Bowling Green Community members protest Medicaid cuts included in House Bill 500

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A group of Bowling Green community members traveled to Frankfort on July 17 to protest a 4% cut to Medicaid provider reimbursement rates that were set to take effect Aug. 1 through House Bill 500.

“When, when everyone got notification that Medicaid would be suffering a 4% reimbursement rate cut, we were all terrified because what that means for our loved ones is fewer services, fewer options. It’s just a really slippery slope and a scary place to go,” said The Hive Founder Laura Orsland. 

Bowling Green’s ‘The Hive’ hosts monthly meetings for families with disabilities, decided during one of its gatherings to join a protest at the Kentucky State Capitol to advocate against the 4% cut.

The protest was coordinated for several non-profits across the state, including the Kentucky Disability Waiver Coalition and the Commonwealth Council on Developmental Disabilities, through a Facebook group.

With the current Medicaid budget, those with disabilities already struggle to access medical assistance in South Central Kentucky, and the new cuts would have made it even more challenging.

“Our paid caregivers would be getting a few thousand dollars less per year than they are, that they already don’t make enough, they don’t get benefits, they don’t get paid time off,” said Orsland. “All the things that most employers give to their employees, we can’t give to ours in most cases. So that 4% cut means that we’re going to have fewer and fewer people that want to do this job.”

Governor Andy Beshear announced last Wednesday that Kentucky will delay any cuts to Medicaid through this fiscal year, which ends next June.

Orsland spoke on why she feels using her voice while protesting in Frankfort helped make a difference.

“I don’t know anybody that wants to negatively impact people with disabilities. I think if we all make a habit on any issue that’s coming down the pike, we just need to contact our legislators and say, ‘Hey, here’s how I feel about this and this is how I want you to represent me.’”