Healthcare (Including Medicaid & Long-Term Services and Supports)

Healthcare

AUCD is committed to advancing a healthcare system that is equitable, accessible, affordable, and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities across the lifespan. We believe healthcare must support not only physical and mental health, but also independence, self-determination, community living, and full participation in education, employment, and civic life.

Our healthcare policy work spans medical care, dental and oral health, hearing and vision services, behavioral and mental health, and access to durable medical equipment. AUCD works to address inequities in healthcare access and delivery that disproportionately affect people with disabilities, particularly those driven by systemic barriers, underfunding, and discrimination.

Medicaid as a Cross-Cutting Disability System

AUCD views Medicaid as a foundational, cross-cutting disability system, not solely a source of medical care. Medicaid is essential to independence, educational access, workforce participation, and the ability of people with disabilities to live in and be supported by their communities.

AUCD advocates for a strong Medicaid program that provides comprehensive, high-quality coverage across the lifespan, including long-term services and supports (LTSS). We work to strengthen and expand home and community-based services (HCBS) so people with disabilities can live outside of congregate and institutional settings and exercise real choice and control over their lives. AUCD supports policies that remove Medicaid’s longstanding institutional bias by making community-based services accessible, adequately funded, and sustainable.

We also prioritize improving coverage and coordination for services delivered through HCBS and other LTSS that support daily living, education, employment, and family stability. AUCD advocates for investments in the direct support professional workforce, including the development of career pathways, training and education opportunities, and compensation that reflects the essential role this workforce plays in enabling community inclusion.  CONTINUE READING