In a major victory for people with disabilities, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice received Court approval of a settlement to secure more than $100 million in additional State and Federal Medicaid expenditures for Michiganders with intellectual and developmental disabilities who require living support assistance.
Our lawsuit challenged changes to the Medicaid Community Living Support (CLS) services budgeting which placed disabled recipients at risk of institutionalization by hindering their ability to hire and retain home health aides.
The settlement will provide disabled recipients a rate of $31/hour, a 52% increase over the $20.44 in effect in Washtenaw County, Michigan when the deal was first reached in December 2023. This rate increase represents an additional expenditure of at least $22 million annually, amounting to more than $110 million over the five-year term of the deal. This large uptick in funding means that disabled Michiganders who require living support assistance will be able to hire and retain the support staff they need to live at home and thrive in their communities.
We are incredibly proud of the work that went in to secure this settlement. NCLEJ maintains a robust docket of litigation and advocacy to ensure that public benefits are fully accessible to people with disabilities, and that our laws and programs live up to the promise of the ADA.
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice advances racial and economic justice through ground-breaking impact litigation, policy advocacy, and support for grassroots organizing. We have provided legal representation and support since 1965.
