The news has become extremely prevalent in today’s society. While some try to tune out as much of it as they can, others, like me and my family, are constantly trying to stay updated with the horror that has become our lives. This is because the services that were put in place to help keep people, like my very own brother, alive are being torn apart and defunded. 

One such services is Medicaid. Most people are under the notion that Medicaid is unnecessary, that the people on it do not need to be, and those people can simply get a job instead of wasting tax payers’ money. 

In actuality, Medicaid is utilized for people living with disabilities and special needs, and their families. More often than not, they don’t have the ability to work and rely heavily on the funds provided by Medicaid. But, with the estimated cut to the program, many families will be in even more trouble. 

The help that Medicaid provides to the thousands of people living with disabilities is used mainly for necessities such as wheelchairs, lifts or in-home services to help out when guardians can’t; all of these necessities are being defunded and taken away, further complicating the lives of the people who need it. 

As the sister of someone with mental and physical disabilities, it’s not uncommon for me to have to defend my brother, and others like him, from the degrading slurs my peers so often spout. However, it becomes too much when I am told by my government that the medical equipment, such as lifts, standers, and yes, especially wheelchairs, are not necessities. The things he needs to make his life easier are no longer being provided, and we’re stuck with the hefty price tag. 

Now I know that sounds bad to say, but imagine you had to buy a wheelchair for your son, who didn’t get a choice in how he was born. That wheelchair costs as much as a small car, while you still have two other kids and all the other price tags that come with adult life to deal with. Doesn’t sound fair, does it? 

So many people readily believe that Medicaid isn’t necessary, but they don’t realize that these are people’s lives. This help is imperative to the everyday life of thousands of people, and that the cumulative percent of Medicaid users with disabilities is almost 70%.

When families are panicking over how they’re going to pay for medical equipment needed by a family member with a disability, it is not okay. They did not choose to be born the way they were, yet our government is telling me and others, that our friends, our family, and even just everyday American citizens, that they don’t deserve the aid they need just because it’s an inconvenience.