This week, CEO Maura Sullivan and Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Partnerships Nora Bent attended the National Conference of State Legislatures. Boston was the host city for this year’s conference (NCSL’s 50th anniversary), and we were joined by colleagues from The Arc of the United States and The Arc of Indiana to educate state lawmakers, staff, and advocates from across the country about the importance of Medicaid and home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.
This 9,000+ person event took place about a month after the president signed the big, ugly reconciliation bill into law, setting into motion $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid over 10 years. This conference was a powerful opportunity to educate state lawmakers, who are currently reckoning with the consequences of this bill. Sharing information about how absolutely vital Medicaid-funded services are, particularly for those with IDD and autism, is more important than ever, as states will face increasingly constrained budgets and will be forced to make difficult financial choices.
We were proud to be representing The Arc community and will continue to do so from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill.
