going to be a bumpy ride! Read more about how YOU can #SaveMedicaid

#IAmMedicaid ... or, at least, I have been. My mommy says even two parents with 4-yr college degrees does not always prevent poverty

#SaveACA #iammedicaid #deathtrain

My son's cerebral palsy will be a #PreexistingCondition under #BCRA #NoCutsNoCaps #SaveMedicaid #SaveACA Yall, we HAVE to keep fighting

This is where the rubber hits the road. @SenKamalaHarris #NoBCRA #SaveACA #SaveMedicaid Save Myka

Guess where I am? Looking for @SenMajLdr & @SenateGOP #SaveMedicaid

@SeemaCMS @SecPriceMD meet my son. 5 year brain cancer survivor. #ACA ban on lifetime max saved his life. #handsoff #SaveMedicaid

"Without Medicaid and Medicare, my coverage options are nearly non-existent..." - Kyla from #Ohio @senrobportman #ProtectOurCare

On our blog: Why the #healthcarebill is unbelievably harmful to the women, girls & families we serve

Gov Carlson said it all: "Prevention is infinitely cheaper than faulty outcomes." This is the foundation of our work. #savemedicaid

My son has #T1D. We depend on Medicaid for supplies. Please vote no on the BCRA for kids like mine. #SaveMedicaid @SenatorCollins

@SenCapito Please Vote NO BCRA We are the Vulnerable #SaveMedicaid #SaveMedicare #CDKL5

Would it be gauche to crowd-fund to defray my #SaveMedicaid expenses?

#GOPdeathbill #SaveMedicaid #SaveMedicare #SaveTheACA

I’m fighting for of Shelby of West Virginia. #ProtectOurCare

Helping kids like Brody get life-saving care is why I'm standing with families across country to #ProtectOurCare. We must stop #Trumpcare.

@SenMajLdr @amyklobuchar @alfranken Medicaid helps Wyatt when private insurance falls short. #SaveMedicaid #NoCapsNoCuts #NoBCRA

@congressdotgov #NoCapsNoCuts to Medicaid! Irving at @GurwinJewishserved his country in WWII. Protect his & all our vets' quality of care!

@lisamurkowski please save Medicaid. People like my dad w/Alzheimer's depended on it. #Savemedicaid

It's still a bad bill. Cuts to Medicaid will harm children & families. @RepJohnFaso @RepChrisCollins #ProtectOurCare

Three Ways the Senate #HealthcareBill Would Devastate Communities of Color:

@SenatorIsakson thank you for your promise to #SaveMedicaid #nocutsnocaps #CDKL5