Department of Developmental Services outlines $19 billion budget request, warns federal Medicaid uncertainty could affect programs

Department of Developmental Services Director Pete Chervinko told Budget Subcommittee No. 3 that the governor's Jan. 10 proposed budget requests about $19,000,000,000 for developmental services in 2025–26, an increase of roughly $3.2 billion from the current fiscal year.

Chervinko said the increase is driven in large part by an estimated caseload increase and the full-year cost of implementing provider rate reform. "Our budget for next year, as proposed in the Jan 10 governor's budget, is just about $19,000,000,000—that's an increase of $3,200,000,000 over the current fiscal year," he said. He identified a roughly $2.6 billion request to cover an anticipated estimated caseload increase of 40,000 people and "an additional almost $410,000,000 to, full year annualize the cost of service provider rate reform." (Pete Chervinko, Director, Department of Developmental Services.)

Chervinko told the panel the department plans two small budget change proposals: staffing to comply with the Public Records Act changes that affect regional centers, and converting two limited-term positions to permanent to…