Since its inception, the Case for Inclusion has offered comprehensive data across dozens of measures and issue areas to assess how well states are serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the United States.
Starting with the 2021 edition, the Case for Inclusion pairs the comprehensive data with a policy blueprint for how lawmakers can strengthen community IDD services, especially by strengthening the direct support workforce. This policy blueprint offers concrete, actionable recommendations for lawmakers at all levels of government, both in Washington, DC, and in statehouses across the country.
The latest edition of the Case for Inclusion, published in March 2024, offers actions that can be taken by the Biden administration, the 118th Congress, state governments, providers and other stakeholders.
The Case for Inclusion 2024 makes the case that the Biden Administration should:
- Require states to establish systems of access monitoring that compel regular reviews of Medicaid reimbursement rates to ensure payments stay current with increasing costs of service delivery and safeguard access to quality home- and community-based services.
- Encourage interagency collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor, and other federal agencies to ensure that policies that will result in and direct appropriate funding for community providers are in place prior to any significant increase in expense to service delivery.
- Require state and federal agencies to collect and publicly report on measures related to direct support workforce volume, stability and compensation, as well as measures which address systemic barriers to equity, support for underserved communities, and the delivery of culturally competent services within the direct support workforce.
- Examine existing programs that support health-related social needs for people with IDD and the direct support workforce to ensure better access to health care and promote economic independence.
The Case for Inclusion 2024 makes the case that the 118th Congress should:
- Enact legislation to significantly increase the federal share of Medicaid funding for home- and community-based services to stabilize the direct support workforce and require states to regularly review Medicaid reimbursement rates to ensure payments keep pace with increasing cost of service delivery.
- Continue investing in HCBS through the American Rescue Plan Act and extend the increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for states with existing maintenance of effort provisions that prevent states from restricting eligibility, limiting services, and reducing payment rates.
- Enact legislation to provide increased funding for community providers to offset the increased expense of regulatory compliance.
- Urge the U.S. Office of Management & Budget to establish a Standard Occupational Classification for direct support professionals within the federal Standard Occupational Classification system.
- Enact legislation that would fund federal grant programs to support the training, recruitment, retention and advancement of the direct support workforce.
- Examine current policies and expand opportunities to provide immigrants living in the United States with work authorizations and create pathways for aspiring Americans interested in joining the direct support workforce.
The Case for Inclusion 2024 makes the case that states should:
- Support and leverage as many opportunities as possible to secure additional funding from the federal government to strengthen the direct support workforce, while also considering policies that expand access to services.
- Establish systems that provide regular review of Medicaid reimbursement rates to ensure payments stay current with increasing costs of service delivery and safeguard access to quality home- and community-based services.
- Participate in the National Core Indicators’ annual State of the Workforce Survey and other data collection efforts assessing the direct support workforce.
- Collect and publicly report on measures related to direct support workforce volume, stability and compensation, as well as measures that address systemic barriers to equity, support for underserved communities, and the delivery of culturally competent services within the direct support workforce.
The Case for Inclusion 2024 makes the case that providers and advocates should:
- Engage proactively in opportunities for community partner engagement and public comment.
- Access state-specific Case for Inclusion data to fuel your advocacy. The data can be accessed on this website by selecting Data in the top navigation menu.
- Encourage state and federal agencies to collect and publicly report on measures related to direct support workforce volume, stability and compensation, as well as systemic barriers to equity, support for underserved communities, and the delivery of culturally competent services within the direct support workforce.
- Encourage the federal government to expand opportunities for aspiring Americans interested in joining the direct support workforce.
- Browse resources from UCP and ANCOR at their respective websites, ucp.org and ancor.org, and stay informed about one-click opportunities to take action to support more inclusive opportunities for direct support workers and people with disabilities by using the ANCOR Amplifier at amplifier.ancor.org.
Additional Advocacy Resources
- ANCOR Amplifier: The ANCOR Amplifier is a one-stop-shop for learning more and taking action on policy priorities that better enable providers to serve people with IDD in the community. Get started today at amplifier.ancor.org.
- The State of America's Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2023: ANCOR’s latest research on the depths of the direct support workforce crisis, featuring results from a 2023 survey of nearly 600 providers. Download the report today.
- ANCOR Links podcast: These biweekly episodes explore many of the issues featured in the Case for Inclusion and draw connections between these challenges and broader social and cultural contexts. Listen now!
- Life Without Limits podcast: This podcast from UCP features conversations with leaders in and around UCP's North American affiliate network. Listen on Spotify or wherever you gets your podcasts!
Interested in how we can support your advocacy at the federal level? Get in touch by emailing Lydia Dawson, ANCOR’s Vice President for Government Relations.