09/17/2026
Sharing from The Arc of Washington State:
The legislative session doesn't begin until January, but the fight over the 2027β2029 budget has already started, and we need your voice now.
State agencies have submitted their budget decision packages to the governor, who will decide in the coming weeks which to include in his budget proposal. One of those proposals would be devastating for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD).
THE PROPOSAL
Beginning in 2029, the state would restrict eligibility for long-term care services, including home and community-based services waivers and personal care. It is framed as a cost-saving measure. In reality, it would strip services from thousands of Washingtonians and cost the state more in the long run.
WHO WOULD LOSE SERVICES
An estimated 2,655 people would no longer qualify. Because many receive more than one service, the impacts overlap:
195 adults and children in Community Residential Services or State Operated Community Residential (SOCR) settings
471 people receiving Personal Care services
874 people on the Individual & Family Services Waiver, living at home with family
1,170 people receiving Supported Employment and/or Community Inclusion services
325 people receiving respite (non-waiver, out-of-home, or in an Adult Family Home) or licensed staff residential services
Still unknown: how many DDA clients in Adult Family Homes would lose services, and how many adults and children would lose Medicaid coverage altogether when they lose their waiver.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Because the new criteria would apply to both DSHS DDA and long-term care services, people living in residential settings would have nowhere else to turn. Many no longer have family able to care for them. Where are they supposed to go?
We know how this ends: people lose their homes, their supports, and their stability. The state then pays more, through emergency rooms, hospitals, jails, and crisis systems, than it ever saved. The human cost is higher still.
Our state has a moral obligation to care for this population. Cutting people from the services that keep them housed and safe is not a budget solution. It is abandonment.
THESE CUTS ARE NOT FINAL. The Governor has not yet released his budget, and the Legislature has not voted. With your help, we can stop them.
TAKE ACTION here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-elected-officials-no-changes-to-eligibility?source=direct_link&link_id=5&can_id=f6de5ed3832f97f1c00b5bc589e8caf9&email_referrer=email_3404344&email_subject=eligibility-changes-proposed-act-now&
You can read more about the proposed cuts here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i6Z-40vaHhOu6FFNHwDvaEazFAKunYB6/view.
What to do?
The Take Action buttons take you to an alert The Arc of Washington State set up. Enter your information and click on the button that says "start writing." It will send an email from you directly to Governor Ferguson and your legislators. The Arc drafted a letter that tells them:
"Do NOT change eligibility for people with developmental disabilities. People depend on these services to live, work, and participate in their communities. Please reject any decision package that restricts long-term care or DDA eligibility."
You can edit this letter. If you or a family member would be affected, say so. Personal stories are the most powerful tool we have.
