50% of people with disabilities in Wisconsin rely on all of Wisconsin’s 20 Medicaid programs. Medicaid provides services and supports that are not available or are not available at the level needed on the private insurance market and keeps people with disabilities living in their homes and out of costly facilities like nursing homes. Improving Wisconsin’s Medicaid programs is one of seven priority issues BPDD focuses on in our 2019-21 state budget and policy platform.

Recommendations include:

• Creating a Medicaid waiver to provide a limited package of services to keep low-income people who make more than $12,000 per year independent and in their homes
• providing funding for continuous outcome improvement initiatives that improve community employment, transportation, and community living for people with disabilities
• transitioning the remaining residents of state institutions in to Family Care/IRIS
• improving access and navigation for families of the Children’s long-term support waiver program

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