Today's deep dive looks at a lawsuit challenging the IQ cutoff Connecticut uses to decide who qualifies for developmental disability services, and at the state study that could change the rule. Below are the weekend's other stories, each linked to its source.
Today's deep dive
Connecticut IQ cutoff for DDS services faces lawsuit. Four residents with intellectual disability diagnoses say a single test score kept them out of DDS services. We cover what the statute says, what a 2024 state-commissioned report proposed, the DDS report due July 1, 2027, and what a broader definition could mean for provider agencies and DSPs.
More news today
Ohio: NBC News says the state's Medicaid fraud crackdown is cutting off some disabled people's care. In a new installment of its "Disabled and Denied" series, NBC News reports that Ohio's anti-fraud measures have made it harder for some disabled residents to find reliable in-home caregivers. The Ohio Department of Medicaid's own program-integrity page shows a federally approved pause on new Medicaid enrollment for home health, hospice and related provider types running from May 14 to Nov. 14, 2026, along with GPS-based electronic visit verification. In June the department suspended payments to 49 home health providers it flagged as high risk. DSN covered the Oct. 15 state audit of Ohio's Medicaid agency. Sources: NBC News (subscriber access), Ohio Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Medicaid
SSI's $2,000 asset limit stays put as benefits rise to $1,029. The 2027 cost-of-living increase lifts the maximum federal SSI payment for an individual to $1,029 a month, but the $2,000 resource limit is unchanged; Disability Scoop notes it has been in place since the 1980s. The SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would raise the cap to $10,000 and index it to inflation, and a separate bill would update the $65 earned income disregard, but neither has had a hearing this session. Read our Oct. 14 story on the 2027 SSI amounts. Sources: Disability Scoop, Social Security Administration
Florida: iBudget waitlist becomes a governor's race issue. FOX 13 reports that the Agency for Persons with Disabilities has $456 million in unspent funds, or $1.06 billion counting federal matching dollars, while thousands of Floridians who qualify for the iBudget waiver remain on the waitlist. Democrat David Jolly says he would use executive action and more funding to shrink the list and opposes moving iBudget into managed care. Republican Byron Donalds' campaign had not answered the station's questions on the waitlist or managed care as of publication. Source: FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Maryland: a statewide guide for military families raising children with disabilities. The Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families is building a "You're Welcome Here" toolkit and digital hub with the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and Parents' Place of Maryland, funded by USAA. It is meant to help families who relocate often find education, health care and disability services. A spring 2027 summit will focus on the same families. Sources: Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families, WMAR-2 News