#disability-care

#disability-care

Ravi Mehta, who has a life-limiting disability, was admitted to hospital in September 2025 for a routine appointment to fix his ventilator settings. He was supposed to go home three days later - but months on he is still stuck in a hospital ward. The 36-year-old, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, says he was told "from the beginning" that he is medically fit to go home. However, the budget he received from his local NHS integrated care board (ICB) to pay for the staff he needs to support him at home has now ended.

"The federal Medicaid cuts are an absolute disaster for HCBS," said Sabrina Epstein, a policy analyst at Disability Rights California.

"I live with my parents," Downes told Truthout, "because, even with my diagnosis, the state only authorizes care for 35 hours a week. It's shameful since I need 24-hour assistance. Right now, my 62-year-old mother is the only person on my payroll. She makes $19.80 an hour and has to rely on my father's employer health plan because the job does not provide benefits."