What’s going on?
North Carolina lawmakers haven’t passed a new state budget yet, so our Medicaid program is under-funded by hundreds of millions of dollars. As a result, on October 1, the state began reducing what it pays to medical providers for treating patients who have Medicaid. Many families in the Down syndrome community and broader disability community rely on Medicaid-funded services like the Innovations Waiver; 1915(i) services; CAP-C and CAP-DA; Intermediate Care Facilities; Private Duty Nursing; ABA therapy; occupational, physical, and speech therapy; and respite and Community Living Supports. North Carolinians who have disabilities, are caregivers for a loved one with a disability, or who provide services for people with disabilities report that these Medicaid cuts have caused them emotional distress, disrupted services, and reduced wages. You can read more in the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) survey here and on the NC Department of Health and Human Services website here.
Our Concern
NCDSA is concerned about the impact to our loved ones with Down syndrome if our NC legislators don’t pass a budget and fully fund Medicaid as soon as possible. Medicaid services provide the care and support many individuals with Down syndrome need to be healthy and happy so they can reach their full potential.
Call to action!
Please consider writing or calling your North Carolina state (NOT federal) senator to ask them to pass a budget now to fully fund Medicaid.
Find your state senator using this tool and click on their name to get their contact info and their legislative assistant’s email address.
Write a non-partisan, respectful, and brief request that your NC senator pass a state budget that fully funds Medicaid. Need help? Email christy@ncdsalliance.org
Thank them for their time.
Extra credit: The NCCDD has released another survey to capture the stories of anyone impacted by these cuts to Medicaid in the disability community. If you’ve personally experienced negative effects of the cuts, we invite you to complete this survey. (This is not an NCDSA survey so please send any questions to NCCDD.)
Thank you for advocating!
Camp SHINE and NCDSA Board of Directors President, Jeff Lineberry, were featured on Spectrum News 1! We encourage you to check out the article and share the video to showcase the impact NCDSA has on your local community! It’s personal stories like this that help the larger community understand just how impactful and critical their support is, especially during Buddy Walk season!
We need you to tell your Members of Congress that individuals with Down syndrome deserve to be able to work, save, and earn their way to independence!
