Appropriations committee advances KDADS budget with targeted HCBS increases, nursing-home payment changes and ARPA support for IDD housing

The Committee on Appropriations on [date not specified] approved fiscal recommendations for the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), adding targeted funding for home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers, adjusting nursing-home capacity payments and endorsing a mix of ARPA and state dollars for a residential project serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Chairman Bueller, standing for the Social Services budget committee, told members KDADS is “about 15% of the state budget” and outlined the agency’s responsibilities, including Medicaid long-term care payments, adult care-home certification, behavioral health programs and administration of seven HCBS waivers. The committee reviewed the agency request (about $3.8 billion) alongside the special committee and House Social Services estimates before making amendments.

Why it matters: Committee members said modest, targeted increases were intended to preserve capacity and keep residents served in community settings when possible — a strategy the committee described as cost-avoidant compared with nursing-home placements.

What the committee did: The committee…