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Family Care Program

ISSUE:

The Department of Health and Family Services is piloting a consolidated, managed care system of delivering long term care services to adults with developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, or who are elderly. Family Care currently consists of Resource Centers which provide information and assistance in eight pilot sites, and Care Management Organizations which provide services to eligible adults in five pilot sites. The Department is proposing to expand implementation of a Care Management Organization into an additional pilot site in the 2001-2003 biennium.

The 1999-2001 biennial budget required the Department of Health and Family Services to seek funding and federal waivers to implement a pilot of an alternative model of providing consolidated long term care. The alternative model was strongly supported by disability advocates, including the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities. As of this printing, the Department has not requested a federal waiver to implement the alternative model.

The Department of Health and Family Services has requested continuation of the five pilots and expansion to one additional pilot.

POSITION:

The WCDD strongly supports implementation of the alternative model of providing long term care services in addition to the Family Care model. Furthermore, the WCDD strongly supports an objective evaluation and comparison of the two models in the areas of costs, consumer direction and control, and consumer satisfaction. There should be no new Family Care pilots until the alternative is piloted.

The WCDD acknowledges the Department's recognition of the cost of serving individuals on the waiting lists in the Family Care pilot sites and understand the need for additional state funds to expand Family Care services to those on waiting lists.

The WCDD also strongly supports implementation of the waiting list package and the alternative model to provide services to individuals on waiting lists and address the needs of those under the age of 18 statewide.

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES:

WCDD supports the following legislative initiatives:

• Seek a federal waiver to implement a pilot of the alternative model of delivering long term care during the biennium.
• Fully fund implementation of the alternative model pilot.
• Require the Department of Health and Family Services to implement on a pilot basis, an alternative model to the Family Care program before increasing the number of counties in which Family Care operates. This fulfills the agreement that was approved by Joint Finance, the Legislature and the Governor in the last biennium.

Back to WCDD Home Page > Introduction

1. Introduction
2. Birth to Three
3. Campaign Finance Reform
4. Children's Long Term Care Redesign
5. Community Aids
6. Community Integration Program
7. Community Options Program
8. Dental Care Access
9. Direct Service Workforce Shortage
10. Education of Students with Disabilities
11. Employment
12. Family Care Program
13. Family Support Program
14. Independent Living Assistive Technology
15. Medicaid Card Services
16. Mental Health: Fairness in Insurance
17. Mental Health: Services & Supports
18. Protecting People with Disabilities from Abuse
19. Respite Care
20. Specialized Transportation
21. State Centers for the Developmentally Disabled
22. Voting Reforms
23. Welfare Reform & People with Disabilities