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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2013

CONTACT: Melanie Mowry Etters Communication Director 850-488-4257

APD Begins Waiver Enrollment

TALLAHASSEE—The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) has notified 754 individuals with the most critical needs that they are being offered enrollment into the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid waiver effective July 1.

Governor Rick Scott recommended and the Florida Legislature supported including $36 million in the Florida Families First budget to serve people currently on the APD waiver waiting list. APD hosted two stakeholder meetings to develop the criteria to enroll those with the greatest needs with the new funding.

APD Director Barbara Palmer said, "For the first time in eight years, we will move more than 750 people off the APD waiting list so that they will receive the services they need to participate more fully in their community. I want to thank Governor Scott and members of the Legislature for their support of our agency. All stakeholders and employees worked together to bring our waiver spending under control, and we are ready to begin helping those with the most urgent needs beginning July 1.”

After the individual accepts the waiver enrollment, they must select a waiver support coordinator who will work with them to develop a list of needed services that will be funded by the waiver. Then the APD customer will select which waiver providers they want to deliver their services.

Additionally, APD has identified 190 foster children with developmental disabilities that are in the adoption or reunification process. Dollars have been reserved to provide waiver services to these children when the adoption or reunification is completed.

APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities.  The agency annually serves more than 50,000 Floridians with autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit APDcares.org or call toll-free 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).

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