I am disabled. And this past year, I watched my able-bodied friends struggle with postponing and downsizing weddings, while living with the reality that I can never ,marry without risking loss of life-sustaining health care.
Marriage should be an equal option for all, including disabled people. As long as we live in a society that grants social and legal benefits to married couples, we all deserve the right to choose.
In Pennsylvania, the Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) program allows disabled workers to receive Medicaid and prescription assistance, but it comes with strict income and asset limits that often prohibit marriage.
Senate Bill 156, Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities, is now in the state House after passing the Senate. This bill would reform MAWD and change lives.
I implore you to ask your representatives to support that SB 156, which would allow MAWD recipients to have a financial safety net, take promotions at work and get married if they choose.
Kaitlin A. Kerr
Pleasant Hills