Kaiser Health News published my column today on what Medicaid cuts would mean for seniors and others with disabilities. While most of the public and many policymakers never think about the importance of the Medicaid safety net for these people, the program is the nation’s largest single payer of of long-term care supports and services. If future Medicaid benefits are reduced and most middle-class poeple have no savings or insurance to protect against disability and frail old age, the U.S. is facing a massive care crisis.   

Kaiser also published a nice interview with Martha Roherty, executive director of the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities, on additional cuts in non-Medicaid services for the elderly and others with disabilities. Many of those programs, such as transportation, home-delivered meals, and subsidized housing provide the critical infrastructure people need to age in place. Thse cuts, combined with those for Medicaid, will add to the challenges for the elderly and their families.