The Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) has asked to change the name of Florida’s iBudget Waiver from “Developmental Disabilities Individual Budgeting Waiver” to “Unique Abilities Individual Budgeting Waiver” in its renewal application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Self-advocates and others can tell AHCA how they feel about this name change by submitting comments. The deadline to submit comments is January 19, 2024. Submit your comments by emailing FLMedicaidWaivers@ahca.myflorida.com.
A growing number of disability advocates are opposing the movement to refer to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in public agencies and programs as people or persons “with unique abilities.” In addition to AHCA's proposed change, changing APD’s name to the “Agency for Persons with Unique Abilities” – from the “Agency for Persons with Disabilities” -- has been discussed as well.
Florida Self-Advocates Network'D (FL SAND) is preparing a letter in response to any such name change proposals. Similarly, this recent post on Disability Rights Florida's blog shares concerns about replacing "disability" with "unique abilities."
You can learn more about the other changes AHCA is proposing to the waiver here. Again, the deadline to submit comments to this and other proposed changes is January 19. Email comments to FLMedicaidWaivers@ahca.myflorida.com.