(Photo courtesy of Ohio News Connection/Adobe Stock)

By Nadia Ramlagan

An Ohio mother who relies on the home- and community-based services Medicaid waiver said she is worried about how the family will manage after cuts to the federal program go into effect next year.

Sarah Bloom Anderson’s 14-year-old daughter lives with a severe neurodevelopmental disability. Anderson pointed out the Medicaid waiver has allowed her daughter, who requires a wheelchair and feeding tube, to live at home and attend school.

“We need a special aide to take care of her who is trained medically,” Anderson explained. “If we did not have that care, my husband and I would not be able to work.”

A new poll from the advocacy group Protect Our Care found nearly 70% of Americans, including those in key battleground states, oppose cuts to Medicaid.

Norman Wernet, president of the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, said with the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, retired or unemployed older adults in the pre-Medicare age range are scrambling to figure out what they will do in January. Wernet noted one woman’s monthly premium recently jumped from $50 to more than $450.

“Her income was low enough. To qualify for Medicaid, she’d have to go through work requirements even though she has a medical condition that doesn’t allow her to breathe well. So how does she go to work at the age of 63?” Wernet asked.

Anderson added the Medicaid waiver fills a gap allowing her and her husband to live with her daughter and raise her at home.

“We have health insurance. We have really good health insurance. But it does not cover the care that Audrey needs,” Anderson stressed. “Without that waiver, Audrey would be in an institution.”

More residents are channeling frustration with the healthcare system. A new campaign called “Sick of It! Fix Health Care Now” has amplified voices across the Buckeye State, highlighting how communities are struggling with a lack of access to affordable healthcare.