MONITORING THE ACA AND MEDICAID
The NDNRC wants to make sure that people with disabilities (PWDs) are aware of potential changes to their healthcare with the new administration taking office. The disability community utilizes Medicaid, and the ACA Marketplace plans at a higher rate than those without disabilities due to their unique needs.
By updating this newsletter with resources and educational pieces on where disability health policies stand, we hope to ensure that the disability community continues to have access to accessible and affordable healthcare coverage no matter what changes occur in the foreseeable future.
The Georgetown Center for Children and Families and the CHIRblog covered the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) anniversary and how it is currently being targeted for huge funding cuts. These would directly and disproportionately affect the disability community, alongside children and families and other marginalized communities like the LGBTQ+ community.
The NDNRC will continue to monitor the proposed changes to the ACA, with a full summary available through the Centers on Medicare and Medicaid Services, noting that public comments are due by April 12.
The Commonwealth Fund covered how these cuts would negatively impact the long-term care services for people with disabilities and older adults, as well as cuts to funding for ACA outreach and enrollment assistance.
The Kaiser Family Foundation put the proposed $880 billion in potential cuts for Medicaid in the context of states’ tax revenues and the number of Medicaid enrollees covered. These cuts would be over 10 years, amounting to $88 billion per year.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted how these Medicaid cuts would leave many uninsured, with an interactive state map to view each state’s Medicaid factsheet. More resources are available on how state health programs benefit those with low incomes.
KFF released an overview of the current administration’s actions that have directly affected the LGBTQ+ community’s health outcomes. This resource is being constantly updated with additional developments.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is calling for abstracts for the APHA 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo. The submission deadline is TODAY: “APHA’s Disability section invites abstract submissions for socio-behavioral including health education and program intervention research, epidemiological, health systems, health law and policy, and social justice research related to disability and public health that represent people with all types of disabilities (e.g., cognitive, physical, mental, and sensory) across the lifespan. The section encourages abstracts that feature domestic and international perspectives. Case studies and demonstration projects that represent best practices and have been evaluated are also highly encouraged.”
Archives of our weekly updates are available on the NDNRC website.