“Why is Medicaid important to Pennsylvanians with disabilities?
- 40% of Pennsylvanians with disabilities are covered by Medicaid. Medicaid pays for their medical care and home and community-based services. Medicaid pays for the salaries of their direct support professionals, case managers, job coaches, occupational therapists, and others who help make living in the community a reality.
- Medicaid is often the only insurance that can meet disabled people’s needs. This is because it covers many services for people with disabilities that are not covered by private insurance or Medicare. For example, Medicare and private insurance generally do not cover long-term services and supports such as long-term stays in nursing homes, extended personal care services at home, most intensive community-based mental health services, or habilitation services for individuals with intellectual disabilities.”