Thirty-five years ago, America significantly improved and enhanced the lives of people living with disabilities with the words of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): “the Nation’s proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, and independent living.”
Under the leadership of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) remains deeply committed to honoring these goals.
From the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) tackling of health care complexities to the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) support for state-based disability services and councils, HHS continues to safeguard and advance the equality, independence and well-being of the millions of Americans living with disabilities through its funding of critical programs and support services.
President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut Act galvanizes that commitment and reaffirms the promise ACL and CMS make to disabled people: We will always support you.
The vitality and livelihoods of Americans with disabilities have too often become afterthoughts in the minds of policymakers. Not so with the Working Families Tax Cut Act. Its critical reforms were crafted to strengthen Medicaid and preserve the program for Americans with disabilities and the vulnerable populations for whom the program was designed.
Medicaid is the largest funder of home and community-based services for older adults and people with disabilities, whereas ACL awards grants to states and organizations that provide these services and currently delivers comprehensive services to over 10 million Americans with physical, mental and developmental disabilities. The program was originally designed to specifically serve at-risk populations: individuals with disabilities, children, low-income seniors and single mothers.
Over time, however, political pressure and special interests have expanded Medicaid to cover additional groups and offer ancillary benefits — expansions that have diverted limited resources away from those who need them most. Most notably, Obamacare expanded Medicaid eligibility to able-bodied adults without dependents, which strained the program’s limited resources (more services to more people were mandated, but the share of Medicaid providers remained largely unchanged). Within years, more than 15 million able-bodied enrollees had entered the system, crowding out the populations Medicaid was originally intended to serve.
Instead of raising barriers to care for those who cannot be expected to care for themselves, the Working Families Tax Cut Act invites able-bodied Americans to participate in society and enjoy the fruits of their own labor through the exercise of their inalienable right to pursue happiness. For Americans with disabilities, the Working Families Tax Cut Act lowers barriers to care, unlocking over $6.5 billion in home and community-based services, allowing disabled Americans to access comprehensive, person-centered support and advancing their independence from restricted institutional care.
The Working Families Tax Cut Act’s targeted, meaningful investments contrast previous administrations’ bloated handouts to able-bodied, self-sufficient adults at the expense of Americans with disabilities with nowhere else to turn. The Working Families Tax Cut Act’s community engagement requirements provision for Medicaid eligibility is a victory for Americans with disabilities who depend on these benefits for their day-to-day livelihood.
The Working Families Tax Cut Act slashes years of waste, fraud and abuse and ensures that Medicaid resources are directed toward those with the greatest need. These commonsense, essential changes make significant steps toward solving the nationwide access-to-care crisis facing Americans with disabilities. Passage of the Working Families Tax Cut Act secured access to new federal resources for Americans with disabilities while empowering states to better address their unique needs and expand opportunities for independent and community living. It’s a win-win.
As Secretary Kennedy noted at the Department’s celebration of the ADA’s 35th anniversary, all Americans have inherent value, dignity and unique perspectives and talents that make our nation stronger. Alongside Congress and the president, CMS and ACL will continue to safeguard the inclusion, independence and welfare of Americans with disabilities by removing obstacles and creating opportunities. Together, we can foster a healthy, flourishing society for all Americans.
Visit acl.gov for more information.
Mary Lazare serves as the acting administrator and assistant secretary for aging for the Administration for Community Living at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She resides in Delray Beach.