Yesterday (Wednesday, September 17), The Arc of Massachusetts and The Arc of Plymouth and Upper Cape Cod held a briefing at the State House about home and community-based services (HCBS) and the crucial role that these programs play in the lives of people with IDD, autism, and brain injury and their families. Alongside Chair Kathy LaNatra, Chair Jay Livingstone, and Chair Robyn Kennedy, we highlighted how HCBS support people throughout the state and how cuts to Medicaid threaten these vital services.
HCBS are Medicaid-funded services that include PCA, waiver programs, day programs, and more — some of the services that are foundational for people with autism and IDD. HCBS provides vital services tailored to the needs of the individual, and they are also tied to the promise of deinstitutionalization. This briefing educated legislators about this history and the move to community-based models, and how critical these services are. We are at a pivotal moment where we federal Medicaid cuts move forward, these services, and the progress made, is at risk.
We want to thank and recognize our panelists — Susan Senator, Chris White, and Oanh Bui — for sharing their moving stories and perspectives on the need for HCBS. And thank you to the legislators and staff members who attended this meaningful briefing. We will continue to fight to protect HCBS for all families in Massachusetts, no matter what is happening at the federal level.
To continue the conversation, we need your help. Take a moment today to share your HCBS story with your legislators using this link: https://p2a.co/StOnhsc
