Speakers at the rally drew attention to the state’s Medicaid waivers, which are programs offering services beyond regular coverage, tailored for disabled or elderly Kentuckians. These waivers often include home care, personal assistance, case management, and therapy. Advocates say these services help disabled Kentuckians retain their independence and receive care in their communities.
Austin Clark, who is blind and was accompanied by a service animal, spoke at the event. Clark is the community engagement manager for The HIVE, a Bowling Green nonprofit which connects people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to inclusive programs and community events. He says the waiting list for the state’s Medicaid wavers is famously long.
"It's very scary to think that some of our people who are in their early twenties, with how the waitlist is going, they won't get services until they're in their sixties, seventies, eighties," said Clark. "That's just no way to live."
Karen Herdina, a parent advocate for intellectually disabled Kentuckians, said her sons were on the waiver waitlist for ten years - but that this session's proposed budget may help shorten that wait for others.
"In the legislative session right now, in the budget, we have a lot of money going toward these slots," said Herdina. "We're hoping that today, the legislators will hear us and keep that money in the budget for those slots."
The House’s proposed budget for 2025 and 2026 allocates $60.7 million toward 2,550 new Medicaid slots across four waiver programs. The waitlist currently includes over 12,000 Kentuckians.