Washington Weighs Tightening Eligibility for Disability Services
Washington's Department of Social and Health Services has proposed restricting eligibility for developmental disability services as part of its budget request for the state's next two-year spending plan, aiming to save $13.3 million, including about $6 million in general fund savings. The change would raise the bar for qualifying activities-of-daily-living support, ending Medicaid eligibility for an estimated 2,655 residents and potentially eliminating housing for people in residential facilities whose placement depends on eligibility. Advocates, including The Arc of Washington State, warn the cuts could push people into costlier institutional or hospital settings and homelessness. The proposal now goes to Gov. Bob Ferguson, who will release his budget plan in December ahead of a multibillion-dollar shortfall lawmakers face when the legislature reconvenes in January; the budget would run July 2027 through June 2029.