University of Michigan student on Medicaid worries about future amid looming federal cuts
In Ann Arbor, University of Michigan student Vincent Pinti is earning a combined public policy and law degree. He uses a wheelchair due to a genetic condition called spinal muscular atrophy.
When he graduated from high school, the West Virginia native searched for the most accessible campus in the country.
"The University of Michigan was rated as the most accessible university in the United States," said Pinti. "And I had the notion to believe, well, if it's rated this highly, then all the supports and services that I would need would be in place here. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case."
Pinti had to advocate for his needs and spent months navigating red tape to receive care under Medicaid, which differs from state to state.
"I have 24/7 caregiving," he explained. "I have around 17 students that provide my care each week. Throughout my day I'll need anything from help getting out of bed in the morning, to going to the restroom, to having access to food, to having access to food. During the school year, they help make sure I can go to and from classes."
Such round-the-clock care costs roughly $150,000 a year, but thanks to Medicaid, Pinti's needs are covered—for now.
"The budget bill that was passed in the House this week will quite bluntly be catastrophic for people currently on the Medicaid program," said Pamela Herd, one of Pinti's professors. "You're looking at pretty massive cuts, a lot of additional complexities that are going to be added to an already complicated program.
An expert in disability policy, Pinti says she understands the challenges he is facing now and in the future.
"And the simple fact of the matter is they wanted to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from the program, and they've designed a bill that will do just that. And it's people like Vincent who are going to pay a high price for those cuts," she said.
"With Medicaid, I might not be eligible for it going forward because it's really hard to simultaneously work and be on Medicaid," said Pinti. "When I finish college and I get a degree, Medicaid, it requires that you make under $30,000 a year. It says that you can't have more than $2,000 in assets at any given time.
"So basically, I have a choice I have to make where I'll have to choose between having a full-time job and burning all my income on healthcare services or remaining on Medicaid and not having a career."
Recent cuts to the U.S. Department of Education meant Pinti lost $20,000 in annual grants for students with disabilities.
"We're trying to navigate a world where it seems like disability services and supports for our community are getting slashed left and right, and it doesn't seem like much thought is going into it," he said. "And real people, such as myself, are getting hurt."
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