My Medicaid Matters!

My Day in Washington,D.C on Capitol Hill at The My Medicaid Matters Rally 2011

         Hello, my name is Marcia Bucella. On September 21,2011 I had the opportunity to be a part of an amazing experience. I would love to share with all of you. Recently, I chose to join an incredible group. It is called Adapt for those of you who aren't familiar with ADAPT, this is what we are about.

         ADAPT is a national grassroots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom. (NationalADAPT.org)


         ADAPT helps everyone who needs their help. The elderly,unborn,newborn babies,people who have just learned they have a disability,people like me, who have been disabled since birth, and maybe someday you or one of your loved ones may need their help. If we don't advocate for these policies and benefits, now,they will be gone in the future. We can't let that happen.

         National ADAPT put together a rally called My Medicaid Matters. ADAPT members,nation wide,united together in Washington,D.C on Capitol Hill for one purpose. I am talking about thousands of people joined me on that hill to let those legislators know that we won't stand for any cuts in medicaid. We chanted, as loud as we could,"Our Medicaid matters! Our Medicaid matters!"

         It was an amazing sight to see and hear, by the grace of God, I was able to do both, but if you were deaf, everything was interpreted in sign language for you. We still chanted as they all signed "My Medicaid Matters." What a beautiful sight. If you were blind, you had a personal guide with you. The smiles on everyone's face were amazing. If you were in a wheelchair, you had an aide with you, but we were all united for one purpose we were the voice advocating to keep medicaid that helps keep millions of people Independent.

         Why does my medicare matter? I use a motorized wheelchair. Without it I would lose my Independence. My Medicaid helps me live at home instead of in a nursing home. I have the home health aides that I need to take care of me. This is called the consumer option. I employ my aides to take care of me in my home and they are paid by resources for independent living.

         I'm still very young to be going into nursing home, but if I wasn't able to have my trained care givers at home like I do, that's where I would have to be so, I thank God for the consumer option independence waiver; which enables me to live at home with my family.

         When the senators at the rally told us that each one of us represented thousands of people that couldn't speak for themselves and people that couldn't be here today, it brought tears to my eyes. I knew at that moment I was at the right place at the right time no matter how hard it was for me to get there.

It has always been my dream to make a difference in this world. The Medicaid Matters Rally is just the beginning for me..

It's now 2014--I intend to visit capitol Hill again for another rally soon.

ADAPT which stands for American Disabled Attendant Programs Today. Is an awesome program which helps disabled people all over the United States. .