Advocacy / Home Care & Community Living
Home care doesn’t make me dependent.
It makes my independence possible.
I’m Charlie Merritt, a Marine veteran, father, grandfather, and C3 quadriplegic in Edgewater, Florida.
Humana’s decision to end my home-care agency’s contract puts the support I rely on at risk. These three videos follow the letter, the questions I started asking, and the life that reliable care makes possible.
Watch in order, or jump to a chapter. Each video also has a direct Facebook link and a written summary.
PART 1 OF 3
The Letter
The notice that put my care at risk.
Humana notified me that it was ending its contract with the agency providing my Medicaid home care. I explain what that letter means when you depend on caregivers to get out of bed, get dressed, and live at home.
Read the Part 1 summary
This is where the story starts: a notice about an agency contract, and the very real question of who will provide the care I need. Changing the name of an agency does not automatically put a trained caregiver at my door.
PART 2 OF 3
The “Business Decision”
I started asking why. The answers raised more questions.
In the second video, I look at Humana’s explanation, the “business decision,” and reports from other people facing similar notices. I’m asking what happens to the people whose daily care depends on these contracts.
Read the Part 2 summary
The questions go beyond the letter: Why is the contract ending? What replacement care will actually be available? And how will continuity be protected for people who already struggle to find caregivers? These are the questions I am documenting and asking.
PART 3 OF 3
Home Care Makes Independence Possible
This is the why.
Reliable care makes it possible for me to live in my community, make my own choices, work, spend time with my family, and advocate for other people with paralysis. This video shows what is at stake.
Read the Part 3 summary
My caregivers do not live my life for me. They make it possible for me to live it. Reliable support means my family does not have to give up their own lives to meet all of my care needs. It gives me the freedom to be a father, grandfather, professional, nonprofit leader, and member of my community.
WHERE THINGS STAND
The issue is continuity of care.
Updated October 2, 2026
I received notice that Humana was ending its contract with my home-care agency, with 60 days’ notice. I have filed a grievance.
I already use three agencies to piece together my care. Over the past 12 years, I have had to recruit my own caregivers because agencies have not consistently been able to staff my care. A replacement agency needs to be able to work with my current caregivers so there is continuity.
My concern is practical: who will actually show up and provide the care that lets me stay in my home and live in my community?
My caregivers don’t live my life for me. They make it possible for me to live it.