Self-Direction’s success can be seen in the data. Starting from fewer than eight thousand participants in 2017, the Self-Direction program has grown to over 28 thousand. Meanwhile, more than 100 thousand people use traditional services, but that number has been slowly declining.
It is our estimate that having 28 thousand people in SD saves more than a half-billion from the Medicaid budget, and about $260 million from the State budget.
However, a false narrative has emerged that Self-Direction is an expensive program. The reality: Self-Direction is now one person out of five, and we spend only one dollar out of ten. The system has responded as if the growth of Self-Direction is a problem to be solved, with new ‘shadow’ policies that aim to make Self-Direction less attractive. In contrast, we believe the growth of self-direction should be celebrated.
