Overview of the Governor's Proposed Budget Cuts
Governor Moore’s FY 2026 budget proposes devastating cuts to IDD services, totaling $470 million in losses when federal Medicaid matching funds are considered.
Governor Moore’s FY 2026 budget proposes devastating cuts to IDD services, totaling $470 million in losses when federal Medicaid matching funds are considered.
• $235M in state funding reductions
• $235M in lost federal Medicaid funds
• Totaling 24% of Maryland’s IDD service budget being slashed. NO OTHER ESSENTIAL STATE PROGRAM DEDICATED TO SERVICE THE NEEDS OF THE VULNERABLE IS FACING CUTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
• Self-Direction Services – Over $41M in cuts, severely restricting how individuals hire and pay their caregivers.
• Dedicated Supports – $54M in reductions, stripping away essential services for people with complex medical and behavioral needs.
• Geographic Rate Differential Eliminated – A $56M cut, reducing wages for caregivers in six high-cost counties. Geographic differential is a common practice implemented nationally that is designed to account for higher costs of doing business and higher costs of living in these areas. Maryland has used geographic differential for many years.
Eliminating the geographic differential will significantly undermine the quality of services by directly affecting our most valuable resource—our workforce. The geographic differential is essential for strategically supporting and equipping a modern, 21st-century workforce dedicated to individuals with IDD.
• Reducing access to direct support professionals (DSPs), forcing individuals into institutional care.
• Eliminating essential services, making independent living unsafe for many.
• Destabilizing families, increasing stress and financial strain.
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