Optimism high in Capitol for advancement of developmental disability assistance

Yahoo

12-03-2025

Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (podium) and Rep. Rita Harris (right of the podium) say now is the time for a Medicaid buy-in for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Photo by Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix)
Hopes are high in Tallahassee for the Legislature to advance the cause of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a number of important ways.
State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Rep. Rita Harris during a press conference Wednesday touted legislation (SB 1686/HB 1373) that would create a Medicaid buy-in program for working individuals with disabilities — a move they say would go a long way in helping them work while continuing to qualify for Medicaid, a safety net program for the poor, elderly, and disabled.
'When people can work and earn more, they spend more,' Harris said adding, 'This bill means more self-sufficiency.'
Smith added: 'People with disabilities, they too often have to choose. They have to choose between earning a living or having the essential services that they need. This is a serious barrier to economic self-sufficiency, and it discourages work for people with disabilities.'
Also attending the press conference was Maria Sutter, an architect who was living in New York City when a bicycle accident left her with a spinal cord injury. 'At the time of my accident, I really thought I was living my absolute best life,' she said.
Sutter, 48, said she moved to Ohio following her accident and rehabilitation. There, she was able to tap into a Medicaid buy-in program that allowed her to work without losing her Medicaid coverage while paying premiums.
But she lost that opportunity when she moved to Florida.
'This really is a smart fiscally responsible strategy. It's not a handout. It's going to empower me to be able to work and live independently so I can continue to receive my own community-based services, which lets me have things like my own caregivers, and they really meet my needs,' she said.
Smith and Harris are both Democrats, but House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican from Miami, has shown an interest in developmental disability issues, in part because his brother has autism.
In addition to pushing the Medicaid legislation, Smith said the Legislature should also pass SB 412, the 'Motorized Wheelchair Right to Repair Act,' which requires wheelchair equipment manufacturers to make available any documentation, parts, and tools required for the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of the devices.
A Harvard public health study shows wheelchair users experienced severe consequences from wheelchair breakdown, with 27% stranded at home, 12% stuck in bed, and 9% stranded outside their home from anywhere from two to 17 days.
Smith also urged passage of SB 862 which would require the state's top economists to consider the number of people with developmental disabilities who qualify for the 'iBudget,' and projected future need for the program as they prepare their estimates.
iBudget is an optional Medicaid waiver program that allows people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to access home and community-based services that are not normally part of a traditional Medicaid program, but that help them with their activities of daily living. By accessing assistance with feeding and bathing they are able to avoid being institutionalized, which costs more than providing the home and community based services.
The state's iBudget program is not now part of the state's regular Social Services Estimating Conference review, which means state economists don't project the need or costs for the program as they do with other Medicaid programs.
iBudget is an optional Medicaid waiver program that allows people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to access home and community-based services that are not normally part of a traditional Medicaid program, but that help them with their activities of daily living. By accessing assistane with feeding and bathing they are able to avoid being institutionalized, which costs more than providing the home and community based services.
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