January 23rd

The mission of Unlock the Waiting Lists Campaign is to reduce and/or eliminate waiting lists for thousands of people with disabilities and their families who need home and community based services.

Services are delivered through several mechanisms, the NOW and COMP waiver programs, the ICWP waiver programs, state grant in aid contracts to providers and state funds for family support, crisis services, etc. Providers are one of the mechanisms through which services are delivered, and they are reimbursed by Medicaid, or they bill for services against their state contracts.

We recognize that providers have not received a rate increase since 2004, despite the increasing costs of delivering services and the increasing demands on the service system for greater quality and accountability. Medicaid reimbursement rates are among the lowest in the country. Provider contracts have been cut consistently over time in response to the recession and shrinking of the state budget.

Unlock's position is that we must be unrelenting in keeping attention on the needs of people with disabilities in every community in Georgia who have been waiting for years for support. The waiting list will continue to grow with or without a change in provider rates.

Unlock wants providers to support additional resources in the budget for individuals needing services. In return, Unlock will support further analysis of the HOST home rates and the impact of the proposed rate changes this fiscal year. Unlock will advocate for differential provider rate increases that support the priority outcomes of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Division of DD -- person-centered, integrated, individually-based services in the community.

We support a multi-partner meeting, professionally facilitated, to come to consensus on the direction of Division in developing a comprehensive system of high quality supports and services that offer individuals with disabilities choice and opportunity in their communities, to be held after the legislative session.