News
THE CAP TIMES: Wisconsin’s Medicaid work requirements: Here’s what to know
By SD Network, 2026-06-23
Based on the provided article from The Cap Times, Wisconsin is preparing to implement new federal Medicaid work requirements on January 1, 2026, which state health officials estimate could cause roughly 63,000 BadgerCare Plus beneficiaries to lose their health insurance. Stemming from a 2025 federal budget reconciliation law, the mandate applies strictly to Medicaid expansion programs and will target adults ages 19–64 who do not have dependent children, are not pregnant, and do not qualify based on a disability. To maintain coverage, non-exempt recipients must complete at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, job training, or qualifying educational programs. While state health officials disagree with tying healthcare to employment and worry that complex reporting rules will inadvertently cause eligible people to lose access, Wisconsin plans to utilize an integrated data system and offer short-term hardship exemptions to help mitigate the administrative burden.
CBS NEWS: States aren't required to provide community-based care for people with disabilities, new DOJ opinion claims
By SD Network, 2026-06-19
On June 18, 2026, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) released a controversial legal opinion written by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lanora Pettit, stating that federal law does not require states to provide community- or home-based care to integrate people with mental, physical, and intellectual disabilities. This opinion reinterprets the landmark 1999 Supreme Court case Olmstead v. L.C., which disability rights advocates consider a cornerstone of disability civil rights equivalent to Brown v. Board of Education. While civil rights experts warn that this shift could lead to higher rates of institutionalization and signals a broader rollback of civil rights protections under the Trump administration, the OLC opinion serves as a warning shot regarding future enforcement rather than a formal change to existing legal precedent.
OFFICE OF TAMMY BALDWIN: Baldwin, Duckworth Lead Bill to Protect and Expand the Rights of Airplane Passengers with Disabilities
By SD Network, 2026-06-19
On June 18, 2026, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Tammy Duckworth, along with Representatives Dina Titus and Steve Cohen, introduced the Air Carrier Access Amendments Act to protect and expand the rights of airplane passengers with disabilities. Aiming to combat systemic travel barriers such as damaged wheelchairs, delayed assistance, and poor onboard accommodations, the legislation strengthens accountability by requiring the Department of Transportation to assess civil penalties for violations and refer discrimination patterns to the Department of Justice. Crucially, the bill grants individuals with disabilities a private right of action to sue in civil court, a major reform that has garnered strong support from numerous veteran and disability advocacy organizations, including Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: As America turns 250, one museum makes history possible to touch
By SD Network, 2026-06-18
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has launched guided tactile "touch tours" in its Signers' Hall gallery, allowing blind and low-vision visitors to experience the history of the U.S. Constitution's signing by feeling life-size bronze statues of the Founding Fathers. Officially started in April after staff trained with the organization Philly Touch Tours, this initiative aims to move past the bare minimum requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by making actual exhibit content accessible through touch and detailed verbal descriptions. In addition to these touch tours, the museum is celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary by expanding its inclusive programming to include sensory-friendly days with dimmed lights and quiet rooms for neurodivergent individuals, working to ensure the phrase "we the people" truly applies to all visitors.
ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING: New National Council on Aging Reports on Using AI in Home Care
By SD Network, 2026-06-18
The National Council on Aging (NCOA), via the ACL-funded Direct Care Workforce Strategies Center, has released a three-part report series titled "A New Era of Care" that examines the current role of artificial intelligence (AI) in home care. As the demand for home and community-based services escalates, these reports highlight how AI is being utilized to support older adults and people with disabilities, while outlining necessary measures to ensure the technology enhances the caregiving experience for both families and direct support professionals without becoming burdensome.
As Family Care enters a new phase, with national insurers administering care for most of the Medicaid long-term care program’s more than 55,000 members, workforce shortages are preventing access for residents across the state.
“We have an entitlement program for long-term care,” Patti Becker, co-chair of the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations, said during a Wisconsin Health News virtual panel Wednesday. “(But) there are people who are waiting for care. I do know that there are folks who have slept in their wheelchairs this week.”
She called for an end to a reliance on unpaid family caregivers.
“They are currently holding up our long-term care system, and if they are not available to do so, you're talking about more expensive congregate settings, longer stays in hospitals and people not being able to return to their own communities,” she said.
Wisconsin Health Care Association CEO Rick Abrams said policymakers should continue to invest in Family Care to help grow the workforce and retain current workers. They should also ease regulations that make it harder to operate in the program.
“(That) will have a substantial impact on stabilizing our workforce and hopefully growing it for the future,” he said.
Boosting the direct care workforce is only part of the solution, said Julie Strenn, long-term care director for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, a recent entrant to the program.
“We need to continue to be innovative and enhance technology,” she said. “We need to think about how … people stay connected to their community, or become connected to their community.”
Community Care President Kenneth Munson called for ensuring that caregivers, whether unpaid or paid, “have access to health insurance, to Medicaid, to the Affordable Care Act” so they can have their “families be stable and enable them to continue to be caregivers.”
He also suggested dusting off a 2020 report from Gov. Tony Evers’ Task Force on Caregiving and reexamining the ideas that haven’t made it across the finish line.
Kiva Gittings Graves, CEO of iCare, echoed that sentiment.
“If we could leverage that process again, pull all the people together in a very structured way and really do a deep dive and generate fresh ideas — maybe pull some of those that we didn't implement that are still feasible ideas, and move some of those new ideas forward,” she said. “If it's a coordinated effort with everybody together, I think that's how we're going to get there. That's how we've built this program in Wisconsin, and it's how we're going to continue to make sure that it is the best program in the nation.”
PR NEWSWIRE: Is AI Fair? New Evidence Suggests Bias Against People with Intellectual Disabilities Is Built In
By SD Network, 2026-06-16
According to a landmark peer-reviewed study published in the Disability and Health Journal by Special Olympics International and Oregon State University, popular large language models (LLMs) exhibit built-in, implicit bias against people with intellectual disabilities (ID). By analyzing 25,000 AI-generated short stories, researchers discovered that five leading AI systems consistently lean into "automated ableism," portraying individuals with ID as dependent, childlike, and heavily in need of supervision or constant inspiration compared to those without disabilities. Because these models are widely used across global workforces, healthcare, and education, the study warns that these deeply embedded stereotypes risk scaling globally, prompting a strong call from advocates for AI developers to actively involve people with disabilities in inclusive design and bias mitigation.
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES: Gov. Evers, DHS Announce Rural Health Transformation Program Grants Open, Encourage Eligible Partners to Apply
By SD Network, 2026-06-16
Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) have launched the Rural Health Transformation Program, opening applications for an initial $40 million in grant funding to improve healthcare affordability and accessibility in rural communities. Supported by a larger $203.6 million federal award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this initial funding cycle targets three key areas: up to $10 million for care coordination planning models (applications due August 21, 2026), $20 million to expand and integrate community health workers (applications due August 7, 2026), and $10 million to help rural dental clinics adopt efficiency-boosting technologies (applications due July 27, 2026). Eligible organizations can access application materials on the DHS website and may request technical assistance from partnering state health institutes to support their project planning and data evaluation.