Budget Cuts Impact Everyday Lives of Disabled

February 22, 2010

By Kim Hynes (WICHITA, Kan.)

From transportation to house cleaning, state budget cuts are impacting the everyday lives of those with disabilities. January 1st, Kansas reduced Medicaid reimbursements by 10%. In Sedgwick County, that's worth almost $2 million. Now almost two months after the cuts went into effect, those using Medicaid waiver services are feeling the impact.

Every day an in home aide cooks lunch for Deborah Sanders. "Without her, I'm pretty much in a pickle," Sanders said. She has an autoimmune disease and depends on her aide to get through the day. She helps Sanders get dressed, bathe and cooks her meals. The aide also takes her to the doctor and cleans her house.

How much the aide gets done depends on how many hours Medicaid will pay her to work for Sanders. "Basically they are incapacitating us and it's just not right," she said. State budget cuts have cost Sanders four hours for transportation and cleaning. She gets about 52 hours a week over all.

"My health goes down hill quickly. Right now it's a battle to keep my apartment clean enough to function. And I want to be able to live my life and so do my neighbors," Sander's said.

"It's going to impose a hardship on individuals," said Patrick Terick. Terick is with the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation. He's worried the situation is only going to get worse for the disabled. "I'm not the fountain of all wisdom, but I know if you don't do something these cuts are going to be even more devastating," he said.

Sanders is already noticing her four hour reduction. "You'd have to walk a mile in our shoes to know what it's like, to have the health issues." She says those health issues will be almost impossible to live with if cuts keep happening.

Disability waivers are used to help keep people in their homes and out of institutions. According to SRS, waivers are $15,000 cheaper a year per person.

|

|

|