DHS urges funding to sustain Advantage Waiver and highlights foster‑care gains after exit from court supervision

Director Cartmell described the Advantage Waiver Program as essential for enabling adults who otherwise would need nursing‑home level care to remain at home. He said DHS requested a $24,000,000 supplemental to close FY26 funding gaps and an additional $38,000,000 to meet projected growth in FY27. "The $38,000,000 number reflects the amount necessary to ensure that any eligible Oklahoman who qualifies for that service would be able to have that service," Cartmell said.

Cartmell warned that the Advantage Waiver runs on five‑year cycles and Oklahoma committed to serve up to a specified number of individuals; without a supplemental the agency would need to use one‑time cash reserves and potentially cut discretionary programs to meet mandatory obligations. He said the agency had "a legal and a moral duty" to ensure services continue for those covered by the waiver agreement.

On developmental disability services and foster care: Cartmell said the agency has cut the DDS wait list from an almost 13‑year wait in 2022 to just over a year today, attributing that progress to prior legislative commitments and agency work. He also noted the state formally exited the DG lawsuit (the "Pinnacle Plan") in March, ending over a decade of federal court supervision of the foster‑care system.

Legislators asked about staffing constraints that limit service expansion. Cartmell said DDS case managers are the immediate bottleneck and emphasized recruitment and retention as the program's limiting factor. He told members he meets monthly with program leadership to monitor spending and capacity and said he expects to return with more targeted budget needs if program metrics indicate a need for additional recurring funding.