Georgia agency proposes changes to waiting list for services for people with disabilities

Rita Young, the executive director of Participant Directed Advocates of Georgia, speaks at the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities’ December board meeting. (Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder)

A key program aimed at helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain access to home care may be getting a refresh in 2026.

Officials at Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities unveiled a series of proposals during a December board meeting aimed at restructuring the waiting list for a state-run Medicaid program that provides waivers to people with disabilities designed to keep them out of institutional settings. The waivers can be used to provide services like medical supplies, personal care assistants and emergency alert systems.

However, the proposals made to the board are just recommendations, and a timeline to move forward with the plan has not yet been set.