Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hcbs Waivers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kansas providers warn of new waiver wait lists as committees review HCBS shortfalls
Summary
Advocates and providers told the Committee on Social Services Budget that shortfalls in frail elderly, brain-injury, TA and IDD waivers could create waiting lists and push Kansans into costlier institutional care unless the Legislature funds enhancements and reappropriations.
Advocates and providers told the Committee on Social Services Budget on Jan. 29 that shortfalls in multiple home- and community-based services (HCBS) waivers risk creating waiting lists that would drive eligible Kansans into nursing facilities or hospitals.
Multiple witnesses cited KDADS estimates and agency figures to quantify the shortfalls. ‘‘According to KDADS December 2025 estimations, the projected shortfall for both of these waivers is 22,000,000 [state general fund] in State fiscal year 2026 and 36,300,000 in State fiscal year 2027,’’ said Liz Cabal Williams of Impact Home Health during a remote presentation. Dan Goodman of Kansas Advocates for Better Care told the committee a similar gap of roughly $33,000,000 could force an FE (frail elderly) waiting list and push older Kansans into nursing homes.
Why it matters: Several presenters argued that keeping people on waivers at home saves the state money compared with institutional care. Janet Williams of Minds Matter said a community brain‑injury waiver costs about $48,000 a year per person versus $70,000–$90,000 in a nursing home and roughly $55,000 a year in an in‑patient brain‑injury facility. ‘‘If you have a waiting list, you are paying $1,500 per day,’’ she said, summarizing the cost differences in her written testimony.
Speakers representing providers and advocacy groups gave examples of the human impact and the fiscal calculus. Melissa Saben of Little Lobbyists, who testified with her son Logan, said waivers ‘‘allow my son to breathe ... eat and to live safely at home’’ and that families were asking not for new programs but ‘‘enough’’ to fund existing waivers.
Officials and providers identified specific at‑risk waivers and figures: - KDADS/Impact Home Health: $22M (FY2026) and $36.3M (FY2027) shortfalls across FE and brain‑injury waivers. (Liz Cabal Williams) - Kansas Advocates for Better Care: projected $33M shortfall for HCBS frail elderly in 2027 and an anticipated wait list that could affect hundreds to thousands of older Kansans. (Dan Goodman) - IDD waiting list: multiple conferees cited an IDD waiting list figure of about 4,800 people and urged following the statutory proviso to return offers down to a cap of 4,000; advocates asked appropriations to translate offers into funded slots. (Mike Burgess and others)
What providers requested: Testimony included reappropriation requests, one‑time and ongoing funding to avert waits, and targeted investments to maintain service capacity. Janet Williams said KDADS calculated roughly $6.9M would both reappropriate necessary funds and cover the brain‑injury wait‑list funding. Others asked the committee to restore or make ongoing the $4M that had been provided one time last year for uninsured services at community mental health centers.
Committee response and next steps: Committee members asked clarifying questions about timing, fiscal years and program eligibility. Chair Bueller closed the day noting the committee will take the testimony into account when meeting again to craft recommendations.
Ending note: Witnesses repeatedly emphasized that failing to fully fund these waivers is likely to increase state costs long term by shifting people into institutions and emergency care and urged the Legislature to weigh those downstream costs against the requested appropriations.
