Proposed changes would be harmful

To the editor:

The Department of Health and Human Services has issued several Medicaid regulations recently that could have a substantial impact on health care in Missouri. Congress did not authorize these regulations, and in some cases Congress has declined to support the changes. The regulations would drastically limit the amount of funding states receive for the Medicaid program.

The largest populations that receive Medicaid benefits are children and people with disabilities. These vulnerable populations depend on Medicaid benefits in order to gain access to the health-care system and receive vital care. These regulations would significantly affect critical services such as rehabilitative services for beneficiaries with mental illness or developmental disabilities.

It is crucial that these proposed Medicaid regulations not be implemented. These regulations can cause further harm to a program that is already in danger. Citizens have been forced to sit back and watch as their Medicaid benefits disappeared. The decreased funding would leave states with no other option but to reduce benefits that are already scarce. Missourians need these services and are depending on Congress to ensure that they receive them.

BECKY HOLLOWAY, Advocacy Assistant, SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, Cape Girardeau