Virginia Braces for Major Overhaul

RICHMOND -- The cost of bringing Virginia's care for the developmentally disabled into compliance with federal laws could be steep, state lawmakers learned Wednesday.
The state's health and human resources secretary, Dr. Bill Hazel, told the House Appropriations Committee that it would take $80 million to $90 million to address the most critical, immediate issues involving Virginia's mentally disabled citizens. Those include problems identified in a recent U.S. Justice Department report on residents in state facilities such as Southeastern Virginia Training Center in Chesapeake.
It would cost more than $2 billion over 10 years to eliminate the backlog of Virginians on waiting lists for Medicaid waivers allowing them to receive care in their communities, according to a 2009 state report. One lawmaker called the cost figures "staggering."