Disability Advocate Slams Medicaid Cuts in ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’

IEP Advocate Lisa Lightner slams Medicaid and Medicare cuts in new law, warning all families will feel the impact—even those not on public benefits.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, July 4, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Lisa Lightner, nationally recognized special education advocate and founder of A Day in Our Shoes, is denouncing the sweeping Medicaid cuts signed into law under the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” warning that the legislation will devastate children with disabilities, overburden schools, and bankrupt families.

“This bill isn’t bold or beautiful, it’s a disaster,” said Lightner. “Cutting over a trillion dollars from Medicaid will rip critical supports out from under the 79 million people who rely on it including the kids I work with every day. This will affect every American family, even those not using Medicaid.”

The bill enforces strict work requirements, caps per-person spending, and shrinks federal contributions to Medicaid, putting enormous pressure on already underfunded states. While politicians frame this as reducing “government bloat,” Lightner points out that Medicaid funds far more than most people realize:

-Nearly two-thirds of nursing home residents rely on Medicaid.
-Thousands of public schools use Medicaid to fund speech therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing care.
-Hospitals, clinics, and rural health providers will lose essential funding, pushing costs to private insurers and taxpayers.

“This bill doesn’t just hurt the most vulnerable,” Lightner said. “It hurts everyone. Your premiums will go up. Your ER will be overcrowded. Your kid’s school will lose services. All so lawmakers can say they cut spending—on the backs of disabled kids and elderly people.”

Lightner is calling on families, educators, and fellow advocates to speak up.

“This isn’t about responsibility or choice. It’s about defunding an essential safety net so that already wealthy people can get more tax breaks."

About Lisa Lightner:
Lisa Lightner is a nationally known Special Education Advocate and founder of A Day in Our Shoes, a leading online platform supporting parents navigating IEPs, 504 plans, and disability rights. Her advocacy training program Don’t IEP Alone, empowers parents to advocate confidently for their children’s education and well-being. Her upcoming book, Your IEP Playbook, will be published by Wiley in Fall 2025.

Lisa Lightner
A Day in our Shoes
IEP@adayinourshoes.com
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