(C) Ohio Capital Journal
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Don’t balance the budget on the backs of disabled people in Ohio and across America • Ohio Capital Journal [1]
['Kyle Garvey', 'Paul Bierman', 'Christine Coughlin', 'Nancy M. P. King', 'Shelly Johnson', 'More From Author', 'May', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus']
Date: 2025-05-22
It’s no secret Americans are struggling. From rent to groceries to medical care, the cost of living keeps climbing — and now, Congress is considering cuts to the very programs that help people survive.
It seems like we’re in for rougher times ahead — and our leaders at home haven’t made it any easier. Earlier this year, the Ohio House passed a budget proposal with a dangerous provision: If the federal government ever reduces its contribution to Medicaid, Ohio would immediately revoke health insurance for more than 750,000 Ohioans.
I understand the desire for fiscal responsibility — but eliminating life-saving programs isn’t responsible. It’s cruel.
I’ve lived with cerebral palsy my entire life. I rely on 10 hours of Medicaid-funded home care each day through Ohio’s Individual Options (I/O) waiver. This care helps me live independently at Creative Living, a supportive community in Columbus for people with disabilities. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed, manage my health, or live on my own.
My income is $1,528 per month from Supplemental Security Income (SSI). That modest amount covers my rent, groceries, and basic needs. Without Medicaid, I’d lose my independence — and possibly my home. I’d be forced to rely on my aging parents, who can’t provide the kind of intensive care I need.
Losing Medicaid would introduce a huge unknown into my life. I have a loving family I could lean on — but many people don’t. I honestly don’t know what my life would look like without it: no home care, no therapy, no transportation, no housing. I’d lose rental support, medical care, and the freedom to move or live like any other bachelor in his mid-30s.
Even my wheelchair could become a luxury — something easy enough to axe.
But I’m not alone by far. More than 1 in 4 Ohioans rely on Medicaid – including 40% of children, 20% of working-age adults, and 10% of seniors. Republicans’ proposed budget cuts would send shockwaves through our communities, taking away support from those who need it and straining our already-overburdened health care system.
Since Medicaid expansion, Ohio’s uninsured rate has been cut in half. That means more people getting preventive care and fewer costly ER visits and hospital stays. Cutting Medicaid now would reverse that progress and hurt everyone — including hospitals, providers, and taxpayers. Some lawmakers justify these cuts by pointing to “fraud,” but the real impact would be stripping care from children, working families, seniors, and disabled people like me. We would suffer — just to make room for more tax breaks for the wealthy.
What I receive isn’t extravagant. It’s basic, essential care. Cutting it isn’t about reform: it’s blatant, anti-human abandonment. Watching politicians push these cuts while handing out giveaways to those at the top should outrage every American. Is that the kind of nation we want to be?
I urge our state representatives and members of Congress to reject Medicaid cuts and protect services that provide basic needs. Congress should make the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share and invest in programs that actually keep people alive. We don’t need to gut these programs — we need to make them work better.
These cuts would be devastating — for me, and for hundreds of thousands of others across our state who deserve to live with dignity.
Kyle Garvey is a resident of Columbus, Ohio, living with cerebral palsy.
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