The Department of Health Services (DHS) estimates that lifting the cap on Family Care (and IRIS) and allowing the program to expand into additional counties will cost $80 million in state GPR funding in the current biennium. As we noted in a previous blog post, the bill to lift the cap has no appropriation because the intent of DHS and the Governor is to find the savings within those long-term care programs.
The legislation that would remove the cap has been introduced in the Senate as SB 380 and in the Assembly as AB 477. Thus far, neither bill has been scheduled for a public hearing. A message sent Friday by the Disability Advocates: Wisconsin Network (DAWN) encourages people, especially those on the Family Care and IRIS waiting lists, to contact their legislators and ask for hearings on the bills.
DHS has now posted on its website information about its proposals for achieving $80 million of savings in long-term care, and it is accepting online comments about those plans. The department categorizes the savings in seven areas, which are listed below with the projected savings and a brief description of each category: (Click on a category for further information)
- Employment Supports ($500,000) – Ensure a continuum of employment supports in Family Care, IRIS, PACE and Partnership.
- Administrative and Program Efficiencies ($500,000) – Implement strategies to streamline program and administrative processes in Family Care to better align operations with current and future needs, to improve management, and to reduce program costs.
- Family Care Benefits ($9 million) – Implement strategies to assure that supports and services are tailored to the needs of the individual by focusing on strength-based care plans and by maximizing the use of natural supports.
- IRIS and Self-directed Supports ($1.33 million) – Strengthen program integrity and accountability of the IRIS program and ensure that self-direction in IRIS and Family Care maximize natural supports and the ability of consumers to choose the most integrated, community-based and cost-effective services.
- Living Well at Home and In the Community ($54.5 million) – Increase the availability of timely and easy access to less intensive and more flexible supports to help people and their caregivers to remain healthy and safe at home and in the community without the need for more comprehensive LTC supports and services.
- Long Term Care Sustainability ($14 million) – Ensure that people with long-term care needs are safe and cared for in their own homes and community settings as long as possible, with services provided in residential settings only when it is the least restrictive and most integrated location to meet the person’s needs.
- Youth in Transition ($500,000) – Develop and maintain community employment and living settings for youth that transition from children’s to adult services, and address the needs of families so they can continue to work after their child graduates from school.
In his State of the State address Wednesday evening, Governor Walker seemed to be taking credit for expansion of the Family Care program. That struck me as a surprising statement, considering that the Governor’s budget bill was responsible for the freeze, which has yet to be lifted, and federal officials have ordered the state to begin enrolling people who are on the waiting lists. AARP was even more surprised than I was, and they felt compelled to respond. You can find that response, as well as the Governor’s brief statement about Family Care, in AARP’s January 26 press release.
Use the department’s online survey if you want to comment on any of the DHS proposals for cost savings.
Jon Peacock
