Robert Bachicha, Dungarvin Vice President of Operations
Congress passed a new Medicaid law last year with a number of new eligibility rules, including work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities who receive Medicaid funding for health care and support services.
The new rules require adult Medicaid beneficiaries to prove that they are working, volunteering or going to school at least 80 hours per month to retain their benefits. The law includes exemptions for individuals who can prove they are “medically frail” or have “special medical needs,” including people with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD).
The Trump administration and other proponents of these new rules say they will reduce “waste, fraud and abuse” of Medicaid funding, while encouraging self-sufficiency. But people and organizations who serve and advocate for people with disabilities say the qualifying criteria for the exemptions are far more limited than the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to this DisabilityScoop article.
Critics of the new Medicaid changes say the work rules, as well as the ongoing burden of having to prove eligibility, will quickly lead to many people losing their benefits and services.
“I’m concerned about the potential impact on the people we serve and their families,” said Robert Bachicha, Dungarvin Vice President of Operations. Dungarvin is a national organization that supports thousands of people with I/DD and other disabilities in 17 states.
I would not want to see someone lose health care or essential support services because of a paperwork issue.
Robert Bachicha
“While many people with disabilities should qualify for an exemption, that does not necessarily mean the process will be easy for them to navigate. They could lose coverage simply because they missed a notice or didn’t understand what was being asked of them,” Robert said.
He’s also concerned about how the added administrative burden will affect the people Dungarvin serves.
“People with disabilities and their families already spend a great deal of time dealing with forms, eligibility reviews, medical documentation and different government systems. Adding another reporting requirement creates more opportunities for something to go wrong,” he said.
Twenty-five states and Washington D.C. are suing the Trump administration over the new work requirements, arguing that several provisions in the law are unlawful and risk harming Medicaid enrollees who depend on the safety-net insurance for health care and services.
“I would not want to see someone lose health care or essential support services because of a paperwork issue,” Robert said. “The goal should be to identify people who qualify for an exemption and help them maintain coverage, rather than requiring them to repeatedly prove that they belong in that group.”
If you or someone you know is interested in learning how you can receive support from Dungarvin, please visit us at www.dungarvin.com to learn more.