Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey supported the millions of people across the country, including 785,118 in Massachusetts, with disabilities by voting to oppose the Health Care Freedom Act (known as the “skinny repeal”).
The Congressional Budget Office reported that the Health Care Freedom Act would cause 16 million people to lose insurance and individual market premiums to go up by 20 percent. The insurance coverage provisions would have also resulted in a loss of $235 billion in the Medicaid program over 10 years.
For the past 52 years, Medicaid has provided health care and then long-term services and supports to millions of adults and children with disabilities. These 10 million participants with disabilities and, often, their families, depend on the critical services that Medicaid provides for their health, functioning, independence and well-being.
If the “Skinny Repeal” had passed, states would have been forced to cut people from the Medicaid rolls or to substantially reduce services; home and community-based services were at greatest risk.
Without access to home and community-based services through Medicaid, many people would be at risk of being institutionalized.
Thanks to Senators Warren and Markey for fighting for Medicaid and the millions of people with disabilities who rely on it to live in their community.
MARY HEAFY
president and CEO
The Arc of Opportunity
Fitchburg
