Karen Berg — The chair recognized Senator Berg, and Senator Berg then asked a question about whether Medicaid enrollment counts as utilization and what additional services a waiver provides beyond standard Medicaid.
Karen Berg — Senator Berg is referenced as the member whose earlier questions are being followed up on, with the speaker continuing to respond to the same line of inquiry.
Karen Berg — Commissioner Lisa Lee responds to Senator Berg’s question about the difference between waiver services and Medicaid, explaining what individuals receive in a waiver that they do not get through Medicaid. The discussion continues over several consecutive mentions but remains focused on the same waiver-versus-Medicaid comparison.
Lisa Willner — Called during roll call; likely refers to Representative Lisa Willner.
Lisa Willner — The chair addresses Representative Wilner before public comment.
William Lawrence — Called during roll call; name does not match the expected member list exactly and is left as transcribed.
Scott Madon — Called during roll call; name does not match the expected member list exactly and is left as transcribed.
Craig Richardson — Called during roll call; likely refers to Craig Richardson.
Jay Williams — Called during roll call; likely refers to Jay Williams.
advocates — The chair thanked advocates for coming and speaking on behalf of people affected by the waiver system.
public commenters — Public comment was invited for the meeting, with guidance to keep remarks brief.
Stephanie Bates — Asked attendees to email comments to Stephanie Bates at a legislature.gov address.
Leslie Hoffman — Invited to present, identified as Deputy Commissioner, Department of Medicaid Services.
Carmen Hancock — Carmen Hancock is introduced as a division director with the Department of Medicaid Services, specifically in long-term services and supports. She is identified as the person who will take over later in the presentation.
Dr. Leslie Hoffman — Dr. Leslie Hoffman opened the presentation by asking members to hold questions and save clarifications until the end, identified herself as the Deputy Commissioner for the Department for Medicaid Services, and explained that she would begin the presentation before turning it over to Carmen around the ninth or tenth slide.
HB500 — House Bill 500 is repeatedly cited as the legislative basis for new slot allocations. The speaker notes that one slot was added in July under the bill and explains that, according to House Bill 500, slots were received for three waivers, with the allocations already added on July 1 and approved by CMS.
Dr. Hoffman — Turned the presentation over to Carmen.
Carmen — Introduced the next slides as a direct response to the committee's request.
Leslie — Referenced as having explained the issue before regarding allocated slots and service use.
Leslie — Referenced as having explained the churn and the allocation/reserved status earlier in the presentation.
Leslie — Asked to move back up one slide.
Leslie — Referenced as having noted the HCB waiver year timing.
Leslie — Referenced as having said the average monthly vacated slots are about 125.
Leslie — Referenced as having explained the provider-capacity issue.
Leslie — Referenced as having noted that some waivers use ICF III level of care.
HB6 — The 2024 budget bill is cited as providing an additional 500 HCB slots beginning July 1, 2025.
Richard White — The chair/speaker twice called on Representative Wer to ask a question during the same brief exchange.
HB2 — Referenced as the work area under which the upcoming October presentation is being developed.
HB2 — House Bill 2 is repeatedly referenced as the legislation that tasked the committee with addressing waiver wait lists and returning in the fall with a report or recommendations. The discussion stays focused on what the committee was required to do under the bill and what improvements might be made to better address wait lists across waivers.
Steve Rawlings — Addressed by name in thanks: 'Thank you, Steve.'
Lindsey Tichenor — Senator Burke raised concerns about people who already qualify for Medicaid, questioning whether they understand why a waiver is needed and whether they are waiting for services they already have.
Miss Stade — Miss Stade raised concerns that well-intentioned advocates may visit families after a child with significant needs is born and place them on waiting lists in a way that creates false hope and confusion about eligibility. The exchange then transitions directly back to her for a follow-up question.
Julie Adams — Asked whether the report on House Bill 2 would include recommendations and ideas for improving the waiver wait list across all waivers.
Lisa Lee, Commissioner for the Department for Medicaid Services — Thanked the subcommittee for trying to help with the waiver numbers.
Commissioner Lee — The speaker builds on Commissioner Lee’s earlier point, emphasizing that waiver services can help parents remain in the workforce.
Vanessa Johnson — Vanessa Johnson, from Allen County, Kentucky, testifies about her grandson’s long wait for Michelle waiver services and the harm caused by years without needed supports for medically complex children. She urges the subcommittee to take action to reduce wait times, increase waiver capacity, add more slots, improve prioritization for medically complex children, and close the gap between need and access, then thanks the committee for hearing her.
Jennifer Maner — Jennifer Maner is called to come forward for public comment, and the chair then asks her to introduce herself.
Nathaniel Johnson — Vanessa Johnson identifies her grandson Nathaniel Johnson as a 9-year-old and explains that he is medically complex, with autism, ADHD, hydrosis, hypogammaglobulinemia, anemia, asthma, and frequent infections.
Jennifer Mineer — Jennifer Mineer introduced herself and explained that she advocates for the Pediatric Cancer Research Fund Trust Fund in memory of her late son, Jared. She noted that her daughter Claire has been on the Michelle B waiver since 2011 and used her family’s experience to emphasize that children with serious conditions often have multiple comorbidities and that families depend on limited waiver funding. She expressed concern about the scarcity of available money and the difficulty of meeting needs, thanked the state for the waiver support, and concluded by describing the constant battle parents face in fighting for education, medical care, and state program rights.
Claire Mineer — Claire Mineer is identified by her mother Jennifer as her daughter, present in the room, born during Jared’s early chemotherapy years, and having been on the Michelle B waiver since 2011. Claire then introduces herself for the record, clarifies her age, and explains that she has autism, ADHD, OCD, and bipolar I. She says services help her remain independent, see friends, and participate in the community, and adds that she enjoys Special Olympics sports.
Stephen Stone — Stephen Stone introduced himself, saying he has lived in Lexington, Kentucky for most of his life, is 35 years old, and has been on the Michelle P waiver since at least 2011. He then added a brief family detail, noting that his brother is 37.
David B. (last name unknown) — The chair called David B. to come forward but did not have his last name.
Amber Wilson — Amber Wilson was invited to testify and identified herself for the record. She said she is the mother of a 9-year-old boy with level three autism who is nonverbal and uses an AAC device, and that HCB waiver supports have helped him. She urged lawmakers to protect the HCB waiver and expand access to Michelle P. waiver services, explaining that her son is still on the waiting list, that the family has had to advocate constantly and pay out of pocket, and that private insurance has limited autism treatment. She noted that with the right supports he has made progress, including learning to read, and shared that she also created a nonprofit in Warren County for children with intellectual and physical disabilities to play baseball, emphasizing that children deserve opportunities to live independently and avoid institutionalization.
David Brewbaker — David Brewbaker, from Science Hill, Kentucky, testified that he and his wife care for three special-needs individuals and have seen how much they can do in a home-based setting compared with an institutionalized one. He warned that funding cuts could reduce monthly support and negatively affect services, and he thanked the committee for its support.
Mary Beth Patton — Mary Beth Patton testified that she had not intended to speak but wanted to advocate for people still on the wait list. She described her daughter’s moderate to severe disabilities, including cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and explained that community living supports, personal care, and respite care have allowed her daughter to remain at home while also enabling Patton to continue her work as a special education teacher. She emphasized that children with complex medical needs often receive better care at home, where family members can oversee their treatment, and noted that she and her husband help train providers so her daughter can receive adequate care in her home and community.
Joy Balm — Joy Balm described how waiver supports allowed her to keep working while raising her son and ensured he could receive the services he needs. She explained that the supports have made a major difference in his life by providing personal care, home services, community participation, and communication support, and said that without the waiver he would not have these opportunities. She emphasized that the waiver has completely changed his life and expressed deep concern that, after she and her husband are gone, she does not want him placed in an institution. She closed by contrasting family-based care with nursing home or institutional care, arguing that people should be able to remain at home and be cared for by their families when possible.