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Big Lakes reports 172 Riley County clients, seeks flat 2026 support; warns of Medicaid and service-design changes
Summary
Big Lakes Developmental Disabilities Center told the commission it serves 172 Riley County residents, asked for a 2% funding increase and warned the board about federal/state Medicaid uncertainty and proposed 'unbundling' of day services that could raise transportation costs.
Representatives from Big Lakes Developmental Disabilities (the regional IDD service provider) briefed the Riley County Commission on May 5 about their 2026 budget request and policy concerns, saying the agency currently serves 172 Riley County residents and is asking the county for a 2% increase (a requested $4,654 increase above 2025 county support).
Big Lakes director Laurie (last name provided in staff materials) told commissioners that county mill levy funds are critical for transportation services because most clients cannot drive; the agency runs a county route bus for day-program participants and uses county mill-levy dollars as part of the match for KDOT vehicle grants. She said wheelchair-accessible buses have grown substantially more expensive since COVID — from roughly $65,000–$70,000 previously to as much as $135,000 for recent purchases — and noted the agency used federal/state assistance to cover cost increases on two recent vehicles.
Laurie and staff also discussed statewide policy items that could affect Big Lakes’ budget and operations: the state waiting list for IDD services (4,706 statewide) and a Big Lakes area total of 22 people on that list; 46 people were listed from Riley County. They said average waits still run about 10 years and that the legislature authorized limited new waiting-list funding for 2025–26 (200 people in this round), which is likely to be concentrated in larger metropolitan areas.
The presenters warned of a proposed state policy change — described as “unbundling” day services into multiple billable service categories and new authorization tiers — that could shift more transportation onto providers and increase administrative burden. Big Lakes staff said the proposal could require pre‑approving monthly units of several service types for each client and would complicate how providers and families plan services.
Big Lakes said it expects a small Medicaid rate increase of about 1.67% beginning July 1 and that the provider will continue to watch federal proposals and state rule changes closely. Commissioners did not take immediate action on county funding during the May 5 meeting.
