How Will the Medicaid Waiver Redesign Affect Students and Families?

Indiana is currently in the midst of a process designed to improve the services delivered to people with disabilities and their families who are eligible for Indiana’s Medicaid Waivers. As a part of that process the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS), other state agencies, and consultants involved in the redesign recently published an “Initial Concept Paper” to describe possible changes to the state’s waiver system.

Those agencies as well as advocacy organizations want to know what families and individuals with disabilities think about the new ideas. You could help connect families and young adults to a variety of feedback opportunities and listening sessions scheduled around the state. Explain to families that nothing is final yet, and DDRS really does want to know what people think! The deadline for feedback is April 17, 2020.

Resources to help understand what’s being proposed:

As a part of their Building Bridges meetings, the Bureau of Developmental Disability Services (BDDS) is traveling the state in February and March to talk with individuals and families about the waiver redesign. Upcoming meetings are from 6-8 p.m. local time in Clarksville, Evansville, Bloomington, Plymouth, and Fort Wayne. BDDS will be in Clarksville February 6. For more information, dates and locations, see the BDDS Waiver Redesign web page.

The Arc of Indiana, Self-Advocates of Indiana, and the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community is holding additional listening sessions for families and self-advocates. Those meetings will be held in Kokomo, Gary, New Albany, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Vincennes. Kokomo is up first, this week on February 6. Read more about the Kokomo listening session here.

DDRS is also accepting comments via email to ddrswaivercomment@fssa.IN.gov and via this survey.

Please share this information with families!