Gov. Jim Justice announced Friday that he is directing the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to immediately initiate a formal study to determine options for eliminating the waitlist for the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver (IDDW) program.
The IDDW program gives individuals the choice of receiving support and services in their home and community instead of in an institutional setting.
Justice said some West Virginian children and adults have been on the waitlist for more than four years. The program currently serves about 4,823 individuals, 1,327 of whom are under 21 years old.
Elimination of the waitlist would allow 1,060 additional West Virginians, including 606 children, to receive critical services through this waiver program.
Justice has directed the study be delivered to him by January 15, 2020.
In his announcement Friday, Justice said he has also directed DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch to work with Revenue Secretary Dave Hardy to incorporate the options into the 2021 budget proposal.
