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4,000 with disabilities on Virginia waiting lists

April 8th, 2008

From the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot:

In Virginia, the list of people with disabilities waiting for services is growing faster than the services available.

Brandon Christie of Virginia Beach needs round-the-clock care. He is one of 270 people in his community who are on a waiting list for 27 available Medicaid-funded slots, with at least 99 people ahead of him. Statewide, 4,000 people are waiting for services.

The Virginia General Assembly this session provided funding for an additional 600 people with intellectual disabilities like Christie to live more independently in the community, but the list is not keeping pace with the growing need. Without new slots, people on the list must wait until someone with a Medicaid waiver no longer needs it because he or she has moved out of state or into an institution or has died.

Christie, 24, lives with his parents. If they became too old or sick to care for him, he could move up on the list.

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More than 50 million people in the United States have disabilities, a number that is growing rapidly as the population ages. Experts say disability will soon affect the lives of most Americans. This blog attempts to explore what we know about disability, and to chronicle the efforts of people who are seeking new ways to address familiar challenges.

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