Waitlist for disability services in WV climbs to more than 1,000; mostly children waiting for help

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
October 23, 2025

More than 1,000 West Virginians with disabilities — mostly children — are on a waitlist for help and services as the state doesn’t have the capacity to serve them right now. 

The state’s Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability Waiver program had only 139 slots earlier this year, according to the Department of Human Services. The program provides funding to help teach and support people with disabilities and helps eligible adults live with assistance in community settings rather than institutions. 

The IDD waitlist was 1,031 people as of Oct. 7.

“Seven-hundred-and-eighty-nine individuals who are on the waitlist are under the age of 18,” said DoHS spokesperson Angelica Hightower.

Medicaid-eligible children 3 and older with a diagnosed disability can receive speech therapy, crisis services and more. It can help children avoid living in a facility.

“I have major concerns that most of these are children. We do not have the proper level or amount of care in this state to provide services to that many children, but keeping them on a waitlist when they need help is very concerning,” said House Health Chair Evan Worrell, R-Cabell.

The program also provides respite care for parents and caregivers.

“I know one family in Wayne County, she’s not had a respite worker in three years,” said Brad Story, CEO of the West Virginia Behavioral Healthcare Providers Association. “It’s concerning.”

DoHS didn’t provide an answer when asked about what was being done to address the waitlist issue.

Worrell said lawmakers may have to step in and force DoHS to use the allocated IDD waiver funds strictly on people with disabilities. Lawmakers could amend budget legislation that mandates how DoHS spends the money.

“There was testimony last year that for over five years, Medicaid had not spent the allocated [IDD waiver] funds on that program,” Worrell said. “They transferred the funds to other areas of their agency to use for other items. That should not be allowed.”

“I will look to force directive language in the budget bill to make this happen,” he continued.

Justice touted clearing IDD waitlist, but problem persists 

Clearing the IDD waitlist became a political point for previous Gov. Jim Justice, who ordered DoHS to clear the list in 2019, saying it was nonnegotiable as more than 1,000 people with disabilities needed services. 

During his U.S. Senate campaign last year, he pledged to clear the list again and announced a pay increase to hire and retain staff working the IDD population in their homes or community settings. 

But the problem persisted. 

The ongoing workforce shortage has contributed to the current IDD waitlist, according to Story.

“You’ve got to have workers,” he said. “Those families really need services … I just hope you know when they do get their [IDD waiver] slots — whenever that is — that they have the workforce available.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey recently announced a Medicaid rate increase that is intended to improve pay for this workforce. West Virginia uses state and federal money from Medicaid to reimburse private companies that employ direct care workers. These workers make around $13 to $15 an hour.

“I’m so thankful the governor raised these rates to not only stop the loss of these important services, but maybe for others to open up these services,” Worrell said. “It is a great start, but now we need to ensure those funds the Legislature allocates are being spent on the IDD community only.”

Story praised Morrisey’s rate increase but said a bigger pay bump was needed to increase direct care staff who work with people with disabilities.

“In order to be competitive with big market companies like Starbucks and Sheetz, we need to be able to pay our employees about $17 an hour, in order to keep them and grow the company,” he said. 

In 2024, DoHS said the cost to remove 50 members from the waitlist was $3.9 million per year.

Hightower said once eligibility is determined for a child or adult, the applicant is placed on a waitlist until a slot becomes available. 

“While on the managed enrollment list, applicants may receive services such as therapies and targeted case management through Medicaid until a slot becomes available,” she said. 

She said federal funding cuts under President Donald Trump haven’t impacted the waitlist.

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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.