When most people hear the word Medicaid, they probably think
about health care for poor people, especially children. To an
extent, that is true. But for children and adults with
intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families,
Medicaid means so much more than just health care. For them,
Medicaid is the reason people with disabilities and their
families have been able to thrive in our communities, having a
quality of life comparable to that of other citizens. Now, in
the face of a protracted economic downturn, Medicaid is under
attack. Proposals to rein in the national deficit threaten the
future for those currently receiving services and would
extinguish hope for those with future needs. One such proposal
would make the entire Medicaid program a block grant, cutting
$810 billion over the next 10 years. States would be left
holding the mixed bag of overwhelming fiscal responsibility and
choosing which needy group — people with disabilities, the
elderly, the medically fragile, uninsured children,