The cost of health care for families with disabled children is increasingly getting more difficult to afford even with assistance from insurance companies. Children with disabilities should be given the resources that Medicaid offers them without a hassle or issue of income regulations. The Affordable Health Care for Children with Disabilities Act will present disabled children with affordable health care without having to qualify through a parental income cap. If the bill is passed, children with disabilities seeking Medicaid will no longer be put on a waiting list for services as well qualify for Medicaid services with determination based on their parental income (Casey, 2019). For a one person household, meaning the parents single child was disabled, the parent can make no more than $19,651 in order to qualify for Medicaid services. This bill seeks to end Title XIX of the Social Security Act by disregarding parental income for eligibility for Medicaid. 

The Affordable Health Care for Children with Disabilities Act, if passed, will open up many opportunities for disabled children and the parents that can no longer afford to support their children. This bill is directly related to occupational therapy in that without qualifying for Medicaid, disabled children will not receive therapy services without a high cost to their families. Occupational therapy plays an important role in advocacy for disabled children and their need for affordable health care. If this bill were passed it could significantly impact the child receiving services as well as the family members and parents of the child. Occupational therapy is a necessary service that many children with disabilities may have to pay out of pocket for or find a private insurance company to cover some of the cost without Medicaid coverage. Without services like occupational therapy, children with or without a disability will be at a disadvantage from learning developmentally appropriate skills for their age. Please take the time to read through and understand the issues related to these strict qualifications placed on children with disabilities attempting to receive the services they desperately need.