Easterseals Statement on the Senate Republican Release of Health Care Reform Legislation

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Katy Neas, Easterseals Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, reacting to the Senate Republican release of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017:

The Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act released today by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell jeopardizes the health and well-being of millions of children and adults with disabilities. The Medicaid system that provides essential home and community-based care is already underfunded, has resulted in cuts to services and has increased the long wait lists the individuals and families we serve across the country endure. The Senate bill will accelerate this problem by instituting restrictive caps on federal Medicaid funding—using formulas that result in cuts that are worse than those set in the U.S. House-passed bill formula.  

Capping and cutting Medicaid will hurt—not improve—the ability of a child with cerebral palsy to access physical therapy, for a student with autism to receive behavioral health services, for a young adult with a spinal cord injury to receive personal assistance services to get to his job, and for a vulnerable senior to access home health services.

Easterseals urges the U.S. Senate to oppose the Better Care Reconciliation Act based on its cuts and caps to Medicaid services for children and adults with disabilities.

About Easterseals: For nearly 100 years Easterseals has been the indispensable resource for people and families living with disabilities. Now, as America faces a broad range of new issues, we make a major, positive, life-changing difference in the lives of people and families facing today's disabilities. The work we do every day is redefining disabilities for the 21^st century. For more information, please visit easterseals.com.

SOURCE Easterseals