[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 194 (Thursday, December 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2314-E2315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SOME BENEFITS OF MEDICAID

                                 ______


                           HON. ROBERT W. NEY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 1995

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring attention to the House a series 
of articles published in September by the Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, 
Ohio) that describe the challenges and joys of raising a disabled child 
at home and among family. The Columbus Dispatch series accurately 
highlights the experiences of families with children with significant 
disabilities who have received support from the current Medicaid 
Program.
  The Sapp family includes parents Dale and Martha Rose, two daughters, 
and Dale Jr. Dale Sr. has a full-time job and Martha Rose takes care of 
the children. Dale Jr. is 7 years old and several disabilities, 
including mental retardation, and uses a wheelchair. To keep Dale Jr. 
at home, Medicaid provides, the Sapp's services worth $105,000, 
including speech and physical therapy, prescription drugs, hospital 
services, and other needed medical care. Without this support, the 
Sapp's would be forced to place Dale in an institution, with an annual 
cost of $240,000.
  The Biel family includes parents Louis and Mary and two children. 
Both parents full-time 

[[Page E 2315]]
jobs and private health insurance. Daughter Kathleen is 10 years old, 
has cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and uses a wheelchair. Medicaid 
provides the Biel family with $87,000 worth of physical and 
occupational therapies, hospital and other medical care. Without this 
support the Biel's would be forced to place Kathleen in an institution, 
which would cost $240,000 annually.
  The Carter family includes parents Greg and Meri-Ellyn, two sons, and 
Lauren, age 7, who has cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and 
blindness. Greg has a full-time job and Meri-Ellyn stays home with the 
children. Until recently, the family received $45,000 from Medicaid in 
the form of home nursing care and physical therapies, which allowed 
Lauren to live at home despite the fact that Lauren cannot be left 
alone, her needs were determined to be nonemergency in nature and her 
Medicaid benefits were terminated. Lauren now lives apart from her 
family in an institution that costs $55,000 annually.
  The Sapp's, Biel's, and Carters are among the millions of families 
across America that rely on Medicaid support to meet the extraordinary 
health and developmental needs of their children with significant 
disabilities. Thanks to Medicaid, these children lead more independent 
and successful lives at home, with family. Most often, assistance at an 
early age enhances the ability of these children to develop physical, 
emotional, and social skills, advances their capacity to learn, and 
enables them to participate more skillfully in family and community 
life. Similarly, adults with disabilities rely on Medicaid to achieve 
health, employment, and personal goals that directly relate to their 
ability to lead independent and productive lives.

  Two of the three families profiled in these articles received 
services from the Easter Seals Society, which is dedicated to assisting 
children and adults to live with equality, dignity, and independence. 
Since its founding in Ohio in 1919, Easter Seals has helped millions of 
people with disabilities nationwide through home and community services 
that are overseen by volunteers and paid for by charitable donations, 
corporate contributions, and the investment of government funds. 
According to Easter Seals, the compelling stories told by the Biels, 
Sapps, and Carters are not unique but are typical of the experiences of 
countless families that need Medicaid and Easter Seals to get by.
  For the 4.9 million children and adults with disabilities who depend 
on Medicaid and associated programs, such as early intervention and 
assistive technology, there are few, if any, alternative sources of 
support. Medicaid is the linchpin that fosters individual development, 
learning, and independence, and enables families to stay together, most 
often as primary care givers for persons with disabilities.
  To date, Medicaid has operated as Federal-State partnership. Some of 
the country's most innovative, cost-efficient approaches to home and 
community-based service delivery and EPSDT early detection and 
intervention have originated under Medicaid. Although many legitimate 
needs have not been met by Medicaid and related programs, the current 
array of services and support are crucial to the health and quality of 
life for millions of individuals and families, and represent a wise 
cost-effective commitment to public funds.
  The Columbus Dispatch stories clearly show the direct relationship 
between investing in services to support families and the alternative, 
which is most often higher cost institutional care. According to the 
newspaper, in many of these families, either one or both parents work. 
Most struggle to keep their children at home, and willingly assume the 
disruption and expense. But their ability to keep their families intact 
directly depends on continued Medicaid support.
  As we evaluate the pros and cons of making significant reforms to the 
Medicaid Program, I urge my colleagues to read these articles and be 
mindful of the daily confronting families affected by disability and 
the critical role that Medicaid plays in their lives. Copies of the 
Columbus Dispatch articles are available from the National Seal Society 
in Washington, DC.

                          ____________________