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Family warns lawmakers cutting parental income disregard would force costly placements; ODDS explains program scope
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Summary
A parent testified that removing the parental income disregard would "devastate" access to therapies and could force families to institutionalize children; ODDS explained the disregard treats the child as a family of one for Medicaid eligibility and said roughly 2,400 children currently receive waiver services because of it.
The Senate Human Services Committee heard an informational briefing and family testimony on the parental income disregard, a Medicaid eligibility rule used in Oregon's developmental disability waivers to count a child as a family of one for financial eligibility.
ODDS interim director Darlene O'Keefe and policy manager Caitlin Shockley explained the three‑part eligibility test (diagnosis/medical criteria, qualifying level of care, and Medicaid financial/nonfinancial eligibility) and said the parental income disregard allows children who would otherwise be ineligible based on family income to access waiver services. Shockley told the committee that "we have it appears to be around 2,400 children who are eligible for Medicaid and are served by an ODDS waiver, due to the parental income disregard." The presenters emphasized that the disregard is distinct from paid‑parent/provider programs.
A parent, Monica Huey of Redmond, described the effect of the potential cut on her family. "This removal will devastate her access to life changing therapies and essentials like food, medicine, and emergency medical care," she said of her daughter Rose, a medically complex 8‑year‑old who uses a feeding tube, requires extensive attendant care and whose family faces steep out‑of‑pocket costs. Huey said loss of coverage and attendant hours could bankrupt families or force institutional placements that would cost the state more.
Committee members and staff reiterated the distinction between parental income disregard and paid parent/provider proposals and asked ODDS to supply additional documentation and crosswalks showing where removed reporting requirements and other program changes would appear. Chair closed the informational hearing and announced upcoming work groups on related budget decisions.
What happens next: ODDS will provide requested crosswalks and additional technical detail to the committee; members signaled an intent to hear more testimony and analysis before any budget or statutory changes.
