Medicaid Cuts Would Devastate People with Disabilities and Older Adults in NYC
By Mbacke Thiam
Medicaid is not a budget line, for many it is a lifeline. Across New York City, from Staten Island to Greenwich Village and beyond, Medicaid serves as a primary source of insurance for older adults and people with disabilities. Medicaid funding is critical for sustaining long-term services and independence.
There are nearly 7 million New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid, with 4 million individuals living in New York City alone. Medicaid recipients are comprised of older adults, children, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and working adults who have low incomes.
In Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are particularly vital. These services help older adults and people with disabilities live independently in the community instead of nursing homes. These services provide vital support to complete activities of daily living and access to workers who provide home-care support. With the proposed cuts or drastic changes to the program, many New Yorkers would be at risk of losing their access to these necessary services. These drastic cuts could result in a person with a disability being faced with living in an institution. For some, it is a matter of life and death.
We have seen health care facilities shuttered across the state, including right here in New York City. We have seen rising costs not only in health care, but in every aspect of daily life. All New Yorkers know how difficult it is to find affordable housing. However, New Yorkers with disabilities must identify affordable and accessible housing to address their disability-related needs. Older adults and people with disabilities facing devastating cuts to Medicaid or the potential of losing full Medicaid coverage is simply not something that these populations can endure.
We need healthcare that is affordable and accessible to all. The proposed Medicaid cuts are not just budget decisions; they are decisions that cut people off from the crucial care they need. We must defend Medicaid and access to health care programs like the Affordable Care Act.
At the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY), we hear from people daily about how access to Medicaid shapes their lives. Many older adults and people with disabilities rely on Medicaid not just for medical treatment, but also for assistance navigating complex systems, accessing benefits, and securing accessible housing—which are all essential supports that ensure safety and dignity.
Beyond individual hardship, these cuts would shift pressure onto emergency and other health care systems. Hospitals and emergency responders would be forced to fill the gap left by waning homecare support. This is not a reasonable option because it is expensive, inefficient and unsustainable.
Medicaid is not a discretionary service; it is a key component to the foundation of New York’s mental and physical healthcare infrastructure. It funds home-care aides, personal attendants, adaptive equipment, and community support. Rollbacks in Medicaid funding will compromise home-based services, widen service gaps, jeopardize health outcomes, and strip independence from older adults and people with disabilities.
Cutting Medicaid is not a fiscal responsibility—it is the dismantling of a safety net built by years of smart investment. Our community deserves better. This is New York, we watch out for each other. Let us stand together to preserve Medicaid which is a cornerstone of care, dignity, and independence for all. Healthcare is a human right!
Mbacke Thiam is the Housing, Health & CAN Community Organizer at the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY). A previous version of this article appeared in the Staten Islander.
