Fw: Arc Action Alert on Cuts to Disability Services

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Ellen Garber Bronfeld

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Arc Action Alert on Cuts to Disability Services

The Arc of Illinois issues of the day from the desk of Tony

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The Arc of Illinois

The Arc of Illinois is a state chapter of The Arc

of the United States. The Arc of Illinois is committed to empowering persons

with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through

informed choices.

Leaders in The Arc:

Leaders in The Arc:

Our advocacy must now focus on Washington D.C.

where our elected officials and the President are embroiled in a fight that

could change the face of supports to individuals with intellectual and other

developmental disabilities. The stakes are extremely high! Massive cuts to

home-based services, special education, employment, health care, residential

options and much more are on the cutting block!

Please respond now to this Action Alert from The

Arc of the United States!

Tony

Federal Medicaid Cuts: The Clock is Ticking!

As you may already be aware, The Arc recently

launched our “Don’t Cut Our Lifeline!†campaign to protect Medicaid.

Medicaid provides vital funding for health insurance, assistance with living in

the community, respite services, and help with daily living for most people with

intellectual and developmental disabilities. Drastic cuts to Medicaid are being

proposed as a bargaining chip in political negotiations over a deal to raise the

federal debt limit. The deadline for politicians to make this deal is now upon

us. The clock is ticking – louder each day as we approach the August 2nd date

when the country could begin defaulting on its financial obligations.

There is no time left to wait! We are writing to

urge you to act now to tell Congress and the President that significant cuts to

Medicaid are unacceptable. Our Campaign Toolkit provides you with action steps,

background information and talking points. Not sure how to have an impact? It

doesn’t take much to make your voice heard!

a.. If you have only one minute, send the

President and Vice President a message.

b.. If you have five minutes, call your Senators

and Member of Congress.

c.. If you have thirty minutes, write a letter

to the editor of your newspaper. Sharing your personal story about how Medicaid

is your lifeline to health care and long term services and supports will help

people understand why we must maintain the program.

d.. If you have two hours, make an appointment

with your Member of Congress (or their staff) to discuss what Medicaid means to

you. Tell the scheduler that you know that budget cuts could come up for a vote

any day now, and you want your voice to be heard! The toolkit provides you with

fact sheets and talking points to prepare for such a meeting.

Advocates cannot assume that any official is on

our side on this issue – especially one this critical. We don’t want to be

surprised after an important vote to discover that a Member did not make the

connection to disability issues, or had another competing concern, which caused

him/her to vote for cutting Medicaid for people with disabilities. The current

threats to Medicaid are too important to count on past encounters or

assumptions! You may be the constituent who opens up your legislator’s

thinking and, if not fully change their mind, perhaps soften a previously hard

line on this issue.

Thank you for all that you do to protect

Medicaid and the people who rely on it!

Sincerely,

Dee Dee Eberle and Ralph

The Arc of the United States

Lifeline@...

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