Medicaid is a life-saving safety net

By Bob Hebl

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The federal Medicaid program and other “entitlement” programs have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Indeed, Medicaid statistics are somewhat staggering. According to www.medicaid.gov, 66,695,156 Americans accessed the Medicaid program in 2010 - including 8.8 million non-seniors with a disability.

Medicaid was created by the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which added Title XIX to the Social Security Act. The program serves U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and was developed to provide a safety net for low-income adults and some people with disabilities. While stories of alleged and actual misuse of Medicaid funds certainly can be headline-grabbers, millions of Americans rely on Medicaid every day.

It is understandable and appropriate that any program the size of Medicaid receive ongoing scrutiny in an effort to eliminate waste, particularly in these difficult economic times. It also is important that as our political leaders evaluate the Medicaid program, they keep in mind that the word “entitlement” can be misleading.

My employer, Discovery Living Inc., is a non-profit provider of residential supports to people with intellectual disabilities in Linn County. Our organization supports

141 people with disabilities and employs over 160.

Many of the people served by Discovery Living were able to move closer to family and friends and live in the mainstream of their community. If you talked to the people we serve, their families or our employees, they would tell you that access to Medicaid funds has changed lives.

Our organization is one of many that prudently use Medicaid funds to deliver quality community-based services at a fraction of the cost of comparable services in large state-operated institutions. Discovery Living is one of several local disability service providers that have struggled in recent years to provide needed support with shrinking federal, state and county resources. Cuts to Medicaid would seriously jeopardize quality organizations and the people who depend on them for services.

Having an intellectual or developmental disability is not a choice. People with such conditions make many contributions to their communities because they have received needed support.

Without the Medicaid program, many of these success stories would have had a very different ending.

The vast majority of those with disabilities who access “entitlement” programs, such as Medicaid, do so out of necessity - not convenience. For thousands of Iowans, Medicaid remains a lifesaving safety net.

Bob Hebl is Executive Director, Discovery Living Inc., Cedar Rapids. Comments: bhebl@discovery

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