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New: NO TRUMPCARE: What This Means to Those with Disabilities (Public Comment)

Jack Bragen
Thursday March 30, 2017 - 12:36:00 PM

That little bit of hope that many disabled people have, particularly those of us with a psychiatric diagnosis, is that at times we can supplement our income with a part-time job, or may even be able to return to work on a larger scale. This is not a huge ambition, nor is it usually unrealistic. However, it allows many persons with disabilities to have hope of someday having a better life.  

Obamacare is essential to that hope. Obamacare is a great equalizer, since it means that those of us with tiny incomes will still be able to obtain medical care. And, apparently, mental health treatment was one of the key issues that knocked down Trumcare.  

Furthermore, Trumpcare was a threat to all persons with mental illness, working or not, who rely partly or wholly on Medicaid for their mental health treatment. Trumpcare would have reversed Medicaid's mandate to pay for mental health treatment.  

This means that most persons with psychiatric disabilities would be essentially be denied our right to exist. If we do not have mental health care, we are stuck with "decompensating" (sorry to use that term!) and this is a threat to our lives.  

Apparently, the Trump people think it is fine not to treat mental illness and instead to lock us up in jails and prisons with no medication.  

So, it is with a big sigh of relief that I note that Congress has done its job and members are looking to their constituents--and have shown that the U.S. Constitution does work.  

However, this administration is so villainous that we'd better not enjoy that relief too long--Trump is looking for other ways to ruin the lives of all disadvantaged people, including people with psychiatric disabilities. We have three years and nine months to go before Trump (we hope) will be voted out of office, and it will be a long three years nine months.