Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has proposed a budget amendment for Fiscal Year 2025. The amendment plans to invest over $23 million in Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) and Physical Disability (PD) waivers. This investment aims to create 250 new slots for each waiver, providing an additional 500 Kansans with disabilities access to essential services like in-home care. The governor is also advocating for long-term strategies to increase the capacity of disabled service providers. These strategies include Medicaid expansion and the Community Supports Waiver.
Laura Howard, Secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, supports the amendment. She believes it will provide essential disability supports and services to more Kansans. She also stressed the importance of additional funding to reduce the waitlist for community-based services.
Michele Heydon, Long Term Services Coordinator at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, agrees with Howard. She emphasized the need to expand Medicaid and ensure the availability of qualified direct service professionals.