Family Voices Indiana

May 15, 2017   Joan Alker Proponents of the American Health Care Act (AHCA),which both effectively eliminates the ACA’s Medicaid expansion AND establishes a cap on federal spending cap for the entire Medicaid program, often say that they are preserving the Medicaid program for the “most vulnerable.” The AHCA would actually do the opposite for the most vulnerable children on Medicaid – those with severe disabilities — and their parents, who will have even fewer choices, and less access to care and peace of mind if it were to become law. Medicaid is of critical importance to children with special health care needs such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism.  A  recent report  from the Kaiser Family Foundation describes the role of Medicaid for these children, and finds that Medicaid and other sources of public coverage are the primary source of insurance for nearly half (44%) of all children with special health care needs .  Children with special health care needs suffe

We're families, too. We're watching the American Health Care Act closely because it affects us as well. We're fighting for our own families, and yours. Please help us by sharing your story with your Senators and Representative. You can call them at the  US  Capitol Switchboard  (202) 224-3121.   If you'd like a script for certain topics so you know what to say, you can use https://5calls.org/, which also has a FREE app for your phone. You can also use social media: find their FB page or Twitter account. Your VOICE can make a difference to help protect healthcare for children with special health care needs and disabilities. Help us reach MORE people by sharing this with friends and family who care about your child. We can not use grant funding for these activities. Our specialists do this on their own time because the issues matter to them, too. If you'd like to make a donation to support our work, you can do so here: http://www.fvindiana.org/about-us/dona

By: Julie Ward, Director of Health Policy and Nicole Jorwic, Director of Rights Policy They say that if you want to know about a person, look at how they spend their money; to know the values of a nation, the same is true. The current Affordable Care Act and Medicaid fight is showing a side of the political system that is disheartening and shameful. The American Health Care Act, passed by the U. S. House of Representatives, lowers taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations and pays for it by taking over $800 billion from the Medicaid program which serves low income children, seniors, people with disabilities, parents, and other adults. The fundamental injustice of transferring wealth from low income people to businesses and wealthy people is compounded by the fact that these deep cuts in Medicaid will not make private health insurance more affordable or available, the stated goals of supporters of the AHCA. Instead the AHCA dismantles the main source of funding for long term su

By  Allison Wohl   May 17 at 5:30 PM Allison Wohl is executive director of the Association of People Supporting Employment First, which advocates for employment and career opportunities for people with disabilities. The American Health Care Act scares me. I’m scared for all Americans with disabilities. I’m scared for my family. And I’m particularly scared for my son, who has Down syndrome, because it would take away many of the supports he needs to live his life as a free and independent American citizen. This month, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) wrote  an op-ed for The Post  explaining why she voted for the AHCA. McMorris Rodgers and I have a lot in common. We both have young sons with Down syndrome, and we both are involved in policy issues affecting them — she as a member of Congress, where she is chair of the House Republican Conference, and me as an advocate for full inclusion of Americans with disabilities. I have worked with her and her office for several

We're families, too. We're watching the American Health Care Act closely because it affects us as well. We're fighting for our own families, and yours. Please help us by sharing your story with your Senators and Representative. You can call them at the  US  Capitol Switchboard  (202) 224-3121.   If you'd like a script for certain topics so you know what to say, you can use https://5calls.org/, which also has a FREE app for your phone. You can also use social media: find their FB page or Twitter account. Your VOICE can make a difference to help protect healthcare for children with special health care needs and disabilities. Help us reach MORE people by sharing this with friends and family who care about your child. We can not use grant funding for these activities. Our specialists, and in this case, our volunteer director, do this on their own time because the issues matter to them, too. If you'd like to make a donation to support our work, you can do so

from National Family Voices: Health Care Legislation As reported in  last week's Update , the House approved the  American Health Care Act  (AHCA, H.R. 1628) on May 4 with only Republican votes. The bill is now under consideration in the Senate. Senate leaders have appointed a working group of 13 Republican (male) Senators composed of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Senators John Thune (R-SD), John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Pat Toomey (R-PA). Some of these Members are quite conservative (e.g., Senators Cruz and Lee), while others are more moderate (e.g., Portman). Several are from states that adopted the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) Medicaid expansion to cover low-income childless adults. Tha

We're families, too. We're watching the American Health Care Act closely because it affects us as well. We're fighting for our own families, and yours. Please help us by sharing your story with your Senators and Representative. You can call them at the  US  Capitol Switchboard  (202) 224-3121.   If you'd like a script for certain topics so you know what to say, you can use https://5calls.org/, which also has a FREE app for your phone. You can also use social media: find their FB page or Twitter account. Your VOICE can make a difference to help protect healthcare for children with special health care needs and disabilities. Help us reach MORE people by sharing this with friends and family who care about your child. We can not use grant funding for these activities. Our specialists and in this case, former board member, do this on their own time because the issues matter to them, too. If you'd like to make a donation to support our work, you can do so he

We're families, too. We're watching the American Health Care Act closely because it affects us as well. We're fighting for our own families, and yours. Please help us by sharing your story with your Senators and Representative. You can call them at the  US  Capitol Switchboard  (202) 224-3121.   If you'd like a script for certain topics so you know what to say, you can use https://5calls.org/, which also has a FREE app for your phone. You can also use social media: find their FB page or Twitter account. Your VOICE can make a difference to help protect healthcare for children with special health care needs and disabilities. Help us reach MORE people by sharing this with friends and family who care about your child. We can not use grant funding for these activities. Our specialists do this on their own time because the issues matter to them, too. If you'd like to make a donation to support our work, you can do so here: http://www.fvindiana.org/about-us