Early this morning, the House of Representatives passed a budget reconciliation bill that slashes Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), programs that millions of people with disabilities rely on to survive.

The Arc of the United States urges the Senate to reject the Medicaid and SNAP cuts in the House passed bill that includes the following policies:

• $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid that threaten access to health care and essential services. These cuts will impact all people covered by the Medicaid program, including people with disabilities, children, and older adults.
• Combined with restrictions on Affordable Care Act marketplaces and the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, these policies could result in 13.7 million people losing health insurance.
• New administrative barriers that require people with coverage through Medicaid expansion will have to renew their eligibility two times a year, instead of once, which will increase the risk that people with disabilities will incorrectly lose coverage.
• $300 billion in cuts to SNAP, a nearly 30% reduction is the largest cut in the program’s history to critical food assistance.
• New strict work requirements that are designed to reduce enrollment. Nearly 70% of Medicaid beneficiaries are working. A last-minute change to the bill speeds up the implementation of the work requirements.

Many people with disabilities are exempt from the work requirements. However, when states implemented this approach in the past, the exemptions did not protect people. In practice, the screening process and other outreach and access failures left many people with disabilities without an exemption and locked out of Medicaid coverage.

The work requirements also hurt caregivers, who may not bring home a paycheck but perform critical jobs at home. Combined with massive cuts to Medicaid that threaten access to service, life will be harder for many families.

For people who are working, the system can also fail. Paperwork gets lost. Documentation rules vary by state. Systems become overwhelmed. People fall through the cracks—not because they don’t qualify, but because the system is designed to push them out. We’ve seen this play out in Arkansas.

Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc of the United States, said:
“For millions of people with disabilities, Medicaid and SNAP aren’t just safety nets—they’re survival.

New administrative barriers aren’t about stopping waste, fraud, and abuse. They are about denying access to essential health care to as many people as possible. Families will skip check-ups, critical surgeries, and medications. Parents will go hungry so their kids don’t have to. People will be forced to choose between paying rent or seeing a doctor. This is the brutal reality for the millions who will lose health coverage and food assistance under this plan.

The combined effect of the historic $715 billion in cuts to federal Medicaid spending and the cost-shifting to states in SNAP will set up chaos at the state level. States will be forced to quickly stand up costly and burdensome systems to abide by the work requirements. Limits to how states fund their share of the Medicaid program will make few resources available to address the coverage losses in their states. States may be forced to reduce services or eligibility to make up the difference.

These cuts are devastating. And we won’t be silent while our community is pushed past the brink.”

Next, the Senate must take up the bill. The Arc urges Congress to reject this proposal and protect Medicaid and SNAP. These programs are not optional. They are how people with disabilities live in their homes, care for their families, and survive each day.

The Arc will continue to educate every Member of Congress on the life-and-death consequences of these cuts—and the need to protect Medicaid and SNAP.