Family fears Medicaid cuts would mean rationing treatments for child

Medicaid cuts endanger 6-year-old's captious attraction

Medicaid cuts endanger captious therapy for 6-year-old, parents say 03:10

Kennedy Beaver has been going to therapy sessions astatine slightest doubly a week aft she was diagnosed with Noonan syndrome, a familial information that stunts development. 

The 6-year-old from North Carolina is among 600,000 radical successful the authorities who could suffer entree to healthcare arsenic Congress is poised to approve major cuts to Medicaid funding projected successful President Trump's alleged "big, beauteous bill," according to according to the state's Medicaid office.

"For her, that's abbreviated stature, mediocre growth, debased musculus tone," her mother, Marilyn, described Kennedy's information successful an interrogation with CBS News. "So with that, we became eligible for thing called the CAP/C waiver done Medicaid."

6-year-old Kennedy Beaver CBS News

North Carolina's Community Alternatives Program for Children pays for astir of the treatments and medications for patients younger than 20 who person important aesculapian needs. If the Beavers didn't person CAP/C, the household says they would beryllium paying implicit $4,000 a period for treatments and medications — adjacent with backstage wellness security coverage.

"This is our medicine that, without the Medicaid coverage, would beryllium $3,200 a month, due to the fact that our superior security has denied us," Marilyn said. The household says they besides fearfulness that if the connection connected Capitol Hill becomes law, they whitethorn person to spell backmost to rationing Kennedy's treatment.

North Carolina Medicaid Deputy Secretary Jay Ludlam says the chopped that's being projected astatine the national level volition "at immoderate constituent impact the full program."

The state's Medicaid programme oversees much than 3 cardinal radical who presently person the healthcare benefits. State officials accidental if national backing falls short, the CAP/C programme could beryllium connected the chopping block.

"When you instrumentality $700 cardinal retired of Medicaid nationally ... there's nary mode to truly bash that without radical losing coverage, without having to alteration the benefits and the sum that radical get," Ludlam said.

When asked what she would archer lawmakers successful Congress if she had the accidental to talk with them, Marilyn said they should marque changes without cutting services.

"It's fixing the healthcare strategy truthful that everyone successful the state tin get a level of attraction that meets their needs," she said.

• Medicaid