CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Justice administration Save our State Tour now involves the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch is scheduled to be in Parkersburg Wednesday to highlight what further budget cuts would do to the agency’s Aged and Disabled (AD) Waiver Program. Crouch spoke against possible budget cuts to the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Waiver Program back on Friday in Huntington.
Crouch tells MetroNews state residents should know the impact budget cuts would have on very important programs.
“Since 2015 we have cut $181 million out of the department’s budget,” Crouch said. “If the budget is cut by the legislature we are going to have to cut services.”
A 25 percent cut, or $22 million, is the amount IDD Waiver would be cut in Gov. Justice’s alternate budget that totals $450 million in cuts, Crouch said.
The IDD program allows 4,600 developmentally disabled West Virginians to be cared for at home. It’s a program that’s been emotionally supported by some lawmakers over the years. Crouch, who has been on the job for about seven weeks, said the agency has done its part to make IDD more efficient.
“We have tightened our belt on that and tried to modify some of the services and reduce in other areas where we are now at the point that we can add 50 people to the enrollment. That is in our budget to the legislature, Crouch said.
The IDD Waiver Program currently has a waiting list of 1,260. A 25 percent cut would likely reduce services to the residents currently in the program, according to Crouch. The state spends about $89 million a year on the program.
Gov. Justice’s proposed overall state budget has budget cuts of less than $30 million and tax increases of approximately $450 million. The SOS tour has also included a focus on Justice’s road construction plan.
Secretary Crouch is scheduled to be at the Wood County Senior Center in Parkersburg Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.