We are fortunate to live in a country where we have access to much information about the world, about news and about politics, though at times it does seem that we may be over-saturated. During the recent presidential campaign, conversations in my home—and I am sure in the homes of others—led to many heated discussions about a variety of current political events. While ongoing dialogue and an open exchange of ideas can be interesting and at times enlightening (even though I frankly have never yet heard anyone say to his or her disputant, “Yes, I hear what you are saying and your well-reasoned argument has in fact completely changed my view on the topic”), the debate usually remains just that—a debate—without any practical outcome other than a bit of frustration and possibly some sore throats. In my house, the loudest person, usually one of my children (I won’t say which one), is the one who has the last word.
Until very recently, I never gave any thought to my own voice and the impact it could have on the listener beyond my own dining room table or perhaps my own community. About a month ago, my sister, Esther East, the Director of Jewish Family Services of Clifton, NJ, forwarded me an invitation from the Jewish Federation to attend Jewish Disability Advocacy Day in Washington, DC on Thursday, February 2. The availability of services for the disabled directly and personally impacts my son, and hence my family, and I was therefore immediately drawn to the conference. There were, however, many excuses for not participating. The cost, having to reschedule my clients, figuring out how my son will get home from school, tending to my father-in-law who was visiting from Israel, and many other legitimate impediments presented themselves as reasons for not attending. I am not sure exactly what moved me past those excuses and convinced me to sign up; in all honesty it was probably my sister, who herself was planning to go—if the program turned out to be a bust, I figured I would still enjoy spending an entire day together with her.
In fact, however, the conference was absolutely eye opening. Representatives of social service agencies, people with disabilities and parents of people with disabilities were all in attendance. The Jewish Federation and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism were the primary coordinators of the event and it was co-sponsored by the Jewish Disability Network, which is made up of Jewish organizations across the religious spectrum. A focus of one of the panel discussions that presented much information was Medicaid cuts. Until this year, I did not know very much about Medicaid. All I knew was that it is a government-sponsored program that provides health insurance to the poor and elderly. I now know that Medicaid, which is federally funded anywhere from 50 to 100 percent, also provides many services for the disabled beyond health insurance. Day habilitation centers, vocational service programs and social service agencies are all paid for by Medicaid. Without the services provided by these outlets, people with disabilities would have limited access to many beneficial programs.
Republicans have recently proposed a bill that would cut one trillion dollars from the budget over the next 10 years by transforming the current program into a “block grant.” This grant would give each state a certain fixed amount of money that it could then spend as it sees fit. Different states would be given different amounts depending on their current needs. The problem is that in order to manage overall costs, many states would likely cut certain benefits for populations they currently serve, including people with disabilities. What that means for me on a personal level is that my son and his friends could end up uninsured and that some of the few programs that are presently available to them will disappear. I cannot imagine what my son’s life and the lives of other people with disabilities will look like if the block grant proposal is passed. By attending this conference, I had the opportunity to share my concerns with a staff member of Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, the six-term Republican representative of New Jersey’s Eleventh Congressional District and Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.
Do I know if all my concerns or those of all the people who attended the conference will actually be listened to? I don’t, though I would like to think so. I was inspired by a story told at the conference regarding a breast cancer research stamp. In 1997, a breast surgeon by the name of Dr. Ernie Bodai approached the Postal Service about selling a special stamp for a few pennies over the regular price, with the difference to be used for breast cancer research. While at first his suggestion was rejected, he persisted, lobbying along with other breast cancer research advocates for this stamp to become a reality. In July of 1998, it went on sale, and to date, the stamp has raised some $83.9 million for breast cancer research. One man had a passion and an idea and he was able to implement change.
Medicaid cuts will negatively affect many people in our community. People you come in contact with every day. Please call the office of your Congressman and Senator and tell them you oppose the Medicaid block grant.
We may not love or even like everything about the current political climate in Washington, but we are fortunate to live in a country where our voices can indeed be heard. If there is something that you feel strongly in favor of or opposed to, speak out—not only to your friends and family, but to people who can make a difference.
By Beth S. Taubes
Beth S Taubes, RN, OCN, CBCN, Certified Health Coach, is the director of Wellness Motivations, and will be offering a 30-day “My Challenge” program to help you get back in shape in addition to nutrition consultations, stress management through yoga and individual and group fitness classes. She can be reached at [email protected] or at Wellnessmotivationsbt.com.
