In our personal and political dialogues here in Georgia and America, we place great importance on a person’s liberty and independence and often look skeptically at institutions that might unduly restrict those.
We also emphasize the importance of closeness to one’s family and local community — and we tout parents who do everything they can for their children and their loved ones, particularly in times of trial.
Finally, especially for a particular segment of our population — our children, family and neighbors who have intellectual or development disabilities — I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t think they deserve to get the support they need to live flourishing lives, because we rightfully see that those lives have the same value as anyone else’s.
These are all traditional American values.
Credit: Cam Ashling
Credit: Cam Ashling
Medicaid waivers are lifesavers
Unfortunately, something is threatening all of those values, in a way we severely underappreciate: the proposed nearly $800 million in cuts to Medicaid.
How? Because these cuts will absolutely trickle down not only to Georgia, but also to disproportionately huge cuts to Medicaid’s Home and Community Based Service Waivers, which are services that allow individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to, in lieu of being institutionalized, receive care in their homes and local communities.
Medicaid’s HCBS is quite literally a lifesaver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families.
Approximately 38,000 rely on these services, and more than 7,900 are waiting to access them.
As a state representative in the Georgia General Assembly, I’m proud of my part to successfully advocate for more of these waivers, for which, even in their current, not-yet-cut state, the demand already far exceeds supply.
Family caregivers will face additional strain
Many families are fighting tooth and nail to get these waivers, because they personally adhere to the very American values that HCBS promotes: independence, closeness to families and local communities, and seeing the infinite value in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Without these waivers, there will be an exponentially greater risk of people being institutionalized, although home care would be a much better way to provide care.
Family caregivers — whose physical and emotional labor we can hardly begin to imagine, unless we’ve been there — will face an additional strain to fill gaps left by reduced services.
For many, that strain will be impossible because of the closure of hospitals, especially (but not even limited to) rural areas. Many people who currently receive home-based care will have no institution to turn to for providing that care, even if they could afford it (which many cannot).
Fund Medicaid programs more, not less
There will also be broader economic implications: increased health care costs for entire communities because of higher rates of hospitalization where there are hospitals; job losses by home health aides and personal care workers; and the increased inability of many people with intellectual and development disabilities to hold jobs and other “productive” endeavors — something we already underappreciate is in their capability to begin with.
I know Medicaid has been heavily politicized. But no one’s politics should harm people with intellectual and development disabilities. Medicaid’s HCBS promotes a litany of American values.
Let’s keep providing more funding for Medicaid and HCBS, not less.
Marvin Lim is a state representative for House District 98 (D-Norcross) and an attorney. He is also CEO/Founder of the nonprofit Lucky Shoals Community Association Inc.
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