This content has been reprinted with permission from the Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA). 

The House and Senate are hashing out final details of a tax bill – and it has the potential to harm developmental disabilities services. Act now, call today and let your representative in Congress know you want them to ensure any tax proposals protect people with disabilities and the services they depend on, including Medicare, Medicaid, and state-funded services.

Currently, there are a number of tax benefits that help people with disabilities. Some are direct benefits, like the ability to deduct medical expenses from your taxes, or tax credits for employers that hire people with disabilities. Others are indirect, like the ability to deduct state and local taxes, including property tax, which makes it easier for California to fund a range of human services (including disability-specific) programs.

The current tax proposal may well cut those benefits. And due to budget rules, if passed, it would require ongoing cuts to Medicare.

ARCA opposes those impacts. People with developmental disabilities and their families face unique challenges, like major medical costs, barriers to employment, difficulty affording housing. Any changes to tax laws should not put extra costs on, or make it harder to use tax benefits for, people with developmental disabilities and their families.

So we need your help, and we need it TODAY!

What can you do?

• Find your representatives
  You need to know the name and phone number of your representatives in Congress.
• Call your representatives
  Identify yourself as a constituent, and ask them to “please ensure any tax proposal protects people with disabilities and the services they depend on, including Medicare, Medicaid, and state-funded services.“
• Share this message
  Forward this on to at least three people!

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Community Engagement

Inland Regional Center's Community Engagement Unit can be reached at [email protected]