Support Increased Funding for Intellectual Disability and Autism Services in the Pennsylvania Budget

For the first time in ten years, Pennsylvania’s proposed 2017-2018 budget includes rate increases for intellectual disability and autism services. This includes funding for across the board rate increases, and increased community-based services and waiting list initiatives. This increased funding is critical to people with intellectual disability and autism, as well as the people who support them. Highlights from the proposed PA budget (both the Governor’s and the House’s) for intellectual disability and autism services include:

• $54.7 million to provide for rate increases from the renewal of the waiver program;
• $109.7 million to provide for increases in utilization and costs;
• $15.4 million for the Community Living Waiver to create a new program for family caregivers to ensure 1,000 individuals currently on the waiting list can continue to live at home;
• $8.5 million to expand services for individuals with disability to provide home and community-based services for 820 students graduating from special education—a figure that is projected to cover every such student this coming year;
• Funding to begin to transition individuals from the Hamburg State Center to home and community-based services;
• $9.3 million for new community participation services from the renewal of the waiver program; and
• $642,000 in Autism Intervention and Services for home and community-based services for 50 additional adults with autism spectrum disorder.
• On April 4, the PA House of Representatives passed the budget bill with all of the increased funding for intellectual disability and autism services. The PA Senate is now discussing the budget and will vote soon. Please join Keystone Human Services in encouraging PA Senators to support a 2017-2018 budget that invests in intellectual disability and autism services.