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Parents, nonprofit leaders warn Medicaid cuts could jeopardize care for people with disabilities; Connecticut speaker vows support for safety-net programs
Summary
A Fairfield mother and the founder of Angel of Edgewood told a public forum that potential Medicaid cuts threaten medications, housing and nonprofit services for people with disabilities; an unidentified Connecticut speaker pledged support for WIC, SNAP and home-heating assistance.
Penny Parks, a mother from Fairfield, Connecticut, told a public forum that proposed reductions to Medicaid would put her disabled son at immediate risk, saying his group-home care is "almost a 100% supported by Medicaid" and asking, "if our Medicaid is cut, how is he gonna get his meds? How is he gonna have a roof over his head?" Parks framed the potential cuts as a direct threat to the medication access and housing stability of a specific resident.
Jendaya Scott Miller, founder and CEO of Angel of Edgewood, said the situation has also strained local nonprofit providers. "This entire situation has been just so hard on our organization," Miller said, describing Angel of Edgewood as "a small grassroots organization with limited resources" and saying that "what little resources we had froze up," which she said constrained the group's ability to help clients.
An unidentified speaker who referred to "Connecticut" sought to reassure listeners that existing safety-net programs would continue to be supported, saying, "when it comes to WIC, when it comes to SNAP, when it comes to ... home heating, we're gonna be there to support you." The speaker did not state an official title or agency in the transcript.
The comments in the transcript are personal testimony and appeals; no formal motion, vote or official action is recorded in these segments. The speakers raised immediate concerns about medication access, housing stability for people in group homes, and the operational strain on a small nonprofit. The transcript does not specify what policy proposal or legislative measure prompted the comments, nor does it provide dollar figures or a timetable for any cuts.
