Sunday night, House Republicans dropped their latest plan for Medicaid reform, and it’s got a lot of people asking: Should we be worried? Should we panic? And what should we be doing? Here’s what you need to know—without the spin.

My daughter shares about as much in common with a Mensa-level PhD candidate as a fish does with a chicken. Nobody’s handing chickens supreme authority to make decisions for fish just because chickens can bawk while fish cannot.

Society never claims that if only fish grew up in chicken-designed “animal-affirming” environments, they’d suddenly take up roosting and learn to crow at sunrise. There’s no assumption that every fish thrives in the same tank conditions, either. Some need fresh water. Others need salt. Certain fish want solitude, others survive best in schools. The important point: experts don’t consult chickens when they want to understand fish. They study the fish themselves. Wild concept, right?

The fundamental flaw in this approach is not that we celebrate independence—it's that we've allowed independence to become a prerequisite for human dignity. The true antidote to eugenic thinking isn't proving that disabled people can be productive; it's rejecting productivity as a measure of human value altogether.

The intersection of privacy rights and protection measures for individuals with severe disabilities presents a complex challenge in disability advocacy. Recent legislation proposed in Kentucky has brought this debate to the forefront, highlighting the critical need for nuanced approaches to safeguarding our most vulnerable populations.