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Lawmakers press KDADS on IDD and PD waiver wait lists and why funded slots take months to fill
Summary
Legislators pressed KDADS about why previously appropriated IDD and PD waiver slots took months to fill, revealing multi-step offer processes, mailing delays and eligibility verification as causes; KDADS said the IDD tranche of 500 slots was filled but that wait-list counts are dynamic.
Members of the Committee on Social Services Budget on Friday pressed the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services for a clearer accounting of wait lists and the mechanics that delay turning appropriated waiver slots into served individuals.
Representative Ballard and others noted apparent discrepancies in public figures for waiting lists (committee materials cited numbers ranging from about 3,100 to 4,800). KDADS Deputy Secretary Andy Brown explained the operational process: the agency sends offer letters to applicants on the wait list, allows a statutory response window (approximately four weeks), and often must resend offers if mail is returned or addresses are incorrect. "We usually have to make two or three times that many offers before we can fill all those slots," Brown said, describing multiple rounds of offers and eligibility verification.
Why it matters: Several lawmakers said they had expected appropriated slot funding to translate more quickly into served individuals. Carpenter called the timing "bizarre" and said the reappropriation of unspent funds creates the risk that money intended for the waiver could be swept if not clearly accounted for.
Agency responses and status: KDADS said the IDD 500-slot tranche has been filled but that it required multiple rounds of offers across months to reach that outcome. For the frail-and-elderly waiver, KDADS indicated it had no current wait list but has an amendment out for public comment that would allow the agency to establish a wait list once CMS approves the change; KDADS said it hopes to know CMS' decision by May 1. Brown estimated that 75'80% of those who applied remain eligible at the time an offer is made, but he cautioned that the wait list is dynamic and eligibility must be reverified when offers are extended.
What legislators asked for: Members requested clearer, dashboard-style reporting and a line-item accounting of prior appropriations and reappropriations tied to waiver starts and slot fills. KDADS agreed to return with additional, more detailed materials to help the committee reconcile figures.
Next steps: The committee asked KDADS for more precise, per-slot costings and clearer reporting so members can judge whether ongoing SGF requests are justified or whether existing appropriations should be reallocated.
