Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Respite Care Aggregate Funds topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would let families use underused waiver dollars to buy more respite care, backers say
Summary
House Bill 1344 would allow respite care to be an eligible item under aggregate services in Basic Plus and SIBS waivers; supporters said it could increase respite hours by tapping underused funds, while opponents asked for clarity on implementation and protections.
Representative Stephanie Barnard, sponsor of House Bill 1344, told the committee the bill directs the Developmental Disabilities Administration to submit a waiver amendment to allow respite care to be an eligible aggregate service under the Basic Plus and Children’s Intensive In-Home Behavioral Support (SIBS) waivers.
"This bill provides options that open up flexibility for families to use aggregate dollars that go unused every single year," Representative Barnard said in testimony, describing respite added to the aggregate services menu as a practical way to increase available hours.
Committee staff explained that aggregate services are a dollar-limited menu of services clients may choose under those waivers and that adding respite to that menu would allow families to convert otherwise underused aggregate dollars into respite hours.
Supporters emphasized the immediate family need and a likely modest budget impact balanced by federal Medicaid match. Witness Jim Wellman, a parent advocate, provided utilization estimates: he testified that average spending on aggregate services is well under the annual $6,192 cap and that converting underused aggregate funds could add an average of roughly 160 additional respite hours per person per year; he estimated a first-year uptake affecting "maybe 2 to 4,000 people," with an estimated gross cost of "$10 to $20 million," roughly half of which would be federal match.
Family witnesses and The Arc of Washington State characterized the bill as a commonsense fix that eases access and reduces a burdensome prior-authorization process for aggregate services. Linda Hyatt noted families had previously requested that DDA add respite to aggregate services and described the bill as a practical, fiscally responsive approach.
No formal committee action was taken during the hearing. Proponents urged the committee to approve the technical change to allow families to convert underused aggregate funds to respite, while testifiers and staff asked for detail about implementation timing and how many families could realistically use the funds.
