Papadopoulos Leaves Nursing Home After 10 Years as U.S. Moves to Weaken In-Home Care Rule
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 7
Papadopoulos Leaves Nursing Home After 10 Years as U.S. Moves to Weaken In-Home Care Rule
2 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 7
Summary
July 2026 brought Nick Papadopoulos home after a decade in a Georgia nursing home, where he landed after losing Medicaid home supports following a 2016 hospitalization.
Aug. 31 then raised the stakes: Trump administration lawyers told a federal judge they would erase a 50-year-old Medicaid provision favoring care at home, making institutional placement easier for states.
That concession would undercut the 1999 Olmstead Supreme Court ruling from Georgia, which held that unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities can amount to discrimination under the ADA.
Papadopoulos’ case reflects a wider gap in services: more than 606,000 people nationwide wait for Medicaid home care, Georgia’s list has grown to about 8,000, and advocates say budget cuts could lengthen delays.
Now back in his own home, Papadopoulos says he plans to testify and organize against the rollback, calling home-based care a civil-rights issue rather than a budget option.
Why is a landmark disability rights law suddenly at risk, threatening to force thousands out of their homes?
How did a routine hospital visit trap a man in a nursing home for a decade, and could it happen to you?
2026 Disability Rights Crisis: DOJ Policy Reversal, $1 Trillion Medicaid Cuts, and the Fight for Community-Based Care
Overview
In summer 2026, Nick Papadopoulos finally left a Georgia nursing home after securing a home care provider, symbolizing hope for independent living. However, this personal victory was overshadowed by a major federal policy reversal: the DOJ, following a memo from its Office of Legal Counsel, stopped enforcing civil rights protections that required states to offer community-based care. This shift, combined with massive Medicaid funding cuts from the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' led many states to slash home care budgets and forced families to shoulder more caregiving responsibilities. As federal support eroded, families turned to new digital tools and local advocacy to navigate long waitlists and protect their loved ones from institutionalization.