When Pat Shepard went to get her COVID-19 shot, her 48-year-old daughter with developmental disabilities and severe medical problems asked why she couldn’t get hers, too.
At first, her doctor said she didn’t see why not, only to learn that the instructions that came with the vaccine were very clear: She couldn’t give the vaccine to anyone under 65.
A forgotten population segment?
Shepard, a North Florida resident, called the health departments in several counties, only to get the same answer. No one was allowed to vaccinate anyone under 65, even if they had serious medical conditions.
“Every time I check with any entity administering vaccines, they tell me I should not even ask about her because she is 48,” Shepard said. “Even with my daughter’s disabilities, she has a sense of community and does vote. She does not understand why she is being left out.”
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The governor did not recommend Medicaid rate cuts for nursing homes or hospitals, pleasing those facilities. But other groups said the plan falls short in funding for people with developmental disabilities.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed $96.6 billion budget unveiled Thursday got high marks from most, but not all, health care providers that treat poor, elderly and disabled Floridians.
The governor did not recommend Medicaid rate cuts for nursing homes or hospitals in his proposed spending plan for the 2021-22 fiscal year, drawing praise from associations that lobby for those facilities.
But other groups said the proposed budget falls short in funding for the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.