What You Need to Know: Medicaid Waiver Funding Changes Could Affect Your Family’s Care Services
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If your family relies on Medicaid Waiver services in Kentucky, you need to be aware of some important changes that could directly impact your loved one’s care. Proposed changes to the way the state reimburses providers may limit access to care, reduce service quality, and make it harder for you to find or keep good caregivers. In this blog, we'll break down what's happening and what you can do about it.
What’s Happening?
Kentucky is proposing a new payment system for Medicaid Waiver services, which help families access essential care for loved ones with disabilities and medical needs. While the goal is to implement a new reimbursement rate methodology, the current proposal only funds 70% of the rates recommended by a recent rate study. This means that many services will not receive the increase needed to sustain providers or improve access to care.
How Does This Impact Your Family?
💡 Access to Care Could Get Worse
Right now, many families in Kentucky already face long wait times and struggle to find caregivers or services. If the proposed changes go into effect, these issues could become even more serious. Services like residential care and nutrition support are already hard to find, and there are unofficial waitlists for case management across the state. The funding changes could make it harder to get the care your family needs.
🏥 Providers May Struggle to Stay Open
The new payment rates will not increase for most providers, which could force some of them to reduce services or even close their doors. If your provider is affected, it might mean losing access to essential services or traveling further to find care. This is especially concerning in rural areas, where providers are already scarce.
🔍 Quality of Care May Decline
Without an increase in funding, many caregivers won't receive a wage increase. Kentucky is already facing a caregiver shortage, and stagnant wages will make it even harder to recruit and keep good caregivers. This could lead to a drop in the quality of care your loved one receives, as overworked or underpaid staff leave for better opportunities.
Who Will Be Affected Most?
The populations most at risk from these changes include:
🧑🦼 Adults and children with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD)
👵 The elderly
🧠 People with brain injuries
🏥 Individuals who are medically fragile or dependent on ventilators
These groups rely heavily on Medicaid Waiver services to remain in community-based settings, and the proposed funding changes could leave them without the support they need.
What Can You Do?
If you’re concerned about how these changes could affect your family, now is the time to act. The state needs to hear from families like yours, who rely on Medicaid Waiver services to care for their loved ones. By sending an email to the state, you can help push for better funding and protect access to care.
✍️ Take Action Now: Send an Email
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS ON 9/13!
Email: [email protected]
Share your story with the state to make sure they understand how important these services are.
Ask them to fully fund Medicaid Waiver services at 100% of the recommended rate to protect quality care.
Your voice can make a difference in ensuring that families like yours continue to have access to the services they need.
Need a done-for-you email template?
Get a free email template here!
Want more info?
Here is the info from the Department for Medicaid Services.
ABI Acute: Waiver Application and Summary
ABI LTC: Waiver Application and Summary
HCB: Waiver Application and Summary
MIIW: Waiver Application and Summary
MPW: Waiver Application and Summary
SCL: Waiver Application and Summary
Medicaid Waiver services are vital for thousands of families in Kentucky, and the proposed funding changes could have far-reaching effects.
From longer waitlists to fewer providers and a decline in care quality, these changes may impact your ability to access the services your loved one relies on. By staying informed and taking action, you can help protect your family’s access to care.
Let’s make sure the state knows that families are counting on them to fully fund these services and keep caregivers and providers available for those who need them most.
Stay Informed, Stay Involved.
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