Advocates for Kansans with disabilities are urging legislators to adopt Gov. Sam Brownback's proposal to reduce the number of people on the waiting list for Medicaid services.
Currently, about 5,000 Kansans with developmental and physical disabilities are on the list. Brownback wants to spend $18 million to provide services to approximately 600 of them.
Advocates are using a video to help make their case to lawmakers. It features parents of disabled Kansans and some of the caseworkers who are trying to help them gain access to services.
Caseworker Bruce Daldrup said the wait is taking a toll on families.
"I don't think that a lot of times legislators have an idea how debilitating this can be for a family, how much it can control their finances and their freedom," Daldrup said. "It is overwhelming."
The waiting list proposal is one of several budget and tax issues that lawmakers will attempt to resolve when they return on Wednesday to wrap up the 2013 session.
