End The Wait
What is End The Wait?
The End the Wait Campaign is a statewide issue campaign working to educate the public and policymakers about why Kansas needs to take bold action in order to end the Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) Waiting Lists. The End the Wait Campaign is a collaborative project of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas (DRC) and numerous stakeholders, funded through a generous grant by the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD). The ultimate goal of the End the Wait Campaign is to successfully end all Waiting Lists for the I/DD Waiver.
What are Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)?
What is at stake?
There are an estimated 4,500 Kansans with I/DD waiting for life sustaining I/DD Waiver services. Currently, the waitlist to access these services is about nine years. Most getting services do so because of a crisis rather than because their spot on the list finally coming up.
The services provided through the I/DD waiver are critical and tailored to the individual. They can be used to cover the cost of housing, in-home care, or tuition for day-service programs to help the individual develop social skills, continue education, or start job training. Without financial help from the state, out-of-pocket costs for support services could cost families roughly $50,000 per person, each year.
While many lawmakers continue to look the other way, Kansans with I/DD are being left behind.
What community based services are funded through the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)-I/DD Waiver?
- Assistive Services
- Adult Day Supports
- Financial Management Services
- Medical Alert-rental
- Overnight Respite
- Personal Care Services
- Residential Supports for Adults
- Residential Supports for Children
- Enhanced Care Services
- Specialized Medical Care
- Supported Employment
- Supportive Home Care
- Wellness Monitoring
- Targeted Case Management (This is not a waiver service and is available once you are found eligible for I/DD services. If you are not KanCare eligible, there may be a fee for this service.)
Eligibility for I/DD Waiver Program
- Must be 5 years of age or older;
- Have Intellectual Disability that began before the age of 18;
- Have a diagnosis of a Developmental Disability that began before the age of 22;
- Must be determined program eligible by the Community Disability Determination Organization;
- Meet the Medicaid long-term care institutional threshold score;
- Be financially eligible for Medicaid.