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Budget Crises in Most StatesAn Increasing Threat to Persons with Disabilities & Others
Each year the number of people with disabilities increases. In February of 2003 charts from the International Center for Disability Information indicated the number of individuals in the United States experiencing the loss of one or more “essential life functions” to be approximately 58,038,500. Various states continue to experience severe budget difficulties caused by the increase in unemployment, the downturn in the economy, increased costs in unfunded or partially funded Federal mandates such as TANF and Medicaid, and a decrease in general and investment revenues. These states face increased pressure to cut various programs that provide vital cash, food, medical, and vocational assistance for persons with disabilities. · Aggregate state revenues were $38 billion dollars less than 2001. · To meet this shortfall, many states – o Reduced health benefits or toughened eligibility requirements for programs such as Medicaid, AFDC, SCHIPS, job training and child care. o Reduced departmental spending below budgeted levels, effecting Vocational Rehabilitation, state funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), recreational and transportation programs. o Raised co-payments and participant costs in existing programs, as well as increasing tuition and other fees at state-sponsored schools. o In some cases state programs have programmatic discretion, which reduces the ability to adapt programs to the needs of citizens with unique problems, or experiencing unique challenges.
How are people with disabilities affected by these budget “cut backs?” · People with disabilities made up 18% of the aggregate state Medicaid population in 1998, but represented 44% of healthcare expenditures in the program. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies) Efforts aimed at Medicaid cost containments will necessarily have a great impact on the availability of medical care. · People with disabilities will find FY 2004 Medicaid budget cuts: o Eliminating their eligibility for the Medicaid program; o Reducing the kind and number of medical services available; o Removing many medical providers from the system, or implementing reimbursement strategies that cause more providers to refuse treatment to Medicaid patients. · In addition, “across the board” cuts may mean the following for many people with disabilities: o Cuts in Vocational Rehabilitation mean fewer opportunities for comprehensive training and job placement services. Ultimately, this means fewer people with disabilities will find employment, and those that do will be less likely to find meaningful employment and economically viable wages. o Reduction in IDEA funds will lead to less effective education for those in most need of it, and increase the number of students “just warming seats.” o Reduction in public transportation funds mean fewer disabled persons can travel to school, work, and medical appointments. o Smaller recreation budgets mean fewer programs, especially those designed for people with disabilities who may have few recreational activities available to them.
Because every public issue affects persons with disabilities, they should be considered in the development of every policy. |
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