Wheelchair user Julia Feinberg, who has spinal muscular atrophy, is very aware that she will need more assistance as she ages in Oakland. She lives independently thanks to the 600 hours of help she gets each month to have someone assist with daily tasks, like getting out of bed, grocery shopping, and preparing meals.

If Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) gets his way, Feinberg risks losing the care that allows her to live an independent life. In-home support services, known in California as IHSS, is a program that pays home aides or loved ones to help people with disabilities with daily tasks. Active since 1983, the program is funded by federal and state Medicaid funds. In practice, it’s a win-win for consumers and governments: disabled people get to live in their communities at a fraction of the price it would cost for the state to house them in nursing homes or hospitals. As of March 2026, there were over 900,000 disabled people and aging adults who are authorized to receive home care through the program.

California’s disabled people are now caught in the middle of what is essentially a schoolyard fight between Newsom and Donald Trump. As Newsom continues to cast himself as Trump’s most formidable Democratic opponent, as of Wednesday, Trump’s federal government is threatening to withhold over a billion dollars worth of Medicaid reimbursements amid baseless claims of fraud. Newsom’s proposed solution puts hundreds of thousands of disabled people at risk of losing access to the country’s largest and most accessible in-home support program.

“There’s just no way that this state truly lacks the revenue to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable Californians are met.”

Newsom wants to change how the program is funded. Under his proposed plan, first introduced in January, if someone like Feinberg needs an increase in hours for the support they need, the county would have to cover more of the cost. Many counties can’t afford the cost. Newsom also proposes cutting a backup provider program, which could leave disabled people in peril if their home aid gets sick.

Every state in America........

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