Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and most Americans will be expressing what they are grateful for as they celebrate the holiday. We at the American Association on Health and Disability are taking this holiday to express why we are so thankful for the Medicaid program in this country and what it means for people with disabilities. So here are some reasons why we are thankful for Medicaid:
- Nearly one in five Americans are covered by Medicaid and over 10 million Americans qualify for the Medicaid program because of their disability.
- One out of every three children receive health coverage through the Medicaid or CHIP program – over 35.7 million children across the country.
- 21% of the cost of substance use disorder services are covered by Medicaid.
- Medicaid covers many benefits that people with disabilities need, such as home health services, nursing facility services, early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment (EPSDT) services, prescription drug coverage and transportation to medical care.
In our Twitter chat on Monday, we asked people why they were thankful for Medicaid. Here are some of the responses we got:
- Community Catalyst: Did you know that Medicaid covers home health services and nursing facility services? These services are important for supporting people with disabilities in their homes
- Raising Women’s Voices: We are #Thankful4Medicaid because in states that have expanded Medicaid, people with disabilities are more likely to stay healthy and find employment!
- Erin Hemlin: I spent Saturday at enrollment event in Virginia. And for the first time in six years, I got to tell a room full of people they were likely eligible for Medicaid now thanks to expansion, rather than painstakingly having to explain the coverage gap.
- Family Voices of Indiana: Raising a child with disabilities or special health care needs can lead to financial ruin without Medicaid.
- NAMI Texas: Medicaid can cover both inpatient and outpatient hospital and healthcare costs.
Continue to tell us why you’re thankful for Medicaid by tweeting at us or sending us an email (kcooper@aahd.us). If you want to help get the word out on social media about how Medicaid helps people with disabilities, be sure to check out our Medicaid Social Media Toolkit.
