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Advocates and state council press for thousands more NOW/COMP waivers as waiting list grows
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Summary
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and multiple family advocates urged lawmakers to expand NOW and COMP Medicaid waivers, citing a waiting list of roughly 7,900 people and repeated testimony on the financial and social returns of waivering supports.
Darcy Robb, executive director of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), told the subcommittee that Georgia’s waiting list for NOW/COMP Medicaid waivers has grown and that advocates, providers and a bipartisan legislative study previously recommended a large increase in new waiver slots.
Robb and parents who testified said the waiver program enables people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work, contribute to the economy and avoid costly institutionalization. GCDD recommended adding about 2,400 NOW/COMP waivers (a figure cited in testimony as associated with approximately $65 million), a request that coincides with advocacy from families and provider groups who described discharged caregivers, job loss and the prospect of institutional placement if supports are not available.
Multiple parents and self‑advocates described immediate, practical consequences: adults who age out of school and lose specialized supports; family caregivers who fear they cannot continue; and examples of people who work and pay taxes when supported. GCDD staff and members also described Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) program growth and employment outcomes for program alumni.
