Ohio Senate Adds DD System Overhaul Project

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) has paid Deloitte Consulting, LLP nearly $7 million for a waiver modernization project that’s been dragging on since 2023. So far, that includes $787,406 in FY 2023, $3,064,526 in FY 2024, and $3,045,311 in FY 2025. The goal? To overhaul the entire DODD ecosystem and redesign Ohio’s outdated waiver system.

So far, there is not much to show for this $7 million investment. As of early 2025, Deloitte was still “working through internal stakeholder conversations.” The waiver redesign website and email are still active, but there’s no clear deliverable, no public final report, and no indication that Ohio families will ever see the results.

You can view the still-live project page here:https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/Waiver_Redesign/Waiver+Modernization

Now, in what  may be a sign of lost confidence, the Ohio Senate has stepped in to take over the reform effort, or perhaps start a completely separate overhaul. A new section quietly added to the Senate’s version of the 2025 state budget bill (HB 96) lays out a separate, legislatively-led plan to review the sustainability of Ohio’s DD system from the ground up.

You can find this language beginning on page 5546 of the Senate version of HB 96 (as of June 7, 2025). This proposal has not yet passed and may change, but it signals that lawmakers are preparing for an overhaul of their own, separate from the one DODD already paid Deloitte to lead, and without DODD listed in the group of required stakeholders.

Here’s a plain language summary of what the Senate is proposing:

The Ohio Senate’s Goal:

To create a System Efficiency and Sustainability Plan that ensures the DD system is efficient, affordable, high-quality, and able to meet people’s needs long into the future.

Who is Involved:

A new legislative committee made up of 4 lawmakers:

• One House member appointed by the Speaker

• One House member appointed by the House Minority Leader

• One Senate member appointed by the Senate President

• One Senate member appointed by the Senate Minority Leader

They will write the plan with input from required stakeholders and submit it to the General Assembly and Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee by June 30, 2026.

Who are the required stakeholders?

The committee is required to collaborate with:

• Ohio Department of Medicaid

• Ohio Department of Youth Services

• Ohio Department of Health

• County Boards of Developmental Disabilities

• Ohio Provider Resource Association (lobbyist for provider agencies)

• Ohio Health Care Association (lobbyist for health care agencies)

• Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (lobbyists for county boards)

• Independent providers

• Agency providers

• Advocacy and self-advocacy organizations

• Individuals with developmental disabilities

• Family members of individuals with developmental disabilities

• Any other stakeholders identified by the Department of Developmental Disabilities

Note: DODD itself is not listed as a required participant. It may name “other stakeholders” but DODD is not guaranteed a seat at the table.

What will the plan cover?

The committee is supposed to examine:

1. System structure and funding — looking for more efficient, equitable models

2. Provider capacity, including shortages and service deserts

3. Whether people with complex needs (medical, behavioral, forensic) are well served

4. Case management systems and payment reforms (like value-based models)

5. Ways to simplify and coordinate funding streams

6. How unfunded mandates and complex rules impact sustainability

7. More accurate rate-setting that reflects real provider costs

8. Innovations like telehealth and electronic records

9. Quality and outcome measures for accountability

That’s all we know for now.