On Monday January 4^th, the Department of Health Services (DHS) shared publicly its December report on Long Term Care system redesign, as required by the 2015-17 state budget.

You can read the report here:http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lfb/jfc/200_reports/2016_01_04_health_services_medicaid_waiver_request_progress.pdf

DHSs report references an ongoing internal process to redesign the system, the Departments plan to report on its internal work in the Concept Plan (due to Joint Finance April 1^st), and states there will be two public hearings in March 2016. It is unclear whether these hearings will be to collect public comment on a draft of the Concept Plan.

Survival Coalition members continue to hear many questions and concerns from people with disabilities, their families, advocates, and providers across the state including:

• Will I have the same services at the same levels?
• Will my service plan look and stay the same?
• Can I keep all my sameproviders and doctors?
• Can I continue to fully self-direct if Im in IRIS, includingfull budget authority and full employment authority to hire, train,and fire my own workers?
• Can I still hire family members if I have paid family members now?

Survival Coalition finds that the quarterly report did not offer any additional information on what the content of redesigned Family Care will look like, any decisions the Department has made regarding the redesign, how the new system will operate, or when/how transition to the new system will occur.

Survival Coalition is aware that the Department has scheduled three meetings to be held this January, February, and March with selected invited advocates on select topics related to the redesign. Survival Coalition has respectfully requested additional meetings with Department leadership and redesign staff to discuss all of the topics raised in Survival Coalitions public comments.

Take Action Now

1.Read the report and see if it answers your questions about the long term care system redesign.

2.Contact your State Representative and State Senator with your unresolved questions (Go to Find My Legislators here:http://legis.wisconsin.gov/)

3.Stay tuned to participate in the upcoming public hearings in March.

***We thank the Wisconsin Survival Coalition for sharing this information.