IS MEDICAID IMPORTANT? IF SO, WHY?
I want to give people the opportunity to have a conversation about how they feel about Medicaid. The following persons are friends and business associates who have given their time to share their thoughts and views about Medicaid. You can look forward to additional postings in the future.
SELF-ADVOCATES:
Lynette is a self-advocate and officer of her state self advocacy group. She loves her dogs and lives in a rural community. Her wheel chair provides her independence to go out to eat and spend time with her friends.
Lynette: Medicaid is very important to me because it lets me buy the equipment I need and want. For example I got a new wheelchair– it is very cool. I can go anyplace I want to go. I wish Medicaid didn’t have so many rules and it wasn’t so complicated.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Lynette: Yes, because people may not know what it is. You can’t ask for services if you don’t know what they are. They could get something very useful to them if they knew it was available.
Dauphene lives in a rural community in her home and is 94 years young. She needs assistance with bathing, daily living skills and transportation to doctors’ appointments. Medicaid provides this help for her.
Dauphene: Medicaid is very important to me because I live in a rural area and it provides help for me at my home as well as some much-needed socialization because I live alone.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Dauphene: Yes because it took me a long time to understand what was available for me so I missed many years of help that was out there for me.
Dee lives in a small city in a house and enjoys crafts and cooking.
Do you think Medicaid is important?
Dee: Yes, because without Medicaid I would not be able to see doctors or have transportation to these appointments.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Dee: If you don’t understand Medicaid you will not know what is available to meet your needs.
Kelly lives in a city and enjoys spending time with her friends and being a member of People First. She likes to go to movies, shopping and out to eat. Kelly speaks out for herself and makes her own decisions to live independently in her own apartment.
Do you think Medicaid is important?
Kelly: Yes, it is important to me because it helps me get my prescriptions. I also receive support for staff and they provide transportation to get to medical appointments.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Kelly: Yes, if I understand Medicaid it helps me to look up things that I might need.
Thomas lives in a rural area with his parents. Due to living in a rural area it is difficult for a young man to find friends to hang out with. Thomas loves all sports, especially football and basketball and loves talking about them to friends. His wheelchair gives him the freedom to go where he wants and not depend on someone to push him. He won a Self-Advocate of the Year award this year for speaking out for himself. Thomas goes to work every day and spoke up for himself to get his job. Thomas is very proud that he is contributing member of his community. Because they live in rural America, his parents have to take him to work and pick him up every day.
Thomas: Medicaid is important to me because I can get the things that I need and want. Medicaid helps my Mom and Dad be able to prepare a budget, and also provides them a day off.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Thomas: Yes, because I would not have known about the services available to me for a specialist to provide me equipment that may prevent additional surgeries.
PARENTS:
Wanda is a tireless advocate not only for her own child but for all people with disabilities. She lives in a city and is employed by a university where she works on a campaign to get rid of the “R” word.
Wanda: Medicaid is important to me because it allows my daughter to live at home with her family and she enjoys the same quality of life that she did before she became an adult. Individuals with developmental disabilities are the only population that is at the mercy of the government to have all their needs met.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Wanda: Yes it is, because currently it is the only program that provides long term support to people with disabilities.
Nancy lives in a rural community in her home but works in a city. She has worked tirelessly for many years in the disability field supporting people with disabilities to advocate for themselves.
Do you think Medicaid is important?
Nancy: Because Medicaid funds over 75% of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it is important.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Nancy: Medicaid is very complicated and very hard to understand. But people with disabilities need to understand the things about Medicaid that affect them directly. They need to know what services are available and what their rights are. Because it’s so complicated, it is good that services like the Medicaid Reference Desk are there to help them.
PROFESSIONALS:
Hannah lives in a city and is the advisor for a self-advocacy group. She has supported the self advocacy movement for many years. She is also involved in supporting people with disabilities to gain information necessary to make an informed decision to exercise their right to vote.
Do you think Medicaid is important?
Hannah: Yes, because people can get the services they need to live their lives independently.
Do you think it is important to understand Medicaid?
Hannah: Yes, if Medicaid was made easier to understand and more accessible to professionals then they would be able to navigate the system and gain more knowledge to provide information for people receiving services to allow them to make their own decisions and choices.