Services under VA Medicaid waivers are vital for people with disabilities to remain in the community. Ever since Appendix K went into effect to allow parents of minors and spouses to act as paid caregivers the quality of life for our disabled child has increased. He finally had a qualified caregiver that could provide the consistency and level of care he requires to thrive.

Finding any caregiver, let alone ones qualified to handle our sons many challenges, through an agency or under consumer directed care has always been a challenge and became impossible during the pandemic. Adding barriers requiring parents to be registered through an agency limits consumer choice and adds no value to the care of our loved ones.

Please do not limit our choice, parents of minors and spouses should be able to continue with providing care through consumer directed service facilitation.