Kansas Diverts $24 Million From I/DD Waitlist Reduction as Backlog Hits 5,348
Kansas lawmakers confronted state officials after the Department for Aging and Disability Services shifted $24 million intended to reduce the intellectual and developmental disability waitlist to services for the frail elderly and brain injury populations. The I/DD waitlist grew to 5,348 in August 2026, exceeding statutory caps of 4,800 for FY2025 and 4,000 for FY2026. KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said the transfer, made with legislative consent, prevented waitlists from forming in other populations, and urged lawmakers to appropriate additional funding in the January 2027 session. The Legislature's Medicaid oversight committee expressed frustration over the failure to meet statutory requirements and provide a strategic waitlist reduction plan.