Medicaid Funding Critical to Congregate Settings
For individuals with developmental disabilities, quality support is about far more than meeting basic needs. It is about creating opportunities for meaningful lives, fostering independence, building relationships, and ensuring health, safety, and dignity. Resident Home Association (RHA) provides services and supports in congregate settings—including group homes and other shared living environments. RHA continues to play an essential role in providing these supports for many individuals who choose or require this model of care.
At the heart of these services is a dedicated workforce of direct support professionals, nurses, managers, and countless others who work every day to help individuals achieve their personal goals. Their commitment makes it possible for people with developmental disabilities to live in their communities, participate in meaningful activities, and receive the individualized care they deserve.
None of this happens without adequate funding.
Medicaid Is the Foundation of Developmental Disability Services
Medicaid is the primary funding source for developmental disability services in Ohio. It supports residential services, personal care, transportation, behavioral supports, nursing services, day programming, and many other critical resources that individuals and families rely on every day.
For providers operating congregate settings, Medicaid reimbursement is not simply a revenue stream—it is the financial foundation that allows services to exist. Every aspect of quality care, from maintaining safe homes to hiring and retaining qualified staff, depends on sustainable reimbursement rates.
When Medicaid funding fails to keep pace with rising costs, providers face difficult decisions. Inflation, increasing healthcare expenses, insurance premiums, utility costs, regulatory compliance, and workforce shortages all place significant pressure on organizations that are committed to delivering exceptional care.
Investing in the Workforce Improves Quality
Quality services begin with quality staff.
Direct support professionals are the backbone of Ohio's developmental disability system. They provide personal care, administer medications, support community participation, respond to emergencies, and build lasting relationships with the people they serve.
These professionals deserve competitive wages, comprehensive training, career advancement opportunities, and benefits that recognize the value of their work. Yet many providers struggle to compete with employers in other industries because Medicaid reimbursement often limits their ability to increase compensation.
Stable Medicaid funding allows providers to:
Offer competitive wages and benefits.
Reduce staff turnover.
Recruit qualified professionals.
Invest in ongoing education and specialized training.
Improve continuity of care for individuals receiving services.
When experienced staff remain with an organization, individuals benefit from stronger relationships, greater consistency, and better overall outcomes.
Congregate Settings Continue to Meet Important Needs
Ohio has embraced person-centered planning and offers individuals a variety of residential options. While many people choose to live independently or with family supports, congregate settings remain an important and appropriate choice for others.
For some individuals, shared living environments provide:
Around-the-clock support and supervision.
Opportunities for social interaction and friendship.
Access to skilled staff whenever needed.
Enhanced safety for individuals with complex medical or behavioral needs.
A sense of community and belonging.
Quality congregate services are not defined by the size of a home but by the quality of the supports delivered within it. Person-centered care means respecting individual preferences, encouraging choice, promoting independence, and helping each person achieve their own vision of a meaningful life.
Funding Quality Is an Investment in People
Every dollar invested in Medicaid-funded developmental disability services represents an investment in people—not just programs.
Adequate funding helps providers maintain safe, accessible homes. It supports technology that improves independence. It allows organizations to meet evolving regulatory requirements while focusing on innovation and continuous quality improvement.
Most importantly, it ensures that individuals with developmental disabilities receive consistent, compassionate, and high-quality supports that allow them to thrive.
Families also benefit. Knowing their loved one has access to reliable, professional care provides peace of mind and confidence that their family member is living in a safe, supportive environment.
Looking Ahead
Ohio has made meaningful progress in expanding opportunities and promoting inclusion for individuals with developmental disabilities. Sustaining that progress requires continued investment in the services that make community living possible.
As policymakers consider future budgets and Medicaid funding priorities, it is important to recognize the essential role congregate settings continue to play within Ohio's developmental disability system. Providers cannot maintain high standards of care without reimbursement rates that reflect the true cost of delivering quality services.
Strong Medicaid funding supports workforce stability, protects access to services, encourages innovation, and ultimately improves the lives of thousands of Ohioans with developmental disabilities.
Quality care begins with committed professionals, person-centered supports, and communities that value inclusion. Maintaining that quality requires a shared commitment to investing in the services that individuals and families depend on every day.
By strengthening Medicaid funding, Ohio can continue building a system where individuals with developmental disabilities have access to safe homes, meaningful relationships, and the opportunities they need to live full, self-directed lives, like you and I do.
