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The Contradiction at the Heart of Disability in America

The author in Washington, D.C. on July 24, 2025. —Zack BirthdayI’m an actor. I also use a motorized wheelchair and a ventilator, and both of them run on Medicaid. The machine that pushes air into my lungs, the chair that moves me across a room, and the aide who gets me out of bed so I can do my job and be on television are all paid for by Medicaid. Without that coverage, I wouldn’t have a career. Instead, I would have a massive life crisis. I’ve spent this year in a split-screen. On one side, I’ve had the best professional run of my life. On the other, a law that’s starting to take shape is th...