Governor Walker’s proposed budget for 2011-2013 caps all of Wisconsin’s major long term care (LTC) programs.
This includes the following:
1. Children’s programs
2. Programs for adults with disabilities
3. Programs for older adults
Enrollment and spending caps were not included for nursing homes which are more expensive than community based care.
Disability Rights Wisconsin, DRW states that “This means no new eligible people will receive services in Family Care, IRIS, Partnership or the Children’s Waiver programs unless a current recipient dies or leaves the program. There is no sunset date for this cap nor any funding set aside to lift the cap, so the cap will be in effect during the entire biennium and beyond, unless the legislature takes action to lift it. ”
How this may affect you
1. Counties currently without waiting list will be forced create waiting lists for consumers in need of services and supports with indefinite waiting periods.
2. Counties that were actively enrolling consumers and closing their waiting lists will be forced to stop active enrollment and again begin placing consumers on waiting lists with indefinite waiting periods.
3. Consumers will be left with little choice and then be forced to turn to nursing homes and other institutions for care that will cost the state more than if they were able to receive community based services.
What can you do
Sign and circulate the attached petition and return signed petitions to the address listed at the bottom of each petition.
Click here to download petition:
110503_Keep the community promise petition_GRA Version
Sign the on-line petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepthecommunitypromise/
You may also:
- Contact members of the Joint Finance Committee. Email your comments to the committee at: budgetcomments@legis.wisconsin.gov or send by US mail to:
Joe Malkasian, Room 305 East, State Capitol, Madison, WI 53703.
- Contact your state senator and assembly representative. Independent Living Resources’ area legislators are listed in the following link on the last page of the document. A sample letter is also included in this document. 110428_State Budget LTC Action Alert_GRA Version
For detailed information on the long-term care caps and their affects click on the following documents.
110511_Wiconsin Council For LTC_Resolution
110511_Impact of Proposed Cap on Long Term Care Enrollment – Survival Coalition
110511_Survival Coalition Family Care Audit Statement
Following is the number of people receiving long-term care in La Crosse County and the current numbers on wait lists. You will note that as of January 2o11 for FamilyCare and IRIS there was no waiting lists. That will change with caps. We were only given information on La Crosse County because Jennifer Shilling is on the Joint Finance Committee. We do not currently have wait list data on any of the other counties in our service area. Counties that rolled into FamilyCare within the last two years were still working on eliminating their wait lists. With the proposed caps that will no longer be possible.
110511_LTC in Wisconsin Rep Shilling County
