Jason Delgado
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council issued a statement Monday recognizing Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s decision to leave the funding for the iBudget Waiver and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities untouched.
“The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is pleased by Governor DeSantis’ decision to preserve funding for the iBudget Waiver through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities,” the council said. “The decision to support thousands of our most vulnerable citizens is not taken lightly in these unprecedented times.”
According to FDDC, the iBudget Waiver is a health insurance program that serves nearly 35,000 individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It also stands as the only public health insurance program available to people with disabilities.
“The iBudget Waiver helps people get the care and support needed to live and work in their own homes and communities,” said the FDDCC. “It is the only program that prevents a person from having to live in an institution to get the care they need.”
The statement comes after DeSantis unveiled a slimmer budget Monday afternoon that hundreds of vetos aimed at balancing the state’s COVID-19 impacted pocketbook.
The FDDC noted that during the legislative session, council leaders urged the Governor to preserve the needed funding.
In a letter sent to DeSantis, the FDDC also requested pay increases for critical personal support staff that went unfulfilled.
“Although the Council is disappointed that pay increases were vetoed for critical personal support staff, a lifeline for health and safety for those living at home, we are grateful that the Governor and his staff kept APD whole,” the FDDC said, adding: “the funding set forth by today’s decision will allow for tremendous strides in assisting thousands of Floridians.”
The FDDC is an organization committed to “advocating and promoting programs, practices and innovative initiatives that enhance the independence, productivity, inclusion and self-determination of individuals with developmental disabilities in all aspects of life,” their website reads.
2 comments
GENEVA ZILLER
June 30, 2020 at 4:46 pm
OK, great but:
What about the Waiver Support Coordinators that are being forced to work for an agency when we have been independents for years? We are all reviewed annually rather we are agency or independent and we all have to take the same trainings. This makes no sense.
Also, there is a raise for the APD personnel but what about the WSC’s? We haven’t had a raise in years and must supply our own vehicle to visit clients, our own paper, ink & office equipment. Plus we have to house client records for up to five years until they can be sent to Iron Mountain. And sometimes we have to wait an indefinite amount of time for that.
concerned parent
July 1, 2020 at 1:45 pm
Ok great but: Is the state going to continue to harass care givers with repeated requirements to file this and that over and over again. Its a waste of everyone’s time and precious resources. Its as if the state does not get that when someone is permanently disabled with an incurable condition that they are permanently disabled with an incurable condition. It is a full time job chasing this inane stuff around and takes months. Just when it finally straight-it starts over again with new rules. Stop it-it doesn’t save a Nickle-costs the state plenty in bureaucratic costs and puts horrendous pressure on people who are already overwhelmed.
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