Support Medicaid, Protect Children with Disabilities!

Dear Member of Congress,

I am your constituent and the parent of a child with a disability/a family member of a child with a disability/a professional in the special education field.

I am writing to ask you to OPPOSE ANY PROPOSAL TO CUT MEDICAID to pay for tax credits in the budget reconciliation package. Specifically, cuts to Medicaid will directly harm access to early intervention for children born with disabilities, developmental delays, or those who require specialized services, instruction and support to manage diabetes/asthma or to provide physical/speech/occupational therapy, assistive technology, specialized equipment, transportation, and other services at home, in pre-schools or in K-12 schools.

While children currently comprise almost half of all Medicaid beneficiaries, less than one in five dollars is spent by Medicaid on children. While states vary in how they use federal, state and/or local dollars most use federal, state, and/or local funding to finance Part C programs for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. On average, states report about half of children served in Part C are enrolled in Medicaid. Additionally, the $7.5 billion spent in Medicaid to pay for school-based support for school-age children with disabilities in K-12 schools is a cost-effective and efficient provider of essential services. School-based Medicaid programs serve as a lifeline to children who can’t access critical health care and health services outside of their school.

Cuts to Medicaid will be disastrous to children with disabilities and families. Please don’t take away Medicaid funding that supports millions of children with disabilities.