ADAPT STORMS CONGRESS AGAIN: DEMANDS PAUL RYAN WITHDRAW

For Immediate Release

May 3, 2011

Contact: Janine Bertram (503) 915-5247

Contact: Bruce Darling (585) 370-6690

Contact: Marsha Katz (406) 544-9504

http://www.adapt.org




ADAPT STORMS CONGRESS AGAIN

DEMANDS PAUL RYAN WITHDRAW SUPPORT FOR MEDICAID CUTS



Following 91 arrests, ADAPT members from all over the nation returned to 
Congress to demand that Rep. Paul Ryan, John Boehner and Michelle Bachmann 
to publicly withdraw their support for Medicaid budget cuts and Medicaid 
state block grants.



"I think it is ridiculous that 91 of us have to get arrested to be able to 
talk to our members of Congress. But Medicaid funding means life and death 
for seniors and people with disabilities so, if arrests are necessary, we 
will do it again," said Bruce Darling, an organizer with Rochester, NY. 
ADAPT, who spent the night jailed.



Under the Ryan Plan, Medicaid programs would be cut by 35%, which 
translates to a loss of $772 billion in human services. Additionally, the 
Ryan Plan proposes a system of Medicaid block grants for states-giving 
states greater ability to make cuts.



Of the 60 million people counting on Medicaid right now, 8.5 million are 
people with disabilities; 8.8 million are low income, frail, elderly and 
disabled individuals who rely on Medicaid to plug the gaps in Medicare 
coverage, such as long term care. Medicaid pays for vital services to 
assist people with intellectual disabilities to live and work in the 
community rather than be forced into an institution; and screening 
programs to identify and diagnose disabilities for children.



There is widespread support for services for the people with disabilities 
and older Americans.  According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 
69% of Americans oppose cutting Medicaid.  These results are consistent 
with a 2010 Harris survey that found that 89% Americans supported a tax 
increase to assure that people could receive services in their own homes, 
rather than being forced into nursing facilities or other institutions.  
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) polls repeatedly find 
that the vast majority of seniors want to age in their own homes with any 
needed services.



"Congressman Ryan and his colleagues voted themselves huge health benefits 
and now they want states to have the flexibility to cut Medicaid spending 
and the few benefits for people with low incomes," said Cassie James of 
Philadelphia. ADAPT. "We need flexibility of spending so people can choose 
the service options they want, and that will ultimately contain costs. It 
is the institutional bias, the payments to institutions that are breaking 
the federal bank."



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