ADAPT Press Releases Archive - Archives
For Immediate Release
May 3, 2011
Contact: Janine Bertram (503) 915-5247
Contact: Bruce Darling (585) 370-6690
Contact: Marsha Katz (406) 544-9504
http://www.adapt.org
ADAPT STORMS CONGRESS AGAIN
DEMANDS PAUL RYAN WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR MEDICAID CUTS
Following 91 arrests, ADAPT members from all over the nation returned to
Congress to demand that Rep. Paul Ryan, John Boehner and Michelle Bachmann
to publicly withdraw their support for Medicaid budget cuts and Medicaid
state block grants.
"I think it is ridiculous that 91 of us have to get arrested to be able to
talk to our members of Congress. But Medicaid funding means life and death
for seniors and people with disabilities so, if arrests are necessary, we
will do it again," said Bruce Darling, an organizer with Rochester, NY.
ADAPT, who spent the night jailed.
Under the Ryan Plan, Medicaid programs would be cut by 35%, which
translates to a loss of $772 billion in human services. Additionally, the
Ryan Plan proposes a system of Medicaid block grants for states-giving
states greater ability to make cuts.
Of the 60 million people counting on Medicaid right now, 8.5 million are
people with disabilities; 8.8 million are low income, frail, elderly and
disabled individuals who rely on Medicaid to plug the gaps in Medicare
coverage, such as long term care. Medicaid pays for vital services to
assist people with intellectual disabilities to live and work in the
community rather than be forced into an institution; and screening
programs to identify and diagnose disabilities for children.
There is widespread support for services for the people with disabilities
and older Americans. According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll,
69% of Americans oppose cutting Medicaid. These results are consistent
with a 2010 Harris survey that found that 89% Americans supported a tax
increase to assure that people could receive services in their own homes,
rather than being forced into nursing facilities or other institutions.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) polls repeatedly find
that the vast majority of seniors want to age in their own homes with any
needed services.
"Congressman Ryan and his colleagues voted themselves huge health benefits
and now they want states to have the flexibility to cut Medicaid spending
and the few benefits for people with low incomes," said Cassie James of
Philadelphia. ADAPT. "We need flexibility of spending so people can choose
the service options they want, and that will ultimately contain costs. It
is the institutional bias, the payments to institutions that are breaking
the federal bank."
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