Mr. Wheels Daily Dispatch - Tuesday, October 20, 2026
1. The government wants to shrink the survey that counts us
The CDC's National Health Interview Survey could go from 490 adult health questions to about 200 to 225 by 2028, the AP reports. Questions proposed for removal cover difficulty walking and climbing stairs, memory, fatigue, and use of canes, wheelchairs and scooters. Advocates and researchers say as many as a quarter of wheelchair users and more than a third of people who are blind or deaf could be miscategorized as not disabled. The CDC official overseeing the survey says neither HHS nor the White House budget office ordered the redesign; he points to tight budgets, a hiring freeze and falling response rates. The public comment period ends today, Oct. 20.
Why it matters to our community: If we aren't counted, nobody can measure what Medicaid cuts do to us, and policy gets made in the dark.
Source: Associated Press via WTTW, Oct. 19, 2026 — https://news.wttw.com/2026/10/19/americans-disabilities-worry-about-proposed-changes-major-national-health-survey
2. Three senators say glitchy Medicaid computer systems will knock eligible people off
Sens. Wyden, Warren and Warnock issued a report demanding that CMS set tougher standards for contractors like Deloitte that run state Medicaid eligibility systems. KFF Health News reports that next year millions of enrollees in more than 40 states must prove they're working or doing a similar activity at least 80 hours a month, unless they qualify for an exemption. The senators warn that layering the new rules on old systems will cause people to lose coverage improperly. CMS did not respond to a request for comment, and KFF notes the proposals face long odds in a Republican-controlled Congress.
Why it matters to our community: Many of us qualify for an exemption, but we'll have to prove it through the same portals that have a history of errors.
Source: KFF Health News, Oct. 20, 2026 — https://kffhealthnews.org/medicaid/medicaid-eligibility-computer-systems-deloitte-democratic-senators-demand-tougher-standards/
3. States are scrambling to cushion the federal Medicaid changes
Virginia launched a coalition of health and workforce groups on Monday to help people keep coverage under H.R. 1, the 2025 reconciliation law. The Virginia Mercury reports that about 300,000 Virginians are at risk of losing Medicaid next year because of added verification and eligibility rules, and more than 5,000 lawful immigrants lost eligibility this month alone. The state's health secretary said some coverage losses may be unavoidable under the federal changes.
Why it matters to our community: States with a plan can soften the blow. States without one, and Florida is on that list for many of us, leave people to fend for themselves.
Source: Virginia Mercury, Oct. 20, 2026 — https://virginiamercury.com/2026/10/20/new-coalition-aims-to-keep-virginians-covered-as-medicaid-rules-tighten/
4. Disability groups ask Congress to protect the program that gets people out of institutions
AAHD, Lakeshore Foundation and other disability coalitions sent Congress a letter asking it to extend Money Follows the Person and Medicaid spousal impoverishment protections in law. Money Follows the Person helps people move from institutions into homes and communities. AmeriDisability notes people who rely on Medicaid waivers may want to follow how their state responds.
Why it matters to our community: Living at home instead of in a facility is a civil right, and this program is one of the ways it becomes real.
Source: AmeriDisability, Oct. 19, 2026 — https://www.ameridisability.com/money-follows-the-person-extension/
Mr. Wheels take
Talking point: Data is power. Strip the wheelchair and cane questions out of the national health survey, and cuts to our care become invisible on paper. Count us, or we get erased.
Take action: If you're reading this today, submit a comment on the survey redesign before the Oct. 20 deadline (search "National Health Interview Survey redesign" in the Federal Register). Then call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, ask for your senators, and tell them to extend Money Follows the Person.
Real voices. Real impact. Real change. — Mr. Wheels