SCDD Delivers Letters to Congress

The State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) asked you to tell your story about why Medicaid matters to you. You told your story and SCDD Executive Director Aaron Carruthers hand-delivered your stories to Congress two weeks ago. They said your stories are "Moving," "Powerful," "Exactly what we need to know," and Congress decided not to change Medicaid.

However, Congress may decide to change Medicaid in the future, so SCDD is still collecting your stories.

Why should we in California care?

For many adults with developmental disabilities, Medicaid is their health insurance. It pays for care from doctors, specialists, and hospitals, as well as prescriptions.

California, like all states, receives Medicaid funding to help pay for the cost of long-term supports that people with developmental disabilities receive. If you or someone you know receives services paid for by a regional center, Medicaid most likely helps pay for it. Medicaid currently pays approximately half the cost of many community services through regional centers.

Hundreds of thousands of Californians with developmental disabilities depend on Medicaid - or will need it in the future - to remain healthy, live in the community, and stay out of costly institutions. Many other groups of people will also be affected.

What can you do? If you haven't already, TELL YOUR STORY.

Your Congressional Representatives and Senators need to know the impact Medicaid has on people's lives. They know that Medicaid provides health coverage but may not realize all the other things Medicaid does, like funding In-Home Support Services (IHSS).

If you or someone you know relies on Medicaid-paid services as described above - or will in the future - take these three easy steps:

1. Think about "How Medicaid helps you get health care and live on you own."
    
2. Send an e-mail to council@scdd.ca.gov - briefly tell them the positive impact healthcare services and community supports have had on your life or the life of someone you care about. For example, how have regional center services helped you stay healthy, get or keep a job, live on your own, or do the things you want.
    
3. Include your name, city and county.

SCDD will keep these letters, add them to the letters they have already received, and deliver them to Congress at the right time.

Your story needs to be told. And SCDD will make sure it gets told to those who need to hear it.