Possible funding cuts could jeopardize Developmental Disability Services

OKLAHOMA CITY - People who work in the Department of Human Services'Developmental Disability Services department take care of more than 5,500 disabled in the state, while managing a waiting list for services that continues to grow and a labor shortage among providers due to low pay.

Possible cuts could also jeopardize the 7,548 people who are on a more than 10-year waiting list to receive benefits through a program administered through DHS called the Medicaid Home and Community Services Waiver. It's a federally funded program that requires the state to pay between 20 and 40 percent of its total budget.

Cuts also could hurt the 1,200 people who receive state-funded benefits through the Department of Human Services'Developmental Disabilities Services department. The program is funded by about 60 percent from Medicaid and 40 percent from the state.

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