Medicaid's role in empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Medicaid plays a crucial role in supporting this high-needs population, accounting for almost a third of total Medicaid expenditures, including those through Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers. This brief highlights the critical role of Medicaid in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) delivery system, including key issues and challenges that individuals and states face. One of the issues outlined is the trend toward self-directed services.