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Indiana’s 2026 Legislative Session:
Why Medicaid Waiver Advocacy Matters Right Now
Indiana’s 2026 Legislative Session:
Why Medicaid Waiver Advocacy Matters Right Now
Indiana’s 2026 legislative session kicked off on January 5, and while it’s a shorter, non-budget year, it’s a big moment for Medicaid waiver advocacy. What happens during this session will help shape how services are structured, protected, and funded in the years ahead - especially as the state gears up for the 2027 budget cycle.
In other words: even though no budget votes happen this year, the groundwork for future decisions is being laid right now.
Learn more about related Legislative Updates Here.
What Makes the 2026 Session Different
What Makes the 2026 Session Different
This session is shorter than usual because of redistricting work completed back in December. It’s also a non-budget session, meaning legislators won’t be voting on a full state budget.
That might sound like a quieter year - but in reality, these sessions are often when important policy direction gets set. The ideas, priorities, and frameworks discussed now strongly influence what gets funded (or cut) later.
Think of it as setting the rules before the money comes into play.
Medicaid Spending Is Under the Microscope
Medicaid Spending Is Under the Microscope
Right now, Indiana state agencies are under significant pressure to slow the growth of Medicaid spending, including conversations at the state level about limiting Medicaid appropriation growth to around 2% per year.
This affects the agencies that oversee waiver services - including FSSA, BDS, and DDARS - and has sped up discussions about restructuring waivers and including ways to control long-term costs.
That’s why advocacy matters so much during this phase. When waiver structures, service definitions, and eligibility rules are redesigned under financial pressure, they become very hard to undo later. Without strong input from families and providers, changes risk prioritizing short-term savings over access, outcomes, and quality of care - with long-lasting impacts for real people.
Why MTAC Is Engaging Now
Why MTAC Is Engaging Now
The Music Therapy Access Coalition (MTAC) is showing up early and intentionally in two key areas:
1. Waiver Reset Conversations with DDARS
DDARS is currently leading a reset of Indiana’s Medicaid waiver structure. MTAC is advocating for policies that:
Recognize the value of therapeutic services
Protect access for families
Avoid changes that unintentionally limit care options or increase isolation
Our goal is to make sure decisions reflect lived experience - not just spreadsheets and numbers.
2. State-Level Legislative Advocacy
Even in a non-budget year, legislators influence priorities and guide how agencies make decisions. MTAC is working to keep waiver services visible and protected as lawmakers look ahead to the 2027 budget sessions.
Why Advocacy Can't Wait Until 2027
Why Advocacy Can't Wait Until 2027
By the time formal budget negotiations begin in 2027, many key decisions will already be in motion. Advocacy during the 2026 session helps:
Position waiver services as essential, not optional
Push back against cost-cutting approaches that reduce access
Ensure families and providers are included in the conversation
Protect funding before reductions become baked into long-term plans
Waiting means reacting. Acting now means shaping the outcome.
How You Can Be Involved
How You Can Be Involved
Advocacy is strongest when it reflects the voices of people directly impacted. MTAC exists to carry those voices - families, providers, and community members - into conversations with DDARS and state leaders.
You can support this work by:
Staying informed through MTAC updates
Sharing your experiences with waiver services
Participating in feedback opportunities
Helping elevate the importance of Medicaid waiver funding across Indiana
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
The 2026 legislative session may be shorter, but its impact will last far beyond this year. The choices made now will influence how waiver services are funded, structured, and protected in the future.
MTACF remains committed to proactive, strategic advocacy - making sure access to music therapy and other vital services is strengthened through informed, collaborative decisions, not diminished by short-term cost pressures.
Learn more about Legislative Updates that impact us.
Join MTAC and Make a Difference in Music Therapy Access
Join MTAC and Make a Difference in Music Therapy Access
Are you ready to be part of a focused, collaborative push for the future of music therapy in Indiana? Join MTAC! Every voice strengthens the impact. Every story moves us forward.
Add your voice. Let’s shape what happens next - together.
If you’re ready to learn how to advocate with clarity and confidence, join our newsletter and join us for our upcoming Advocacy Workshop —because your voice deserves the tools to make real change.
MTACF is a 501(c)(3) non profit foundation
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