WiAHC Latest News

WiAHC Successfully Removes Professional Advisory Bodies from State Regulations

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:57:11 GMT

For the last several years, WiAHC has been advocating to eliminate this outdated requirement in state regulations that require home health agencies to create professional advisory bodies and hold annual meetings. WiAHC has been advocating for this change since professional advisory committees were removed from federal regulations in 2017, as home health agencies are already overseen by a governing body pursuant to federal regulations. In addition, home health agencies are also overseen by governing bodies in Wisconsin regulations. In 2017, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also put in place federal regulations requiring home health agencies to implement ongoing quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) programs. Essentially, CMS replaced professional advisory committees in federal regulations with the creation of the QAPI program.

In January 2023, WiAHC formally requested that DHS eliminate professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies in the agency’s biennial rules review – a process by which DHS makes technical changes and updates to existing state regulations. DHS agreed to include this change in their 2023 biennial rules review. Subsequently, WiAHC submitted written and verbal testimony to DHS in 2025 supporting the elimination of professional advisory bodies.

According to the state Administrative Code, which includes all Wisconsin state regulations, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) 2023 biennial rules review that eliminates home health agency professional advisory bodies from state regulations took effect on March 1, 2026. Therefore, as is reflected in the state Administrative Code, there is no longer a requirement for home health agencies in Wisconsin to put in place professional advisory bodies and hold annual meetings. Thanks to the advocacy of WiAHC members, WiAHC was successful in advocating to eliminate this duplicative and burdensome requirement in state regulations! However, WiAHC members may want to consider seeking independent legal counsel when implementing this change.

State Legislature Session Update

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:55:59 GMT

On Friday, February 20, the Wisconsin State Assembly concluded its work for the 2025-2026 regular legislative session and the state Senate is expected to conclude their final action on March 17.

As this is written, the Legislature proved the following bills of interest to WiAHC:

Medicaid Postpartum Legislation

On March 18, Governor Evers signed Senate Bill 23, which extends Medicaid post-partum coverage to mothers to one year after the birth of a child.
Under current state law, Medicaid coverage for low-income mothers lasts for the first 60 days after the birth of a child.
This bill requires the state Department of Health Services to request approval from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to extend such coverage to one year after the birth of a child.
SB23 passed the Assembly on February 19 by a vote of 95-1. It passed the Senate on April 22, 2025, by a vote of 32-1.

Senate Bill 264 (Requires health insurers to cover diagnostic breast exams and supplemental breast screening exams for those who are at increased risk of breast cancer or have heterogeneously or extremely dense breast tissue) passed the legislature.

This bill also requires such screenings to be covered by Medicaid.
SB264 passed the Assembly on February 19 by a vote of 96-0. It passed the Senate on October 14, 2025, by a vote of 32-1. It will subsequently go to the Governor for his consideration.

Senate Bill 822 (Allows discounts for the prompt payment of health care fees) passed the legislature.

Under current state law, a clinician is not allowed to reduce (or offer to reduce) a patient’s coinsurance or deductible unless paying the amount would be an undue financial hardship for the patient.
This bill clarifies that discounts for prompt patient payment do not violate existing prohibitions in state law. It also clarifies that clinicians may (but are not required to) offer a discount to patients for prompt payment. Discounts are limited to 15% of the bill (and are reasonably related to the avoided amount of collection costs).
The bill also includes the following requirements related to allowing such a payment discount:
The discount must be offered uniformly for prompt payment, without regard to the insurer or the patient's reason for seeking care.
The clinician must notify insurers by posting the most up-to-date discount policy on their website (public advertising of the discount is prohibited unless otherwise required by law).
The discount cannot be provided before the service is scheduled or outside the clinician’s ordinary course of dealing with patients (e.g., at registration, billing, or payment).
Clinicians cannot shift the cost of the discount to other payers or include it in third-party payer contracts (except as allowed by state or federal law).
This bill passed the Assembly on February 19 by voice vote. It passed the Senate on February 11. It will now go to the Governor for his consideration.

Once the state Senate has adjourned for the 2025-2026 regular legislative session, we will provide you with an appropriate update.

Marquette Law School Releases New Statewide Poll

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:52:45 GMT

[NOTE: Individuals and topics referenced in the following poll summary were selected to reflect information of general interest to WiAHC members. The inclusion of any particular item does not in any way reflect the views of WiAHC, Hoven Consulting, Badger Bay Management Company or its employees or representatives.]

On February 25, 2026, Marquette University Law School Poll released its most recent poll, which surveyed 818 registered Wisconsin voters between February 11-19, 2026. The margin of error is +/-4.3 percentage points. This poll is the first Wisconsin state-specific Marquette poll since October 2025. This new poll covers political approval ratings, 2026 candidates, as well as various policy areas.

The following February 2026 poll findings may be of interest:

Elected Officials

President Trump Job Approval

44% approve of the job President Trump (R) is doing.
54% disapprove.
2% don’t know.

Governor Tony Evers Job Approval

49% approve of the job Governor Tony Evers (D) is doing.
45% disapprove.
6% don’t know.

Wisconsin Legislature Job Approval

41% approve of the state legislature’s job performance.
44% disapprove.
15% don’t know.

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates – 2026 August Primary Election

The following are the polling results of Wisconsin Republican primary voters when asked for whom they would vote:

Congressman Tom Tiffany: 35%
Medical Service Technician Andy Manske: 2%

NOTE: 63 percent of Republican primary voters indicated that they have not made up their minds on a preferred candidate for governor.

The following are the polling results of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters when asked for whom they would vote:

State Rep. Francesca Hong (Madison): 11%
Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes: 10%
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez: 6%
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley: 3%
Former Non-Profit Executive Joel Brennan: 2%
Former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes: 2%
State Sen. Kelda Roys (Madison): 1%
Former State Rep. Brett Hulsey (Madison Suburbs): 1%

NOTE: 65 percent of Democratic primary voters indicated that they have not made up their minds on a preferred candidate for governor.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidates – 2026 Spring Election

The following are the polling results of Wisconsin registered voters when asked for whom they would vote in the April State Supreme Court election:

Waukesha-Based State Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar (Conservative Candidate): 12%
Madison-Based State Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor (Liberal Candidate): 17%

NOTE: 66% of Wisconsin registered voters indicated that they have not made up their minds on a preferred candidate for the state Supreme Court.

General Issues

The most important issue among registered voters:

Inflation and the cost of living: 34%
Health insurance: 14%
Illegal immigration and border security: 13%
Taxes: 9%
Jobs and the economy: 9%
Affordability of housing: 7%
Gun violence: 5%
Abortion policy: 5%
Public schools: 4%
Crime in your community: 1%

Wisconsin Political Update

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:50:35 GMT

[NOTE: Candidates referenced in the following political update were selected to reflect information of general interest to WiAHC members. The inclusion of any particular item does not in any way reflect the views of WiAHC, Hoven Consulting, Badger Bay Management Company or its employees or representatives.]

On February 19, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Western Racine County) announced that he will not run for re-election this year. He is the longest-serving Assembly Speaker in Wisconsin history, serving in that role since 2013. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2004. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva Area) is widely expected to be the next Assembly Speaker, if the GOP maintains control of that chamber.

In mid-March, state Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) has indicated that he will not run for re-election this year. He was first elected in 2010, lost a recall election in 2012, was elected again in 2014, and has been re-elected since. The boundaries of his state Senate district have changed significantly during redistricting that took place in 2024. This district is now a “swing” district and is considered to be one of the state Senate districts that Democrats have targeted in this year’s elections. As this is written, the only declared candidate is Democrat Trevor Jung, who is a former City of Racine Alder and is the current Director of Transit and Mobility for the city.

Over the last month, several Democrats have announced their respective candidacies against several incumbent Democratic members of the state Assembly from Milwaukee:

· Most recently, Milwaukee Public School Board Member Mimi Reza announced that she will run against Rep. Priscilla Prado (D-Milwaukee South Side) in the Democratic primary in August. No Republicans have announced runs for this Assembly seat.

· Earlier in March, former Madison Alder and Milwaukee small business owner Bridget Maniaci announced she will run against Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-Milwaukee East Side & Bay View Neighborhoods) in the Democratic primary. No Republicans have announced runs for this Assembly seat.

· Several weeks ago, non-profit employee and community activist Ismael Luna announced that he will run against Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee South Side) in the Democratic primary. No Republicans have announced runs for this Assembly seat.

On March 9, State Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler, a conservative, announced that she will not run for a third 10-year term in 2027. She first won election to the state Supreme Court in 2007 and previously served as a Washington County judge, a prosecutor and an attorney in private practice. As this is written, no individuals have announced that they will run for this position. However, such announcements could occur after this year’s spring election on April 7.

Senate Committee Advances Bill Limiting Prior Authorization for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:15:29 GMT

On January 22, the Senate Committee on Insurance voted unanimously to advance Senate Bill 373, which places limits on insurance companies requiring prior authorization for certain services. Specifically, the bill allows 12 patient visits for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and chiropractic services – without requiring prior authorization. In addition, it limits the timeframe for subsequent insurance reauthorization to three business days.

As home health agencies provide physical, occupational, and speech therapy to patients, this bill would have a positive impact on agencies and their patients, if it is enacted. During this committee’s hearing on this legislation last October, WiAHC submitted testimony noting our organization’s appreciation for this legislation. However, the testimony also requested that the legislation’s authors add home-based skilled nursing care to this legislation. In addition, WiAHC’s Madison lobbyists advocated for this addition to the bill. Unfortunately, however, the bill’s authors declined to amend their legislation to make this inclusion.

Assembly Approves Legislation Creating a Process to Review and Update State Government Fees and Fines

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:15:08 GMT

On February 12, the state Assembly unanimously passed Assembly Bill 910, which would put in place a process for each state government agency to review the fees and fines under their respective purview and recommend any updates to the Legislature. Numerous such fees and fines have not been updated in 20, 30, or 40 or more years. It’s also worth noting that fees addressed by this bill include occupational credentialing fees, which are mostly assessed by the state Department of Safety and Professional Services.

In particular, the bill would require each state government agency to undertake a fee and fine review every six years. As a result of this review, each agency would make recommendations to the Legislature to consider updating fees and fines to take into account inflation. However, under the bill, an agency is allowed to recommend no changes to a particular fee or fine. If an agency does recommend an increase to a particular fee or fine, they may recommend implementing it over four years to minimize impact on affected parties.

This bill will now be sent to the state Senate for its consideration.

Legislature Releases Funds to Improve Occupational Credential Processing

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:14:50 GMT

In late January, the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance released funding to the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) intended to improve occupational credential processing efficiencies. In particular, the committee released $1.8 million to DSPS to update customer call center software, implement a 24-hour “AI-agent chat” pilot program intended to answer most “how to” questions, and add six contract staff members to implement these upgrades and to provide customer assistance.

Non-Partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau Projects Increased State Budget Surplus

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:14:24 GMT

In January, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) announced a projection that the state government will have a $2.5 billion surplus at the end of the current Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget timeframe. This projected amount is $1.5 billion more than previously projected. Most of that increase is due to nearly $1.4 billion in increased state tax collections. LFB’s analysis for this higher-than-expected surplus is due to growth in the 2025 gross domestic product due to a lower rate of inflation. LFB also indicated that a lower-than-expected tariff rate also played a role.

Wisconsin Political Update

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:14:05 GMT

At the end of January, President Donald Trump endorsed Congressman Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) in his campaign for governor. Shortly after, Republican gubernatorial candidate Josh Schoemann – who serves as Washington County Executive – ended his campaign. As such, Congressman Tiffany is the sole major candidate running for the Republican nomination for governor.

Also in January, state Senator Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) announced that he would not run for re-election this year. After that announcement, physical therapist and business owner Mike Roberts (R-Pewaukee) announced his candidacy for this seat. State Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) had previously announced her candidacy for this state Senate seat. This is viewed as perhaps the most competitive state Senate election in 2026.

On February 2, state Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) announced that he will not run for re-election this year. Senator Nass started his service in the Legislature in 1991, as a member of the state Assembly. Following that announcement, former state Representative Ellen Schutt (R-Clinton) announced her candidacy for this state Senate seat.

WiAHC Welcomes 2026 Board of Directors!

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:08:03 GMT

The Wisconsin Association for Home Healthcare is excited to introduce our 2026 Board of Directors!

These leaders bring valuable experience in home health care and share a strong commitment to advancing high-quality, patient-centered care across Wisconsin.

Please join us in welcoming:

Christa Walz, MA, PT (Chair), Executive Director, Adoray Home Health & Hospice
Vicki Meyer, CPA (Vice Chair), Senior Vice President and CFO, Horizon Home Care and Hospice
Nicole Naidl (Secretary/Treasurer), Manager of Operations, Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Home Health & Hospice
Jayne Thill, MSN, BSN, RN III, COQS (Immediate Past-Chair), Regional Quality Director, Ascension At Home Together with Compassus
Tina Kimps (Regional Representative), Area Vice President, Advocate Aurora at Home
Nicole Ruh (Regional Representative), RN HHC/Hospice Supervisor, Calumet County
Michelle Esser (Regional Representative), Director, Upland Hills Health Home Care & Hospice
Lindsey Howard (At-Large Director), Regional Director of Government Affairs, Maxim Healthcare Services
Amy Driscoll (At-Large Director), Director of Training and Education, Advocate Aurora at Home
Audra Dennis (At-Large Director), RN, BSN, COS-C, Home Health Director of Clinical Operations, Ascension At Home Together with Compassus

We’re grateful for their willingness to serve and look forward to the insight and leadership they’ll bring as we continue advocating for home and community-based care throughout the state.

Governor Evers Delivers His Final State of the State Address on February 17

Account Administrator — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 16:06:21 GMT

On January 2, 2026, Governor Tony Evers announced that he will deliver his 2026 State of the State address in the Assembly Chamber of the Wisconsin State Capitol on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 7:00PM (Central Time). As he is not running for re-election in 2026, this will be his final State of the State speech. His speech may be viewed live online on the WisconsinEye website, the Governor’s YouTube channel, as well as his Facebook page.

ACT TODAY: Urge Your State Senator to Support Palliative Care Council Legislation (Senate Bill 39/Assembly Bill 23)

Account Administrator — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 20:40:20 GMT

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

Please email or call your state senator by tomorrow, Feb 13, 2026 and urge him or her to ask Senate leadership to schedule a vote on the Palliative Care Council legislation (Assembly Bill 23/Senate Bill 39) in order to improve awareness of this specialized type of care, address the shortage of palliative care providers, and increase access to this type of care. Ultimately, the intent is to better support patients living with life-limiting illnesses. An email template can be found HERE.

As many home health agencies also provide palliative care, the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) supports passage of Senate Bill 39/Assembly Bill 23, which would create a state Palliative Care Council to advise the state Department of Health Services (DHS) and the state Legislature on key issues impacting palliative care and the patients and their families that depend on this type of care.

We are very close to passing this bill and need your expertise and passion to get the bill scheduled for a vote in the Wisconsin State Senate.

What You Already Know

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness such as cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and advanced neurologic disorders, among others. This type of care is focused on providing relief from both the symptoms and stress of serious illness with the goal of improving quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage for a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

Why Create a Palliative Care Council?

This council would analyze existing palliative care programs in our state, as well as identify ways in which health care providers could improve the quality of life for patients throughout Wisconsin. This council will help improve awareness of palliative care – which is often misunderstood, even in the field of health care – address the shortage of palliative care providers and increase access to this valuable type of care.

Additional Benefits of Palliative Care

Palliative Care Saves Costs

Research has demonstrated that patients in hospital systems with palliative care programs experienced reduced emergency department visits, fewer days in intensive care, and fewer hospital re-admissions after discharge.

According to a summary of palliative care studies prepared by the American Cancer Society:
According to a 2020 study, hospital patients who received a quick palliative care referral had median hospital charges that were $56,700 less than other patients.
A 2022 study found that palliative care provided to adult patients at home decreased their medical costs by 16.7%.
Hospital patients with cancer who received a palliative care consultation within two days of admission experienced up to 32% lower health care costs, according to a 2016 study.

Status of the bill

The state Assembly voted overwhelmingly (96-1) in May to pass Assembly Bill 23, which has now been referred to the Senate. On March 14, the Senate Health Committee voted unanimously (5-0) to send this bill to the full Senate.

As you can see, this legislation has overwhelming support in the Legislature. We need your help to get this bill over the finish line! Specifically, we need WiAHC home health agency staff members to contact their respective state senators to ask for their support to bring this legislation to a vote in the full state Senate.

Don’t know who your state senator is? Just click here and type your home address in the “Enter address” field at the top of the screen to find that out, as well as the appropriate office phone number and email address.

Please use WiAHC’s sample e-mail when contacting your state senator. This will only take you a few minutes. Simply cut-and-paste it into an email and send it off. You are also welcome to customize it based on your experience with palliative care. [If you do so, please be sure that any anecdotes/information you share is HIPAA-compliant.] If you prefer to call your state senator’s office, you could use the sample e-mail as a script.

If you have any questions, please contact the WiAHC Government Affairs Team at tim@hovenconsulting.com or nathan@hovenconsulting.com.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Home Health Care Medicaid Rate Increase Implemented on January 1, 2026

Account Administrator — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:05:23 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) recently issued a notice that, as of January 1, 2026, it has implemented a change to the Medicaid rate for home health care services delivered by licensed practical nurses or registered nurses employed by home health agencies.

As you will recall, WiAHC – with your help as a WiAHC member – advocated and secured this rate increase in the FY2025-2027 state budget. Specifically, this will increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate from $96.96 per home visit to approximately $117.86 per home visit, which is 70 percent of the Medicare home health reimbursement rate, for home health services provided on or after January 1, 2026.

Wisconsin Receives $203 Million from the Federal Rural Health Transformation Program

Account Administrator — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:04:50 GMT

On December 30, 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that it received $203 million in Rural Health Transformation Fund grant funding from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This award represents the first of five years of such awards from CMS to benefit rural health care in Wisconsin. According to the DHS press release, these dollars will go towards the following initiatives:

· “Grants for innovative workforce projects in rural communities, support career pathways for rural health care providers, and fund services provided by community health workers.

· Upgrades for rural provider systems, digital infrastructure, and develop a digital rural health care collaborative.

· A competitive grant program for rural regions to create coordinated systems of care where multi-sector partnerships show a clear path to sustainability.”

DHS Continues to Support the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Recommendations on Childhood Vaccines

Account Administrator — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:04:32 GMT

Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) decision on January 5, 2026, to significantly modify the childhood vaccine schedule – including reducing the number of recommended vaccines for all children from 17 to 11 – the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that they continue to recommend that Wisconsin clinicians follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) vaccine schedule. For more information, please view the DHS vaccine guidance documenton the DHS website.

Contact Your State Senator to Support Legislation Creating a State Palliative Care Council (Senate Bill 39/Assembly Bill 23)

Account Administrator — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:01:26 GMT

We are very close to passing this bill and need your expertise and passion to get the bill scheduled for a vote in the Wisconsin State Senate.

What You Already Know

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness such as cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and advanced neurologic disorders, among others. This type of care is focused on providing relief from both the symptoms and stress of serious illness with the goal of improving quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage for a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

Why Create a Palliative Care Council?

This council would analyze existing palliative care programs in our state, as well as identify ways in which health care providers could improve the quality of life for patients throughout Wisconsin. This council will help improve awareness of palliative care – which is often misunderstood, even in the field of health care – address the shortage of palliative care providers and increase access to this valuable type of care.

Additional Benefits of Palliative Care

Palliative Care Saves Costs

Research has demonstrated that patients in hospital systems with palliative care programs experienced reduced emergency department visits, fewer days in intensive care, and fewer hospital re-admissions after discharge.

According to a summary of palliative care studies prepared by the American Cancer Society:
According to a 2020 study, hospital patients who received a quick palliative care referral had median hospital charges that were $56,700 less than other patients.
A 2022 study found that palliative care provided to adult patients at home decreased their medical costs by 16.7%.
Hospital patients with cancer who received a palliative care consultation within two days of admission experienced up to 32% lower health care costs, according to a 2016 study.

Status of the bill

The state Assembly voted overwhelmingly (96-1) in May to pass Assembly Bill 23, which has now been referred to the Senate. On March 14, the Senate Health Committee voted unanimously (5-0) to send this bill to the full Senate.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

Please email or call your state senator by Monday, February 2 and urge him or her to ask Senate leadership to schedule a vote on the Palliative Care Council legislation (Assembly Bill 23/Senate Bill 39) in order to improve awareness of this specialized type of care, address the shortage of palliative care providers, and increase access to this type of care. Ultimately, the intent is to better support patients living with life-limiting illnesses.

If you have any questions, please contact the WiAHC Government Affairs Team at tim@hovenconsulting.com or nathan@hovenconsulting.com.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Note to Badger Bay: Please make this a link to the email template that we will provide to you separately.

Happy Holidays and Thank You from Hoven Consulting!

Account Administrator — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:25:44 GMT

As we look back over 2025, Tim and Nathan at Hoven Consulting are grateful to have the opportunity to work in Madison to advocate on behalf of Wisconsin’s home health agencies to improve patient safety and increase patient access to our state’s health care system.

With your help, WiAHC helped accomplish a number of important policy and budgetary priorities that benefit home health agencies and the patients you serve:

Home Health Skilled Nursing Medicaid Rate Increase: Increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate from $96.96 per home visit to approximately $117.86 per home visit, which is 70 percent of the Medicare home health reimbursement rate. Due to funding levels, it appears that this rate increase will be fully implemented in the second year of the budget – in state Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
Continued to advocate to eliminate outdated home health agency professional advisory bodies from state regulations, including drafting and submitting written and verbal testimony to the state Department of Health Services (DHS). We anticipate that this state regulatory change will likely be complete by mid-2026.

We look forward to 2026 and our continued efforts to advocate for policies that benefit both home health agencies and the patients you serve.

From all of us at Hoven Consulting, we would like to wish all of you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season!

Removal of Home Health Agency Professional Advisory Bodies from State Regulations - Update

Account Administrator — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:25:04 GMT

For the last several years, WiAHC has been advocating to eliminate an outdated state regulation relating to professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies. WiAHC has been advocating for this change since professional advisory committees were removed from federal regulations in 2017, as home health agencies are already overseen by a governing body pursuant to federal regulations. In addition, home health agencies are also overseen by governing bodies in Wisconsin regulations. In 2017, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also put in place federal regulations requiring home health agencies to implement ongoing quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) programs. Essentially, CMS replaced professional advisory committees in federal regulations with the creation of the QAPI program.

In January 2023, WiAHC formally requested that the state Department of Health Services (DHS) eliminate professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies in the agency’s biennial rules review – a process by which DHS makes technical changes and updates to existing state regulations. As DHS included this change in their biennial rules review, WiAHC noted in a prior Madison update that we submitted formal testimony to DHS on September 26 in support of this change. In addition, one of WiAHC’s Madison lobbyists testified at the DHS September 26 virtual hearing in support of this change.

The next step in the state regulatory process is for the various legislative committees to review the broader biennial rules review proposal, which includes the provision removing home health agency professional advisory bodies. As this is written, several of those committees are reviewing this broader proposal. If this process remains on schedule, we anticipate that this state regulatory change will likely be complete by mid-2026.

DHS Announces New Online Licensure and Certification System for Health and Residential Care Providers

Account Administrator — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:24:45 GMT

In recent weeks, the state Department of Health Services’ Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) announced that it is launching a new online portal for health and residential care providers to use for licensure/certification, background checks, plan reviews, among other matters. As of December 15, 2025, various providers, including assisted living facilities, will be required to use this system. In the future, home health agencies, nursing homes, hospitals and other providers will also be required to use this online portal.

For more information, please visit the DHS website.

2026 Governor's Race - Update

Account Administrator — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 19:24:26 GMT

On December 2, former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes announced his candidacy for governor. He was also the Democratic nominee for the 2022 U.S. Senate race against U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R) and previously served as a state representative, representing an Assembly district in the City of Milwaukee. His entry into the governor’s race was widely expected. Based on statewide polling prior to his announcement, he appears to be the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination at this time.

A little over a week later, Greater Milwaukee Committee President Joel Brennan also announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor. In addition, he served as the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration during Governor Tony Evers’ first term. With Brennan now in the race, there are now 10 candidates running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

CY2026 Home Health Final Rule: National Alliance for Care at Home Releases Analysis

Account Administrator — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:41:51 GMT

CMS released the CY 2026 Home Health Final Rule November 28. It includes significant modifications from the proposed rule released this summer. The Alliance has prepared an initial high-level analysis of the Final Rule. This analysis and press release are attached. The Alliance will also be holding webinar covering the rule on December 4, from 2-3pm ET.

VA Rate Tool Now Available from Paradigm

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 21:06:15 GMT

As you may be aware, the Veterans Affairs administration revisits its rates each year and releases the new fee schedule in November or December.

The 2026 rates have now been released. While in most states the rates are unchanged, substantial cuts were announced in parts of these states:

1. Texas: 43% reduction in home care rates

2. New Mexico: 19% reduction in home care rates

We're pleased to share that we've arranged access to a free interactive tool from Paradigm which you can use to check the updated rates in your service areas.

Check Your 2026 VA Rates Here

Important reminders about the new fee schedule:

1. These rates take effect on January 1st, 2026.

2. The rates will apply throughout the year, though the VA may adjust them at any time.

3. Reimbursement rates are based on the care location (where the care is provided), not the referring VA Medical Center.

4. If your agency serves clients across multiple counties or regions, applicable rates may vary.

We encourage all members to review these changes promptly to understand how they might affect your operations in the coming year.

WiAHC Submits Testimony on Two Bills Limiting Prior Insurance Authorization

Account Administrator — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:09:21 GMT

On October 29, the Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry held a hearing on two bills limiting prior insurance authorization. WiAHC submitted written testimony on both bills.

Senate Bill 434 – Transparency and Regulation of Prior Authorization Requirements

This legislation makes the following changes to existing prior insurance authorization requirements:

Limits prior authorization decision timelines to 72 hours for standard requests and 24 hours for urgent care requests.
Requires a patient’s new insurer to honor a prior authorization decision made by a utilization review entity associated with the patient’s prior insurer for at least 90 days.

WiAHC submitted written testimony in support of this legislation, bearing in mind that commercial insurers in Wisconsin often take as long as 10-15 days to respond to prior authorization requests from home health care agencies.

Senate Bill 373 – Addresses Prior Authorization for Coverage of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Chiropractic Services

This legislation does the following:

Allows 12 patient visits for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and chiropractic services – without requiring prior authorization.
Limits the timeframe for subsequent insurance reauthorization to three business days.

WiAHC submitted written testimony noting that our organization appreciates this legislation, as home health agencies employ physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. However, our organization’s testimony also requests the addition of home-based skilled nursing care to this legislation.

State DHS Announces Priorities Included in Application for Federal Rural Health Transformation Funding

Account Administrator — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:09:01 GMT

On November 6, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that it recently submitted its application to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for $1 billion in Rural Health Transformation Program funding. This program was created by the Budget Reconciliation Act that was signed into law by the President earlier this year and allows each state to apply for rural health funding.

According to its press release, DHS divided its funding application into the following three areas:

“Strengthen the rural health care workforce - $337 million. Recruiting and retaining an adequate health care workforce is a challenge in rural areas, making access to quality, timely care for rural residents difficult. This funding will provide grants for innovative workforce projects in rural communities, support career pathways for rural health care providers, and fund services provided by community health workers.

Drive rural technology and innovation - $329 million. Rural Wisconsin needs the technology to support and reach residents, such as closed-loop referral systems and telehealth capabilities. This funding will invest in upgrades to rural provider systems, digital infrastructure, and develop a digital rural health care collaborative.

Transform rural care through partnerships - $279 million. Rural Wisconsinites experience fragmented coordination across primary care, specialty care, behavioral health, chronic disease prevention, and community social supports. This funding will stand up a competitive grant program for rural regions to create coordinated systems of care where multi-sector partnerships show a clear path to sustainability.”

Further details are included in the DHS press release.

Recent Marquette Poll Results

Account Administrator — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:01:25 GMT

On October 29, 2025, Marquette University Law School Poll released its most recent poll, which surveyed 846 registered Wisconsin voters between October 15-22, 2025. This poll is the first Wisconsin state-specific Marquette poll since June 2025. This new poll covers political approval ratings, candidates for certain 2026 elections, as well as various policy areas.

The following October 2025 poll findings may be of interest:

Elected Officials

President Trump Job Approval

46% approve of the job President Trump (R) is doing.
53% disapprove.

Governor Tony Evers Job Approval

50% approve of the job Governor Tony Evers (D) is doing.
45% disapprove.
5% don’t know.

Wisconsin Legislature Job Approval

39% approve of the state legislature’s job performance.
50% disapprove.
11% don’t know.

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates – 2026 August Primary Election

The following are the results for polling of Wisconsin Republican primary voters:

Congressman Tom Tiffany: 23%
Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann: 6%
Medical Service Technician Andy Manske: Less than 0.5%

NOTE: 70 percent of Republican primary voters indicated that they have not made up their minds on a preferred candidate for governor.

The following are the results for polling of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters:

State Rep. Francesca Hong (Madison): 6%
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez: 4%
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley: 3%
State Sen. Kelda Roys (Madison): 3%
Former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes: 2%
American Family Field Beer Vendor Ryan Strnad: Less than 0.5%
Former State Rep. Brett Hulsey (Madison Suburbs): 0.0%

NOTE: 81 percent of Democratic primary voters indicated that they have not made up their minds on a preferred candidate for governor.

General Issues

The most important issue among registered voters:

Inflation and the cost of living: 27%
Illegal immigration and border security: 16%
Health insurance: 14%
Jobs and the economy: 9%
Gun violence: 9%
Affordability of housing: 9%
Taxes: 6%
Abortion policy: 4%
Public schools: 4%
Crime in your community: 2%

State and Local Policy

Data Centers

Costs of large data centers are greater than the benefits they provide: 55%
Benefits of large data centers outweigh the costs: 44%

Paid Family Leave

Support requiring businesses to provide paid family leave for parents of newborns: 77%
Opposed to requiring businesses to provide paid family leave for parents of newborns: 22%

Handgun Concealed Carry

Support state law allowing residents to obtain a license to carry concealed handguns: 77%
Oppose this state law: 22%

Support state legislative proposals to allow concealed carry without a license: 20%
Oppose such proposals: 78%

Government Reopened - Telehealth Flexibilities Resumed

Account Administrator — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:48:13 GMT

The House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026, sending the measure to the President. President Trump subsequently signed this bill into law, formally ending the 43-day government shutdown. The bill provides a CR through January 30, 2026 at FY 2025 funding levels and provides full-year FY 2026 funding for the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration, the Legislative Branch, military construction projects, and the Veterans Affairs Department.

Here are some highlights:

The legislation retroactively restores the COVID-19 era Medicare telehealth flexibilities through January 30, 2026, as if they had never lapsed. For home health agencies, this reinstates the waiver of originating site and geographic requirements under section 1834(m), allowing face-to-face encounters to occur broadly via telehealth. For hospice providers, the required encounter prior to a third or subsequent benefit period may again be completed via telehealth by a hospice physician or nurse practitioner. These flexibilities previously expired on September 30, 2025.
The legislation renews $2 million in funding for Medicare hospice surveys, originally included in the IMPACT Act of 2014, to ensure hospices are surveyed at least every 36 months.
The legislation waives the Statutory PAYGO requirement through 2026, zeroing out PAYGO scorecard, which included $3.4 trillion in deficit spending resulting from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBA). Without this waiver, providers would have been subject to an additional sequestration cut of roughly 4% to Medicare payments.
The full-year appropriations for the Veterans Administration will provide more certainty regarding the ongoing stability of VA health services. Included in the CR through January 30, 2026, is the Department of Defense, which funds TriCare. During the shutdown, TriCare was unable to process and pay medical claims for services and this will allow reimbursement for services provided from October 1, 2025 through the end of the CR.

Additional details are published in the National Alliance for Care at Home Alliance Daily article.

WiAHC Submits Formal Comments to DHS on Rule Removing Professional Advisory Bodies from State Regulations

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:52:01 GMT

In January 2023, WiAHC formally requested that the state Department of Health Services (DHS) eliminate professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies in the agency’s biennial rules review – a process by which DHS makes technical changes and updates to existing state regulations. As DHS included this change in their biennial rules review, WiAHC submitted formal testimony to DHS on September 26 in support of this change. In addition, one of WiAHC’s Madison lobbyists testified at the DHS September 26 virtual hearing in support of this change.

Further updates will be included in future editions of this newsletter.

State Senate Approves Telehealth Services Bill

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:51:40 GMT

On October 14, the state Senate approved Senate Bill 214, a bill that allows health care providers credentialed in other states to provide telehealth services in Wisconsin within their scope of practice by registering with the applicable occupational credentialing board or with the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). This legislation has been referred to the state Assembly for further consideration. WiAHC supports this legislation.

Further updates will be included in future editions of this newsletter.

Political Update - Governor's Race

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:48:36 GMT

There have been a number of updates related to the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial race since the prior edition of this newsletter.

With respect to Democratic candidates, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and former labor union official and American Family Field beer vendor Ryan Strnad were the first to announce their respective candidacies. Over the last month, state Senator Kelda Roys (Madison), state Representative Francesca Hong (Madison), former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes, and former state Representative Brett Hulsey (Middleton) have all joined the 2026 gubernatorial race. On October 7, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced that he will not run for governor but will run for re-election in his current role. For several months, media reports had considered him as a potential gubernatorial candidate. As this is written, former Lieutenant Governor and 2022 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes has indicated that he is seriously considering running for governor.

On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany (Minocqua) have announced their candidacies. Over the last few weeks, former four-term Governor Tommy Thompson publicly stated his interest in running for governor in 2026. He also considered running for governor in 2022 but ultimately decided not to run that year. Also, Milwaukee-area businessman Bill Berrien announced his candidacy for governor in early July but ended his campaign on September 26.

DHS is Seeking Health Care Professionals to Join the Medicaid Advisory Committee – Apply by October 27

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:48:03 GMT

The state Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking providers and professionals with experience with Wisconsin’s Medicaid program to apply to join the state’s Medicaid Advisory Committee. Joining this committee will give individuals an opportunity to give advice and guidance on Medicaid policies and services. In particular, DHS is seeking the following individuals to join this committee:

Primary care providers
Federally qualified health center staff
Hospital administrative staff
Professionals who help Medicaid members navigate enrollment, care, benefits, and payments (e.g., income maintenance workers, community health workers, benefits specialists, or navigators).

For more information or to apply, please click here. Applications are due by Monday, October 27, 2025.

State Government Ends Fiscal Year with Larger Than Expected Balance

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:47:44 GMT

On October 15, Governor Tony Evers (D) announced that the State of Wisconsin ended state fiscal year 2025 – which ended on June 30 – with a balance of $4.6 billion in the state’s general fund. This amount is $265 million higher than prior estimates. Also, it is notable that the state’s budget stabilization fund – also known as the “rainy day fund” – increased to approximately $2 billion at the end of FY2025. This is the rainy day fund’s largest balance in state history.

Legislative Alert: Federal Government Shutdown Begins October 1, 2025

Account Administrator — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:56:09 GMT

Last night, the Senate concluded votes on both a House republican CR and a Democratic CR, with both votes failing. With no path forward, the federal government shut down at midnight last night. This means that, among other things, telehealth flexibilities that were set to expire on September 30 are no longer in effect. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also released a contingency plan outlining its operations during the government shutdown. More updates will be shared as available. Alliance members are able to view the Alliance Daily Article for more information about the impacts of a government shutdown.

State Department of Health Accepting Public Comment on Rule Removing Professional Advisory Bodies from State Regulations

Account Administrator — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:58:42 GMT

In January 2023, WiAHC formally requested that the state Department of Health Services (DHS) eliminate professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies in the agency’s biennial rules review – a process by which DHS makes technical changes and updates to existing state regulations. Our organization’s . rationale is that this would bring Wisconsin’s regulations in line with federal regulations for the reasons addressed above.

Subsequently, the draft DHS biennial rules review document includes the elimination of professional advisory bodies for home health agencies. On September 15, the agency announced that it will hold a public hearing in late September to accept comments – including written comments – regarding the draft biennial rules review document. WiAHC anticipates that it will submit comments at this hearing in support of eliminating the requirement for home health agencies to have professional advisory bodies. It is also worth noting that WiAHC also submitted written comments to DHS in July on the positive economic impact of removing professional advisory bodies from state regulations. These comments were based on economic impact feedback that WiAHC members had provided via a survey. Thank you to those WiAHC members who provided this feedback!

Further updates will be included in future editions of this newsletter.

Governor Evers Signs Executive Order Addressing Vaccine Access in Wisconsin

Account Administrator — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:58:22 GMT

On September 15, Governor Tony Evers (D) signed an executive order directing state government agencies to make sure that Wisconsinites are able to easily access vaccines, particularly the COVID-19 vaccine. More specifically, the executive order directs the state Department of Health Services (DHS) to “work with the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI), and any other relevant state agencies and offices to ensure vaccine access for Wisconsinites to the fullest extent of the law and available funding”. The order also requires DHS to issue a standing order to allow Wisconsinites to access the COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies. Additionally, the executive order requires the OCI to direct health insurance companies to provide full insurance coverage – within existing regulatory authority – for this vaccine.

The governor’s full press release may be viewed here.

Assembly Speaker Announces Task Force Committees

Account Administrator — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:55:27 GMT

On September 9, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) held a press conference to announce the creation of new Speaker Task Forces to address several policy areas. During prior legislative sessions, Speaker Vos has created such task forces, which hold public hearings and meetings to examine specific policy areas with the ultimate goal of drafting related legislation. He indicated that the Assembly will likely vote on such legislation in January and February 2026.

Speaker Vos created the following Speaker Task Forces:

Protecting Children

This task force will be chaired by Rep. Lindee Brill (R-Sheboygan Falls), who will focus on online safety for children.

Government Efficiency and Modernization

This task force will be chaired by Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk (R-Western Waukesha County). This task force will focus on:

Replacing outdated, redundant processes with modern tools.
Reducing administrative overhead through automation.
Integrating systems across agencies to avoid duplicate work.
Using data to predict demand and allocate resources more effectively.

Elder Services

This task force will be chaired by Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Wausau), who will focus on helping seniors maintain their independence and social lives, while prioritizing physical and financial wellbeing.

Rulemaking

This task force will be chaired by Rep. Brent Jacobson (R-Mosinee), an attorney, who will focus on oversight of state government’s regulatory process.

Legislature Resumes Fall Session Period

Account Administrator — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:54:57 GMT

Following Labor Day, the state Legislature resumed its Fall session work period. In addition to state Assembly and Senate committees holding public hearings on various pieces of legislation, both chambers are able to hold session days. These are days during which each respective chamber votes on legislation. Both chambers are able to hold session days in both October and November, with additional possible session days in 2026.

Governor Signs Bill Allowing Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers to Pronounce Deaths

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:42:57 GMT

On August 8, Governor Tony Evers (D) signed Senate Bill 43. This legislation allows an advanced practice nurse prescriber who is directly involved with the care of a patient to pronounce the date, time, and place of a patient’s death in order to prepare a death record. Previously, only a physician, naturopathic doctor, coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner, deputy medical examiner, physician assistant, or hospice nurse had this authority.

Senate Bill 43, which is now 2025 Wisconsin Act 19, became effective on August 10, 2025.

Governor Evers Not Running for Re-Election

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:42:00 GMT

On July 24, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) announced that he will not run for a third term as governor in 2026. His video announcement, which includes a transcript, may be viewed here.

This will be the first time since 2010 that an incumbent Wisconsin governor has not run for re-election. Tony Evers was first elected as governor in 2018 when he defeated then-Governor Scott Walker (R). He was re-elected in 2022, when he defeated Republican businessman Tim Michels. Prior to his tenure as governor, he was elected three times – in 2009, 2013, and 2017 – to the statewide position of Superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction – the state K-12 education agency. Earlier in his career, he was a teacher, school principal, and school district superintendent.

The 2026 Democratic primary election for governor could be quite crowded. At this time, the following Democrats have announced their candidacy for governor: incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and former labor union official and American Family Field beer vendor Ryan Strnad. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has publicly stated that he will take steps toward a candidacy but has not yet done so. State Senator Kelda Roys (Madison) has also indicated that she will likely enter the race. Other possible candidates include Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, former Lieutenant Governor and 2022 U.S. Senate Candidate Mandela Barnes, State Senator Chris Larson (Milwaukee), Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, and former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler.

On the Republican side, Milwaukee-area businessman Bill Berrien and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann announced their respective candidacies for governor previously. U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany (Minocqua), 2024 Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, 2022 gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, and state Senators Patrick Testin (Stevens Point) and Mary Felzkowski (Tomahawk) have also been referenced in various media reports as possible gubernatorial candidates in 2026.

It's possible that more individuals may formally announce their candidacy for governor after Labor Day.

Impact of Federal Budget Bill on Medicaid Coverage in Wisconsin

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:41:33 GMT

Following the enactment of the federal budget reconciliation bill – otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) issued a report detailing their projections on how this new federal law will impact Wisconsinites who use programs that DHS administers. The following are highlights of the agency’s analysis:

Over the next 10 years, 276,175 Wisconsin residents will no longer receive health care insurance coverage provided under either the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Medicaid.
The increased work requirements in this new law will likely result in 63,000 Wisconsin adults being at high risk of losing Medicaid coverage.
This new federal law will make it more difficult to qualify for FoodShare (previously known as food stamps) benefits, as this new law imposes new work requirements to individuals up to age 65 (previously the age limit was 54). The new law also no longer exempts parents of children aged 14-17 from work requirements under this program.

A more detailed analysis is available on the DHS website.

DSPS Publishes Updated Occupational Credentialing Fee Schedule

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:41:07 GMT

On August 11, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) – the state’s occupational credentialing agency – announced that it had published an updated fee schedule for the various occupations that it regulates. DSPS reviews all occupational credentialing fees every two years and modifies the fee amount for a specific profession based on the cost of the agency’s work to license and regulate that profession. It’s important to note that DSPS is almost entirely funded by fee-based revenue, instead of tax revenue.

According to the agency, most impacted professions – including nurses – will see their credential renewal fees increase by less than $20. The full fee schedule – which addresses renewal fees – may be viewed at the DSPS website.

WiAHC Secures Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Increase for Home Health Agency Nurses

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:41:54 GMT

Since the beginning of 2025, WiAHC’s lobbyists have been aggressively advocating to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health agency-based nurses from $96.96 per visit to $117.86 per visit, which is 70 percent of the Medicare home health reimbursement rate. Such a rate increase would bring our state in line with the reimbursement rates in other Midwest states. With your help as WiAHC members, we are pleased to inform you that this increase was included in the Fiscal Year 2025-2027 state budget that Governor Tony Evers (D) signed into law on July 3!

More specifically, this budget law provides $294,300 in FY2025-2026 and $588,600 in FY2026-2027 to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for home visits performed by licensed practical nurses or registered nurses employed by home health agencies, effective January 1, 2026. Please note that per the funding levels provided above, it appears that this requested rate increase will be fully implemented in the second year of the biennial budget – in FY2026-2027.

In addition to WiAHC’s gratitude to Governor Evers and the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance, our organization greatly appreciates the leadership of both Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), a nurse practitioner, and Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie), a chiropractor. Both of these legislators formally submitted this rate increase request to the Joint Committee on Finance for consideration.

Fiscal Year 2025-2027 State Budget Update

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:39:04 GMT

Early on July 1, Governor Tony Evers (D) announced an agreement on the state Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget with legislative leadership. The budget bill compromise between Governor Evers and legislative leaders will boost funds for the Universities of Wisconsin, special education, and childcare providers in exchange for preserving approximately $1.4 billion in Republican tax cuts. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approved this agreement on July 1 by a vote of 13-3. Subsequently, the state Senate passed the bill on July 2, and the state Assembly passed it in the early morning hours of July 3. As noted above, Governor Evers signed this bill on July 3.

The following are highlights of the $111.1 billion FY2025-2027 budget:

State Taxes

A reduction of the Wisconsin individual income tax by over $600 million annually.
Over 1.5 million of Wisconsin taxpayers will receive a tax cut, averaging $180.
82 percent of the tax cut will go to taxpayers with adjusted gross income below $200,000.

Reducing income taxes for many Wisconsin retirees.
Allowing those age 67 or older to exclude up to $24,000 (up to $48,000 for married-joint filers) of retirement income payments will reduce taxes on approximately 280,000 Wisconsin filers by an average of about $1,000 per filer.

Department of Public Instruction

A $1.4 billion increase in funding for public K-12 schools in Wisconsin.
This includes an increase in the special education reimbursement rate, to 42% in FY2025-2026 to 45% in FY2026-2027. According to Governor Evers, this is the highest reimbursement rate in three decades.

Department of Children and Families

The Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget includes more than $361 million in economic support for Wisconsin’s child care industry, including:
$110 million in FY2025-2026 for direct payments to child care providers.

Department of Health Services

Medicaid Cost-to-Continue: The budget agreement also fully funds the state’s Medicaid program – this is known as “Medicaid cost-to-continue.” This funding incorporates enough funding to pay for the increased costs of providing services and also takes into account changing Medicaid enrollment projections.
In FY2025-2026, $1.529 billion is provided and in FY2026-2027, $2.279 billion is provided.

Hospital Assessment: At present, Wisconsin hospitals pay 1.8% of their net patient revenue to the state Department of Health Services (DHS) – this is known as the “hospital assessment.” This budget agreement increases this percentage to 6%.
30% of these funds will be held in the Medical Assistance Trust Fund, which helps pay for the state’s Medicaid program.
The rest of this funding will be used to make hospital provider payments, resulting in over $1.1 billion in funding to go to Wisconsin hospitals.
Private Duty Nursing (PDN) Medicaid Rate Increase: Provide $4.7 million in FY2025-2026 and $9.59 million in FY2026-2027 to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for private duty nursing services provided by RNs and LPNs (excluding PDN services provided by independent practice RNs and LPNs), effective January 1, 2026.
NOTE: WiAHC member Maxim Healthcare Services advocated for this increase.
Personal Care Medicaid Rate Increase: Provide $6.3 million in FY2025-2026 and $12.7 million in FY2026-2027.
WisCaregiver Careers: Provide $2 million in FY2025-2026 to increase funding for this program, which aims to increase the number of certified nurse aides (CNAs) and certified direct care professionals (CDCPs) in the state.
Free and Charitable Clinics: Increase funding for free and charitable clinics by $1.5 million between FY2025-2027.
Federally Qualified Health Centers: Provides $800,000 annually to increase grants to such centers.

Health Care Provider Training Grants: Provide $1 million in FY2025-2026 to increase funding for the allied health professional education training program.
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics: Increases the uncompensated care supplement by $10 million annually.
Adult Level One Trauma Hospitals: Provides $35 million in grants annually to support these hospitals.
Regional Referral Hospital Support Payment: Provides $15 million annually to a regional referral center providing tertiary-level care to residents of multiple counties.
Grants to Health Center “Look-Alikes”: Provides $200,000 annually to such health centers that are designated as federally qualified health center look-alikes.
These types of health centers are community-based health care facilities that meet federal health center program requirements, but do not receive health center program funding. These centers provide primary care in underserved areas.

State Mental Health Institutes: Provides $15.8 million in FY2025-26 to these institutes to address a projected deficit from fiscal year 2024-25 in the civil patient treatment program.

Higher Education Aids Board

Emergency Medical Services Training Costs: Provide $3.5 million in FY2025-2026 and $3.5 million in FY2026-2027 for Emergency Medical Services training reimbursements related to training and materials incurred in completing a course at a Wisconsin Technical College System institution.

Department of Safety and Professional Services

Occupational Credentialing Customer Service Call Center Staff: Extend five call center contract employees for three more years – until September 30, 2028. Provide $253,100 in FY2025-26 and $337,300 in FY2026-27 to support the positions.

Occupational Credentialing Board Support Staff: Provide $126,200 in FY2025-26 and $164,400 in FY2026-27 and one pharmacy practices consultant for inspections of primarily non-retail pharmacy locations.

Universities of Wisconsin (UW)

According to Governor Evers, this budget will include the largest increase in funding for the UW System in nearly two decades. In particular, it includes:

An increase of over $239 million in operational funding for the UW System, including:
$54 million to help retain and recruit faculty in high-demand fields.
Over $94 million to increase wages for faculty and staff.

Department of Workforce Development

Worker’s Compensation – Hospital Service Fee Schedule: Provide that a fee specified in a hospital service fee schedule, for the purpose of paying a worker’s compensation claim, be utilized only if: (a) the fee is for an item or service provided by an eligible hospital; (b) the fee is for an item or service for which the eligible hospital may receive hospital inpatient or outpatient reimbursement from the Medicaid program; and (c) the fee is paid within the applicable period (up to 90 days, with possible 30 day extensions).

WiAHC Submits Comments to DHS Supporting Removal of Professional Advisory Bodies from State Regulations

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:38:13 GMT

In January 2023, WiAHC formally requested that DHS eliminate professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies in the agency’s biennial rules review – a process by which DHS makes technical changes and updates to existing state regulations. Our organization’s rationale is that this would bring Wisconsin’s regulations in line with federal regulations for the reasons addressed above.

Subsequently, the draft DHS biennial rules review document includes the elimination of professional advisory bodies for home health agencies. On July 7, the agency formally requested public comments on the economic impact of the draft biennial rules review. In anticipation of this announcement, WiAHC had requested appropriate feedback from home health agency member employees. (Thank you to those who provided feedback!) WiAHC incorporated this feedback into our formal comment letter, which has been submitted to DHS. Further updates will be included in future editions of this newsletter.

DHS Releases Analysis on How Federal Budget Bill Impacts Medicaid

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:37:53 GMT

On July 15, DHS released their analysis showing how the recently enacted federal budget reconciliation bill will likely impact Wisconsinites who benefit from Medicaid (e.g., BadgerCare Plus) programs. Overall, DHS agrees with the estimate provided by the Congressional Joint Economic Committee that 276,175 individuals in our state will lose health care insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid over the next 10 years. More specifically, 63,000 Wisconsin adults without dependent children are estimated to be at high risk of losing Medicaid coverage due to the work requirements included in this new federal law.

For more details, please view the detailed analysis on the DHS website.

June 25 Marquette University Poll Results

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:35:35 GMT

On June 25, 2025, Marquette University Law School Poll released its most recent poll, which surveyed 873 registered Wisconsin voters between June 13-19, 2025. This poll is the first Wisconsin state-specific Marquette poll since the spring election. This new poll covers political approval ratings, budget issues, and education policy. The following poll findings may be of interest:

Elected Officials

President Trump Job Approval

47% approve of the job President Trump (R) is doing.
52% disapprove.
1% don’t know.

Governor Tony Evers Job Approval

48% approve of the job Governor Tony Evers (D) is doing.
46% disapprove.
5% don’t know.

Wisconsin Legislature Job Approval

41% approve of the state legislature’s job performance.
50% disapprove.
10% don’t know.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Job Approval

49% approve of the state supreme court’s job performance.
38% disapprove.
13% don’t know.

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson Favorability

40% have a favorable opinion of U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R)
44% have an unfavorable opinion of him.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Favorability

44% have a favorable opinion of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D)
47% have an unfavorable opinion of her.

Wisconsin State Budget

State Tax Cut

When informed that state government has a roughly $4 billion surplus, registered voters are asked how much of that should go towards a tax cut.

27% feel that the entire surplus should be used for a tax cut.
9% feel that 75% of the surplus should be used for a tax cut.
29% feel that half of it should be used for a tax cut.
19% think that approximately 25% of it should be used for a tax cut.
16% feel that none of the surplus should be used for a tax cut.
1% don’t have a position.

State and Local Policy

Extending Medicaid Coverage to New Mothers One Year After Giving Birth

66% support this.
33% oppose this.

Childhood Vaccine Benefits and Risks

When asked whether the benefits or the risks are greater for children receiving the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, the survey found:

84% feel that the benefits outweigh the risks.
15% feel that the risks outweigh the benefits.

State Education

Satisfaction with Public Schools

63% are very satisfied or satisfied.
36% are very dissatisfied or dissatisfied.
1% don’t know or have mixed views.

Property Taxes vs. K-12 Funding

When asked whether reducing property taxes or increasing spending on K-12 spending on public schools is more important, the survey found the following:

57% prefer reducing property taxes.
43% prefer increasing spending on public schools.

DHS Releases Report Addressing Wisconsinites with Medicare and Medicaid Coverage

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:35:05 GMT

On June 30, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) released a report addressing Wisconsinites who receive both Medicaid and Medicare benefits – otherwise known as “dual eligibles.” This nine-page report includes various findings and recommendations. The full report may be viewed on the DHS website.

DHS Annual Fee Adjustment for Patient Health Care Records

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 14:34:31 GMT

Each July, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) is required by state law to adjust the maximum amounts that health care clinicians may charge patients for their medical records. This adjustment takes into account inflationary changes over the prior calendar year. This updated fee schedule may be viewed on the state legislature’s website.

Effort to Increase the Medicaid Reimbursement Rate for Home Health Agency Nurses

Account Administrator — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:58:55 GMT

In support of an effort to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health agency-based nurses from $96.96 per visit to $117.86 per visit, WiAHC sent out an action alert to all WiAHC members on May 29 and again on June 16 requesting that they contact their respective state representatives and state senators to ask them to support this budget request. Such a rate increase would bring Wisconsin in line with other Midwest states.

In a positive development, WiAHC’s lobbyists have previously secured the support of both Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), a nurse practitioner, and Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie), a chiropractor, to formally submit this request to the Joint Committee on Finance for consideration to be possibly included in the FY2025-2027 Department of Health Services budget.

State Budget Update

Account Administrator — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:58:17 GMT

The Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance has been holding meetings in May and June to approve state Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budgets for various state government agencies. Once the committee has done its work, their work will be consolidated into FY2025-2027 budget legislation, which the full Assembly and Senate will vote on. As the current fiscal year ends on June 30, the Legislature generally attempts to send a budget bill to the Governor for his consideration by the end of June. However, if there are delays with the legislative process or the Governor vetoes the budget legislation in full, state government will continue to operate on existing funding levels until the Governor signs a FY2025-2027 budget bill into law.

Projected Impact of Proposed Federal Budget Cuts on the Medicaid Program in Wisconsin

Account Administrator — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:57:19 GMT

In late April, the Department of Health Services (DHS) issued a press release that analyzed the impact of potential federal Medicaid budget cuts on Wisconsin. This analysis is based on federal budget reconciliation legislation that the U.S. House of Representatives approved on May 22. The following elements of this legislation, which has not yet been approved by the U.S. Senate (as this is written), will likely be of interest to WiAHC:

· Per-Person Funding Limit– Currently, the federal government provides funding to states based on a percentage of Medicaid costs. This legislation proposes to instead provide a set amount of funding per Medicaid beneficiary. This could cost the State of Wisconsin up to $16.8 billion in federal funds over a decade.

· Administrative Costs – This funding pays for information technology and for staff to review Medicaid claims and pay health care providers, among other things. This could cost the State of Wisconsin up to $93 million each year.

· Work Requirement – Such a requirement would likely require able-bodied adults without children to provide proof that they are working in order to receive Medicaid benefits. DHS estimates that the agency would incur up to $6 million in administrative costs to comply with such a requirement. Any employment and training requirements that DHS may need to provide to help Medicaid beneficiaries meet these requirements could cost $60 million annually.

DHS Continues to Recommend the COVID-19 Vaccine

Account Administrator — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:55:41 GMT

On June 4, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued a press release noting that the agency maintains their recommendation that pregnant women and everyone 6 months or older should obtain the COVID-19 vaccine in order to prevent serious illness and to stop the spread of COVID-19. The press release also referenced that this vaccine has previously gone through rigorous review processes on the federal level and that the recent change in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on this vaccine was “not made based on new data, evidence, or scientific or medical studies.”

Further, this release notes that the Medicaid program in Wisconsin will continue to cover the existing COVID-19 vaccine for eligible Medicaid program participants.

Wisconsin Substance Use Prevention Conference to be Held on September 10-11

Account Administrator — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:54:57 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has announced that they will hold the state’s only substance use prevention conference on September 10-11, 2025, at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. There will also be a virtual option for those who are not able to attend in-person. According to the DHS website, the objectives of this event are to:

Enhance knowledge of substance use prevention initiatives and resources across Wisconsin
Strengthen collaboration and networking among substance use prevention professionals
Develop practical substance use prevention strategies

For more information and to register, please visit the DHS website. Please note that the registration deadline is August 15.

Palliative Care Council Bill Passes Assembly

Account Administrator — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:11:40 GMT

On May 13, the state Assembly voted overwhelmingly – 96 to 1 – to approve Assembly Bill 23, a bill to create a state palliative care council. This follows the Assembly Health Committee’s 14-1 vote on March 13 to advance this bill to the full Assembly. WiHPCA has worked closely with the authors of this legislation – state Representative Patrick Snyder (R-Weston) and state Senator Jesse James (R-Thorp) – to both draft and advance this legislation.

This bill would establish a council of individuals with palliative care and other medical expertise to consult and advise the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) on this type of specialized medical care with the intent of increasing awareness and utilization of palliative care throughout Wisconsin. Also, this legislation would require DHS to create a statewide palliative care consumer and professional information and education program, as this type of specialized care is often misunderstood.

Now, Assembly Bill 23 has been referred to the state Senate. It’s also important to note that the Senate Health Committee voted unanimously – 5 to 0 – on March 14 to recommend approval of the Senate companion bill – Senate Bill 39 – to the full Senate for consideration.

WiHPCA’s government relations team continues to aggressively lobby the Legislature to continue to move this legislation through the legislative process.

Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee Removes Governor Evers’ Budget Priorities from Budget Bill

Account Administrator — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:10:43 GMT

On May 6, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance sent a memo to their members detailing all of the budget items included in Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget request that they intend to remove from further consideration by the committee. The committee took this up as one vote at their first executive session addressing the FY2025-2027 budget, which occurred on Thursday, May 8 in Madison.

As Republicans hold a 12-4 majority on this committee, the committee voted to remove these budget items. However, it is important to note that even if certain budget items from the Governor’s budget request remained in the budget bill after this vote, a majority of committee members would still need to vote to approve including those budget items in the committee’s version of the budget bill. Those votes will occur at committee meetings on various dates in the future, as the committee considers different state agency budget items. In addition, the Joint Committee on Finance can offer their own budget amendments to different state agencies.

The committee removed over 600 budget items from Governor Evers’ budget request, including the following budget items likely of interest to WiAHC members:

Office of the Commissioner of Insurance

Exemptions from Prior Authorization Requirements
Authorize the Insurance Commissioner to provide, by administrative rule, that any health benefit plan or self-insured health plan that uses a prior authorization process shall exempt health care providers from obtaining prior authorizations for a health care item or service for a period of time established by the Commissioner if, in the most recent evaluation period, the health benefit plan or self-insured health plan has approved or would have approved a proportion of prior authorization requests submitted by the health care provider for the health care item or service that is not less than a benchmark threshold specified by the Commissioner.

Prior Authorization Restrictions and Disclosure Requirements
Specify that the clinical review criteria used by any health care plan for any prior authorization requirement or restriction must: (a) be based on nationally recognized, generally accepted standards except where provided by law; (b) be developed in accordance with the current standards of a national medical accreditation entity; (c) ensure quality of care and access to needed health care services; (d) be evidence-based; (e) be sufficiently flexible to allow deviations from current standards when justified; and (f) be evaluated and updated when necessary and no less frequently than once every year.

DHS Reports a Reduction in Tobacco and Vape Sales in 2024

Account Administrator — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:10:25 GMT

According to a recent statewide survey, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that there has been a drop in the percentage of tobacco and vaping products that were sold by tobacco and vape retailers to underage customers in 2024. Specifically, the percentage decreased from 13.6% in 2023 to 11.8% in 2024.

For more information, please visit the state DHS website.

Governor's Council on Mental Health Requests Feedback by June 30

Account Administrator — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:10:01 GMT

In mid-May, the Governor’s Interagency Council on Mental Health announced that it is seeking public input to help craft a statewide action plan to address mental health challenges in our state. This plan will ultimately include recommendations regarding improving access to mental health care and expanding work on prevention. This survey may be accessed here and will be available until June 30, 2025.

DHS Holds Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit in May

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:26:34 GMT

The state Department of Health Services (DHS) will hold its 2025 Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit from May 6-8, 2025, at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. There will also be a virtual option. According to the DHS website, this “…is an annual event that highlights prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery strategies related to opioids, stimulants, and trauma. All people with an interest in building healthy communities are invited to attend.”

Please note that attendees must register by May 6, 2025. To register, and for more information, please visit the DHS website.

DHS Seeking Medicaid Members and Caregivers for State Panel by May 12

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:26:11 GMT

The state Department of Health Services (DHS) recently announced that it is seeking current Medicaid beneficiaries, or their caregivers, to join a state Medicaid Member Experience Council. In addition, they are seeking former Medicaid beneficiaries who have received such benefits within the last two years, or their caregivers. The intent is to seek feedback from those Wisconsinites who know this program the best in order to improve it.

The deadline to apply is May 12. For more information, or to apply, please visit the DHS website.

Governor Evers Signs Bill Extending Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:25:52 GMT

On March 28, Governor Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 68 into law, which extends the electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP). This program helps combat substance misuse. In particular, this law extends the requirement for prescribers to undertake an ePDMP review prior to providing a prescription to a patient until April 1, 2030. This new law is 2025 Wisconsin Act 5.

WiAHC Supports Bill Allowing Out-of-State Credentialed Health Care Providers to Provide Telehealth Services in Wisconsin

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:25:34 GMT

WiAHC has decided to support legislation that would allow a health care provider who is credentialed in another state to provide medical care to patients in Wisconsin via telehealth by registering with the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). In the state Senate, this has been introduced as Senate Bill 214. The Assembly companion bill has not yet been introduced.

In order to qualify, an out-of-state health care provider would need to meet several criteria, including having a clean disciplinary record in the state in which the provider is credentialed and holding malpractice liability insurance, if appropriate. Also, under the bill, the DSPS would publish a list of out-of-state health care providers who are registered to provide telehealth services in the state.

Spring 2025 Wisconsin Statewide General Election Results – Highlights

Account Administrator — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 16:23:27 GMT

Supreme Court Race

Dane County Judge Susan Crawford prevailed decisively over Waukesha County Judge and former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. With 99% of votes counted, the results for this non-partisan race are as follows:

Susan Crawford: 55.0%
Brad Schimel: 45.0%

Key Points in this Race

The statewide voter turnout in this particular race is around 50% of the state’s voting age population, which is a record. The previous record for statewide turnout during a spring state Supreme Court race was in 2023, when 39% of Wisconsin’s voting age residents turned out to vote.

Crawford’s win will maintain the 4-3 liberal majority on the court, which began after Justice Janet Protasiewicz won her state Supreme Court race in the spring of 2023. Crawford will begin her term on the court on August 1, 2025, and serves a 10-year term.

Over $104 million was estimated to be spent by both campaigns and allied groups in this race – which has turned out to be the most expensive state Supreme Court election in our nation’s history.
This race featured a high level of spending from very wealthy individuals in support of each candidate, including Elon Musk in support of Schimel and Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker in support of Crawford.
President Donald Trump endorsed Schimel in this race.
This race was generally viewed on the national level as a litmus test on Donald Trump’s second term as President.

State Superintendent of Schools Race

Incumbent Jill Underly prevailed over educational consultant Brittany Kinser in a race that did not get the same level of attention as the state Supreme Court race. With 99% of votes counted, the results for this non-partisan race are as follows:

Jill Underly: 52.9%
Brittany Kinser: 47.1%

Key Points in this Race

While this race is also technically non-partisan, the state Democratic party endorsed Underly, and the state Republican party endorsed Kinser. Both state party organizations contributed a significant amount of funding to each respective campaign.
Historically, the candidate with the endorsement of the state’s teachers’ union has won this race. In this race, the union endorsed Underly.
In this race, Underly faced some controversy when she changed the state’s K-12 testing standards. Kinser also faced controversy, as she let her state educator’s license lapse.

Statewide Constitutional Referendum

There was also one statewide referendum question on the April 1 ballot intended to amend the state constitution with respect to voter identification. The following language was included on the April 1 ballot:

“Shall section 1m of article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?"

With 99% of votes counted, the results for this referendum are as follows:

YES: 62.8%
NO: 37.2%

Key Points on this Referendum

Currently, state law requires voters to present photo identification when voting. However, Legislators who proposed this referendum championed this effort due to concerns that either the state Supreme Court could overturn this law or that it could be rescinded during a future legislative session with a Democratic majority.

Proponents of this constitutional amendment argue that voter identification should be required to increase confidence in elections and guard against fraud.

Opponents of this constitutional amendment argue that this will make it harder for Wisconsinites without photo identification to vote, including elderly individuals and those who are disabled.

WiAHC Supports Palliative Care Council Bill

Account Administrator — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:48:04 GMT

WiAHC has formally agreed to support Assembly Bill 23 and Senate Bill 39, companion bills that would create a state Palliative Care Council to advise the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and create a palliative care consumer and professional information and education program. The lead author of Assembly Bill 23 is State Representative Patrick Snyder (R-Wausau) and the lead author of Senate Bill 39 is state Senator Jesse James (R-Thorp). The primary intent of this legislation is to improve awareness of and access to palliative care, as there are not enough health care providers who specialize in palliative care in Wisconsin. Furthermore, there is a shortage of information on palliative care for practicing health care providers, patients, and their loved ones.

Palliative Care Council Bills Advance in the Legislature

Account Administrator — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:46:17 GMT

During the week of March 10, both the Assembly and Senate versions of the palliative care council bill advanced in the Legislature. On March 13, the Assembly Health Committee voted overwhelmingly to advance Assembly Bill 23. The next day, the Senate Health Committee voted unanimously to approve the Senate companion bill – Senate Bill 39. Both bills will now be referred to the full Assembly and Senate, respectively, for future legislative action.

WiAHC’s government relations team continues to aggressively lobby the Legislature to continue to move this legislation through the legislative process.

Governor Evers Submits Budget Request to the Legislature

Account Administrator — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:43:49 GMT

On February 18, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) gave his biennial budget address to the Wisconsin Legislature. During that speech, he outlined the priorities that are included in his FY2025-2027 budget request submitted to the Legislature at that time.

The Governor and the Legislature will likely have considerable latitude in crafting a FY2025-2027 budget as the non-partisan Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) recently projected the state will have a $4.3 billion surplus at the start of fiscal year 2025, which is $300 million more than what the Evers Administration projected in November 2024. In addition, LFB also projected that the state government will receive an additional $1.85 billion in tax revenue during FY2025-2027 (biennium).

It's also worth noting that the Governor’s budget request includes $2 billion in tax relief, including lowering property taxes, eliminating income taxes on tips, and eliminating sales taxes on “everyday expenses.”

This bill was immediately sent to the Wisconsin Legislature and referred to the budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance (JFC), which is controlled by Republicans and will very likely make major changes to it. The next step is for JFC to hold public, in-person hearings in locations across the state to hear from Wisconsinites regarding their FY2025-2027 budget priorities. These hearings generally occur in April. Following that, the committee amends and votes on various portions of the budget during the May – June timeframe and then sends the consolidated budget bill to the full Assembly and Senate for votes on final passage. The intention is for both chambers to pass the budget bill and send it to the Governor before the end of June, as the next fiscal year begins on July 1.

The following is a summary of Governor Evers’ FY2025-2027 budget priorities that will likely be of interest. For additional details, please review the Budget in Brief document.

DOING WHAT’S BEST FOR KIDS

Do what's best for kids while supporting our economy, enabling workers to stay in Wisconsin's workforce, keeping provider doors open and bolstering staff, and lowering every day, out-of-pocket costs for working families by making child care more affordable statewide through Child Care Counts. Expand access to quality, affordable child care for Wisconsin's working families and kids by continuing the successful Child Care Counts program, providing $480 million over the biennium to make Child Care Counts a permanent state program and provide the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families with associated administrative resources.

Provide $162,400 in fiscal year 2025-26 and more than $5.3 million in fiscal year 2026-27 and an additional 2.5 full-time positions to establish an employer-sponsored child care grant program to support businesses that choose to invest in child care for their employees.

BUILDING A 21^ST-CENTURY ECONOMY & WORKFORCE

Propose nearly $2 billion in tax relief across the Governor's efforts to lower property taxes, exempt many everyday expenses from the sales tax, and cut income taxes for middle-class Wisconsinites.

Hold the line on property taxes and prevent increases in tax bills on the typical Wisconsin homeowner in both years of the biennium by providing nearly $1.1 billion in aid to local governments and direct property tax credits to taxpayers over the biennium. Additionally, increase property tax relief programs under the individual income tax by $237 million over the biennium for veterans, seniors, those with disabilities, and others struggling to afford the property taxes on their homes. In total, these initiatives will provide over $1.3 billion in property tax relief to Wisconsinites over the biennium.

Eliminate the sales tax on electricity and natural gas sold for residential use to help reduce energy costs for families. This provision will reduce sales taxes on Wisconsinites by $49.7 million in fiscal year 2025-26 and $105.9 million in fiscal year 2026-27.

Provide more than $3 million over the biennium to support the Qualified Treatment Trainee Grant program, which facilitates the licensure and certification of those in the process of obtaining or already with a graduate degree in psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, social work, nursing, or a closely related field, to help address a shortage in the behavioral health workforce.

Provide $4.3 million in fiscal year 2025-26 and $4.3 million in fiscal year 2026-27 to the WisCaregiver Career program, which addresses the shortage of certified nursing assistants in the state by supporting recruitment, training, and retention of individuals to care for nursing home residents across Wisconsin.

Provide $7.5 million in fiscal year 2025-26 to support employer-based workforce development solutions with Provider Innovation Grants to increase workforce recruitment and retention.

Provide $5 million over the biennium to fund healthcare provider training grants and make technical changes to existing grants.

Expand the nurse educators’ program at the Higher Educational Aids Board and provide $4 million over the biennium to help increase the state's nursing workforce. This program provides forgivable loans to nursing professors who stay in Wisconsin to teach the next generation of nurses. Under the expansion, loans would be available to both full-time and part-time faculty, and to educators in allied health, behavioral health, dental health, and nursing.

Create a pilot program in the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services to provide tuition reimbursement for former nurses who are not actively practicing but wish to participate in a nurse refresher course at a technical college. Provide $300,000 over the biennium to offset the costs of these courses.

Increase the state's healthcare workforce by providing the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development with more than $2.25 million in fiscal year 2025-26 on a one-time basis to support a healthcare on-the-job learning reimbursement pilot program, with the goal of reducing financial barriers related to training apprentices in healthcare pathways. Additionally, provide $1.5 million in ongoing funding to be utilized for on-the-job reimbursement grants in all workforce industries.

Provide $1 million over the biennium for a Wisconsin Fast Forward Health Care Industry Grant Program to support healthcare workforce development through apprenticeships, training programs, and innovative education models.

Ensure the effective and efficient processing of license applications within the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services by providing more than $1.7 million over the biennium and an additional 10 full-time positions.

Improve Wisconsin's ability to compete for, recruit, and retain workers by requiring that all private and local employers offer eight weeks of paid family and medical leave income replacement benefits. Additionally, ensure compliance with this directive by providing an additional one full-time position in fiscal year 2026-27 to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Equal Rights Division.

Strengthen the enforcement of employment discrimination law prohibitions by allowing the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, or an individual who is alleged or was found to have been discriminated against, including on the basis of equal pay for equal work, or subjected to unfair honesty or genetic testing, to bring an action in circuit court to recover compensatory and punitive damages caused by an act of discrimination, unfair honesty testing, or unfair genetic testing in addition to or in lieu of filing an administrative complaint.

Clarify that employment discrimination under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act includes an employer asking about an applicant's conviction record before selecting them for an interview, with the intent to prevent qualified individuals from being unfairly screened out while still allowing employers to notify applicants of disqualifying convictions for certain positions.

Allow the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services to adjust credential renewal schedules to better align with industry needs.

SUPPORTING HEALTHIER WISCONSINITES

Expand Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act by covering all low-income Wisconsin residents who earn incomes between 0 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Medicaid Expansion will result in 95,800 low-income individuals becoming eligible for Medicaid, while saving $1.9 billion in state funding and drawing down an additional $2.5 billion in federal funding over the biennium.

Establish parity provisions to ensure patients utilizing telehealth services are not charged or have their services limited any more than if they receive an equivalent in-person service to increase the availability and affordability of telehealth services.

ADDITIONAL KEY PRIORITIES

Allow the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services and affiliated credentialing boards to streamline their licensure investigations when the underlying conduct is related to a subset of minor arrests, convictions, or other offenses to more efficiently credential individuals without sacrificing applicant quality.

Marquette Law School Releases Poll on April 1 Supreme Court Election

Account Administrator — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:42:13 GMT

The latest Marquette University Law School Poll surveyed 864 registered Wisconsin voters between February 19-26, 2025. The following are highlights:

Governor

49% of registered voters approve of the job Democratic Governor Tony Evers is doing, while 44% disapprove.
That’s a slight dip from a 53-46 split in October.

Legislature

38% approve of the job the Legislature is doing, while 49% disapprove; it was 33-55 in September.

Wisconsin Supreme Court – April Election

The poll found that 39% of the respondents had heard a lot about the Supreme Court race, while 42% said they had some familiarity with the race. Nearly one in five said they had not heard anything about the contest.

Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel was viewed favorably by 29% of the registered voters and unfavorably by 32%. About two out of five said they had no opinion of him.

His opponent, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, was given favorable ratings by 19% of the voters, compared to 23% who viewed her unfavorably. Nearly three out of five said they don't know enough about her.

46% approve of the job the state Supreme Court is doing, while 37% disapprove; it was 44-40 in September.

U.S. Senate

40% have a favorable impression of U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-Oshkosh), while 46% have a negative one.
46% have a favorable impression of U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison), while 48% have a negative one.

State Rep. Patrick Snyder and State Sen. Jesse James Introduce Palliative Care Council Bill

Account Administrator — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:32:29 GMT

State Representative Patrick Snyder (R-Wausau) and state Senator Jesse James (R-Thorp), introduced legislation in the Assembly (Assembly Bill 23) and Senate (Senate Bill 39), respectively, which would create a state Palliative Care Council to advise the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and create a palliative care consumer and professional information and education program. Assembly Bill 23 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care and Senate Bill 39 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health. We are sharing this information with you as many home health agencies also provide palliative care.

The primary intent of this legislation is to improve awareness of and access to palliative care, as there are not enough health care providers who specialize in palliative care in Wisconsin. Furthermore, there is a shortage of information on palliative care for practicing health care providers, patients, and their loved ones.

The proposed palliative care council would work with DHS on analyzing existing palliative care programs, as well as identifying ways in which health care providers could improve the quality of life for patients throughout our state. The council comprises 22 members representing diverse perspectives, including physicians, nurses, a spiritual care professional, palliative care patients or family members of such patients, a health insurance company representative with expertise in palliative care, and members of the Legislature. The council would meet at least twice per year in various locations across the state.

Many other states have already taken the step of creating a palliative care advisory council or advisory group to increase awareness of access to this specialized type of care. In fact, 22 other states from coast to coast have formed such entities.

The Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care held a hearing on this bill on February 12, which is discussed below.

Assembly Health Committee Holds Hearing on Palliative Care Council Bill

Account Administrator — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:03 GMT

On February 12, the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care held a hearing on Assembly Bill 23, a bill to create a Palliative Care Council. At this hearing, numerous individuals testified regarding this bill. In addition to state Representative Patrick Snyder (R-Wausau) and state Senator Jesse James (R-Thorp), who are the authors of this legislation, the following individuals testified in favor of the bill:

· Siera Williams, RN, Director of Hospice and Palliative Care, Tomah Health

· Michelle Theige, APNP, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Tomah Health

· Kimberly Casper, FNP-C, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Tomah Health

· Agron Ismaili, MD, Medical Director, VITAS Healthcare, Milwaukee

· Carrie Schepp, General Manager, VITAS Healthcare, Milwaukee

· Sara Sahli, Government Relations Director-Wisconsin, American Cancer Society

· Kaylee Litchfield, RN, Palliative Care Nurse, UW Health

The testimony of bill supporters was well received by committee members. In fact, no committee member – Republican or Democrat – made any remarks against this legislation.

The other following organizations have formally registered their support for this bill, but did not testify at the hearing:

· Alzheimer’s Association

· Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR)

· Mayo Clinic Health System

· Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians

· Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants

· Wisconsin Medical Society

· Wisconsin Nurses Association

State of Wisconsin Unveils Digital Occupational Credentials

Account Administrator — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:32 GMT

In early February, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced that it is the first multi-occupational licensing agency in the United States that now offers a digital occupational credential that may be downloaded to a smartphone. For more information, please go to the DSPS website to obtain download directions.

DHS Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Innovation Grants Summit - Materials Now Posted Online

Account Administrator — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:10 GMT

Last October, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) held a two-day Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) innovation grants summit. According to DHS, “organizations across Wisconsin, along with state and national experts, came together to showcase innovative programs, workshop ideas, and discuss the future of home and community-based services.” DHS has now launched a dedicated website that includes content from the summit, which includes HCBS grant information and videos of various portions of the summit.

Registration Open for Several DHS 2025 Statewide Conferences

Account Administrator — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:28:59 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has recently opened up registration for the following statewide events:

· Wisconsin Harm Reduction Conference– This event will be held at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells on July 16-17, 2025. This conference will focus on reducing harms associated with drug use. More information about the conference can be found on the DHS website.

· Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit– This summit will be held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells on May 6-8, 2025. This annual summit will focus on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery strategies related to opioids, stimulants, and trauma. More information is available on the DHS website.

2025-2026 State Legislative Session Begins

Account Administrator — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:28:19 GMT

The State Assembly and State Senate convened on Monday, January 6 to kick off the 2025-2026 legislative session. In the Assembly, Republicans hold 54 seats and Democrats hold 45 seats. In the Senate, Republicans hold 18 seats and Democrats hold 15 seats.

State Assembly and Senate Leadership for the 2025-2026 Legislative Session

Account Administrator — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:26:18 GMT

The following legislators will serve in leadership positions in both the Assembly and Senate during the 2025-2026 legislative session:

Senate Republicans

Senate Majority Leader – Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg)
Senate President – Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk)
Senate Assistant Majority Leader – Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac)
Senate President Pro Tempore – Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)
Senate Republican Caucus Chair – Van Wanggaard (R-Racine)
Senate Republican Caucus Vice-Chair Rachel Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton)

Senate Democrats

Senate Minority Leader – Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton)
Senate Assistant Minority Leader – Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire)
Senate Minority Caucus Chair – Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit)
Senate Minority Vice Caucus Chair – Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee)

Assembly Republicans

Assembly Speaker – Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
Assembly Majority Leader – Tyler August (R-Walworth)
Assembly Assistant Majority Leader – Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa)
Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore – Kevin Peterson (R-Waupaca)
Assembly Majority Caucus Chair – Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer)
Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair – Cindi Duchow (R-Delafield)
Assembly Majority Caucus Secretary – Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah)
Assembly Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms – Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi)

Assembly Democrats

Assembly Minority Leader – Greta Neubauer (D-Racine)
Assembly Assistant Minority Leader – Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee)
Assembly Minority Caucus Chair – Lisa Subeck (D-Madison)
Assembly Minority Caucus Vice Chair – Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit)
Assembly Minority Caucus Secretary – Mike Bare (D-Verona)
Assembly Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms – Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire)

Legislative Leaders Announce Committee Chairs

At the end of last year, Legislative Republicans announced the chairs of the various Assembly and Senate committees for the 2025-2026 legislative session. The following committee chairs may be of interest to WiAHC members:

Assembly Committees

· Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

o Chair: Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie)

· Committee on Insurance

o Chair: Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc)

· Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention

o Chair: Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc)

· Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform

o Chair: Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers)

· Committee on Science, Technology, and Artificial Intelligence

o Chair: Rep. Nate Gustafson (R-Fox Crossing)

Senate Committees

· Committee on Health

o Chair: Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton)

· Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues & Forestry

o Chair: Sen. Romaine Quinn (R-Birchwood)

· Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State & Federal Affairs

o Chair: Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Pewaukee)

· Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children & Families

o Chair: Sen. Jesse James (R-Altoona)

Legislators Appointed to Assembly and Senate Health Committees

The following state legislators have been appointed to the Assembly and Senate Health Committees for the 2025-2026 legislative session:

Assembly Committee on Health, Aging & Long-Term Care

· Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie), Chair

· Rep. Rob Brooks (R-Saukville), Vice Chair

· Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc)

· Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger)

· Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay)

· Rep. Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee)

· Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Weston)

· Rep. Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer)

· Rep. Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah)

· Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego)

· Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison), Ranking Democrat

· Rep. Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison)

· Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa)

· Rep. Tara Johnson (D-Town of Shelby)

· Rep. Renuka Mayadev (D-Madison)

Senate Committee on Health

· Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), Chair

· Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), Vice Chair

· Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp)

· Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick), Ranking Democratic Member

· Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee)

DHS Announces that Certified Direct Care Professional Program Now Available in Hmong

Account Administrator — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:25:52 GMT

In January, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that they now offer their certified direct care professional (CDCP) training program in the Hmong language, in addition to English and Spanish. CDCPs provide personal/supportive home care to senior citizens and disabled people.

Wisconsinites interested in receiving the CDCP certification may sign up to receive free training and then will need to pass an online test in order to be certified. Certified individuals who obtain employment with an eligible employer may earn up to $500 in combined hiring and retention bonuses.

More information may be found on the DHS website.

Happy Holidays from Hoven Consulting!

Account Administrator — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:06:31 GMT

As we look back over the 2023-2024 state legislative session, we are grateful for the strong advocacy efforts of WiAHC in Madison. With your help, WiAHC helped accomplish a number of priorities that benefit home health care agencies and the patients we serve:

The following funding items supported by WiAHC were included in the state’s FY2023-FY2025 enacted budget:
State funding to continue the federally funded Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) 5.0 percent Medicaid reimbursement rate increase through June 30, 2025. This rate increase was initially funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Maintained $5 million in annual funding for the nurse educators’ program.
WiAHC also supported legislation – Senate Bill 476 – that codified existing state regulations allowing health care providers that do not have a physical location in Wisconsin to be certified as a Medicaid provider in order to treat patients who are Medicaid beneficiaries via telehealth as long as the provider is licensed in the state and is in good standing with the relevant occupational licensing board. Governor Evers signed this bill on March 22, 2024.

We look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with WiAHC as the 2025-2026 state legislative session begins.

From all of us at Hoven Consulting, we would like to wish all of you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season!

State Credentialing Agency Streamlines Process for New Clinicians

Account Administrator — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:06:05 GMT

In early December, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) unveiled a new streamlined Medicaid process for new clinicians. In particular, the process captures data that medical professionals enter into the DSPS system when applying for an initial medical credential and automatically and securely imports that into the system that registers and validates new clinicians with the state’s Medicaid program. Prior to this process change, new clinicians would have to manually enter required information in order to register as a Medicaid provider – much of which is duplicative to what is manually entered when applying for an initial health care credential.

Legislative Leaders Announce New Members of the Budget-Writing Joint Finance Committee

Account Administrator — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:05:10 GMT

On December 4, 2024, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) and Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) announced the members of the powerful budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance for the 2025-2026 legislative session.

The following Republican senators will be members of this committee:

Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), Co-Chair
Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), Vice Chair
Senator Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay)
Senator Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin)*
Senator Romaine Quinn (R-Cameron)*
Senator Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond)*

The following Democratic senators will be members of this committee:

Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), Ranking Member
Senator Kelda Roys (D-Madison)

* Indicates new committee member.

On December 11, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) announced the following Republican representatives will take the following positions on this committee:

Representative Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam), Co-Chair
Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc), Vice Chair

On December 18, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) announced the following Republican representative will join this committee:

Representative Karen Hurd (R-Withee)

NOTE: As of December 18, 2024, Assembly Republican and Democratic leaders have not yet announced their remaining members of the Joint Committee on Finance.

DHS Announces Dates for 2025 Wisconsin Harm Reduction Conference

Account Administrator — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:04:51 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has announced that the agency will hold its second annual Wisconsin Harm Reduction Conference at the Chula Vista Resort in the Wisconsin Dells on July 16-17 of next year. Various health professionals are invited to attend, including local and tribal health department staff, first responders, AIDS/HIV care workers, among others. Those who are interested may also attend virtually.

For more information on this conference, please go to the DHS website.

DHS Launches Online System to Track Substance Use Overdoses

Account Administrator — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 15:04:29 GMT

In recent weeks, DHS launched a new online system to help alert health professionals regarding overdoses in our state’s communities. The new system is called the Wisconsin Suspected Overdose Alerts for Rapid Response (WiSOARR). According to the DHS website, “Authorized access to WiSOARR is available to professionals at approved organizations providing services across the continuum of care in substance use, from primary prevention to treatment and harm reduction.”

If you would like to obtain access to WiSOARR for your organization, or would like more information about this system, please visit the DHS website.

WiAHC Finalizes Policy Priorities for the 2025-2026 Legislative Session

Account Administrator — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:41:26 GMT

Earlier this month, the WiAHC Legislative Committee approved the association’s policy agenda for the 2025-2026 state legislative session. The priorities are as follows:

Increase the physical and occupational therapist workforce in rural Wisconsin by creating a grant- based incentive program and grow/strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce generally.

Support efforts to create a state Palliative Care Council.

Promote harmonization of federal and state home health care regulations by eliminating “professional advisory bodies” in state regulations, while retaining patient protections.

Work with the state Department of Health Services to continuously improve the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) program.

Promote increased utilization of home health care in Wisconsin.

WiAHC Presents Champion of Home Health Care Award to State Representative Mark Born

Account Administrator — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:40:39 GMT

On October 22, WiAHC Madison lobbyist Nathan Butzlaff presented a Champion of Home Health Care award to state Representative Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam). This award, which WiAHC presents to state legislators at the end of every two-year legislative session, was presented to Rep. Born in his capacity as Assembly Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance. As a co-chair, he helped lead the approval of the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 state budget that included a continuation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) five percent increase from April 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This continuation of funds has directly benefited home health agencies statewide.

WiAHC Madison lobbyists Tim Hoven and Nathan Butzlaff previously presented the other Champion of Home Health Care award to state Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), the Senate co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, as he also helped lead the approval of the budget that includes the funding described above.

Rep. Dave Maxy Stops by WiAHC-WiHPCA Joint Fall Conference

Account Administrator — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:39:17 GMT

The WiAHC-WiHPCA Joint Fall Conference was a great event, one that provided home health care and hospice professionals with fantastic educational content and networking opportunities. Public policy and legislative issues were also a topic of discussion at the conference, which was sparked by State Representative Dave Maxey (R-New Berlin) who helped open the conference that was held near his district in Brookfield, WI. In addition to providing brief comments before the full conference, Rep. Maxey had a long discission with several members regarding the policies important to both WiAHC and WiHPCA. Our Government Affairs Team will certainly be working with Rep. Maxey during the 2025-26 legislative session.

November General Election Results - Highlights

Account Administrator — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:37:59 GMT

The results of the November 5 general election once again show how Wisconsin is indeed a purple state. While Wisconsinites narrowly voted to elect former President Donald Trump, a Republican, to the Presidency, our state’s voters also re-elected Democrat Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate. This is a situation that has not occurred in Wisconsin in over half a century.

In the State Assembly and Senate, the current Republican majorities lost a total of 14 seats – 10 in the Assembly and 4 in the Senate. It was expected that Republicans would lose seats in both chambers of the Legislature, but not enough to lose the majority – which is what happened. This was due to the fact that new legislative districts were put in place earlier this year.

For a full list of newly-elected state legislators, including photos and a very brief background on each individual, please visit the WisPolitics website.

The following are highlights from the two federal races of note – the race for President and for U.S. Senate:

President

In a race that many observers thought might take several days to finalize, former President Donald Trump prevailed in the nationwide electoral college count over incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris. The Wisconsin results are as follows:

Former President Donald Trump (R): 49.7%
Vice President Kamala Harris (D): 48.8%

U.S. Senate

For much of 2024, incumbent U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin held a 5-10% lead over challenger Eric Hovde in the election polls. As the November election got closer, the polls tightened considerably. The results are as follows:

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D): 49.4%
Eric Hovde (R): 48.5%

State Assembly

Currently, there is a 64-34 Republican majority in the state Assembly, with one vacant seat in a majority Democratic district in the city of Milwaukee. All 99 Assembly seats were up for election this year.

On Election Day, Republicans won 54 Assembly races, which gives them the majority for the 2025-2026 legislative session. Assembly Republicans now will have 10 fewer seats than they did during the 2023-2024 legislative session. Democrats won 45 Assembly races.

State Senate

At this time, Republicans have a supermajority in the state Senate, with 22 senators, while Democrats have 10 senators, with one vacant seat in a heavily Democratic district in the city of Milwaukee. Roughly half of the senate seats are up for election every two years. As such, 16 of the 33 Senate seats were up for election this year.

The final result in the Senate is that Senate Republicans lost 4 Senate seats, bringing their majority down from 22 seats to 18 seats for the 2025-2026 legislative session. Democrats will have 14 seats in the Senate.

The following incumbent senators lost their bid for re-election:

Senate District 8 – Northern Milwaukee Suburbs

Jodi Habush Sinykin (D): 50.8%
Sen. Duey Stroebel (R): 49.3%

Senate District 8 – Southcentral Wisconsin North of Madison (and a portion of Madison)

Sarah Keyeski (D): 51.1%
Sen. Joan Ballweg (R): 48.9%

State Legislative Leaders Elected

Account Administrator — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:37:05 GMT

In early November, Republicans and Democrats started to vote internally on their respective leadership teams. The following are the newly selected leaders, as of November 14:

Senate Republicans

Senate Majority Leader – Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg)
Senate President – Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk)
- She is new in this role.
Senate Assistant Majority Leader – Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac)
Senate President Pro Tempore – Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)
Senate Republican Caucus Char – Van Wanggaard (R-Racine)
Senate Republican Caucus Vice-Chair Rachel Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton)
- She is new to this role.

Senate Democrats

Senate Minority Leader – Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton)
Senate Assistant Minority Leader – Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire)
Senate Minority Caucus Chair – Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit)
- He is new in this role.
Senate Minority Vice Caucus Chair – Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee)
- She is new in this role.

Assembly Republicans

Assembly Speaker – Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
Assembly Majority Leader – Tyler August (R-Walworth)
Assembly Assistant Majority Leader – Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa)
- He is new in this role.
Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore – Kevin Peterson (R-Waupaca)
Assembly Majority Caucus Chair – Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer)
Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair – Cindi Duchow (R-Delafield)
Assembly Majority Caucus Secretary – Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah)
Assembly Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms – Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi)

Assembly Democrats

· Assembly Minority Leader – Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-Racine)

· Assembly Assistant Minority Leader – Rep. Kaylan Haywood (D-Milwaukee)

· Assembly Minority Caucus Chair – Lisa Subek (D-Madison)

· Assembly Minority Caucus Vice-Chair – Rep. Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit)

He is new in this role.

· Assembly Minority Caucus Secretary – Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona)

· Assembly Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms – Rep. Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire)

She is new in this role.

Department of Health Services Updates Policy on Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)

Account Administrator — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:34:54 GMT

In October, the state Department of Health Services announced an updated coverage policy for continuous glucose monitors for Medicaid members with diabetes. Starting on October 1, 2024, health care clinicians are no longer required to obtain prior authorization to prescribe CGMs to Medicaid members who have diabetes, when certain requirements are met.

For more information, please view the Forward Health October 2024 update on the DHS website.

WiAHC Presents Champion of Home Health Care Award to State Legislators

Account Administrator — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:27:40 GMT

Earlier this year, WiAHC decided that two state legislators were selected as Champions of Home Health Care for the 2023-2024 legislative session: Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam). WiHPCA is honoring these legislators for their exceptional work to promote the expanded utilization of skilled home health care as an effective, affordable option for post-acute medical care.

As co-chairs of the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance, Sen. Marklein and Rep. Born led the approval of the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 state budget that included a continuation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) five percent increase from April 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This continuation of funds has directly benefited home health agencies statewide.

On October 16, WiAHC lobbyists Tim Hoven and Nathan Butzlaff presented a Champion of Home Health Care award to Senator Marklein in his Madison office. WiAHC will present this award to Representative Born later in October.

New Marquette Poll Released on October 2

Account Administrator — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:26:19 GMT

On October 2, 2024, Marquette Law School released a new statewide election poll, which was conducted between September 18-26. The following poll findings may be of interest.

Presidential Race

The following are the results for polling of registered Wisconsin voters:

Kamala Harris (D): 52%
Donald Trump (R): 48%

When factoring in various Presidential candidates from other political parties, the results are as follows for registered Wisconsin voters:

Kamala Harris (Democrat): 48%
Donald Trump (Republican): 44%
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (Independent): 3% [Note: Kennedy has suspended his campaign but will remain on the ballot, according to a ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.]
Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party): 1%
Jill Stein (Green Party): 1%
Randall Terry (Constitution Party): Less than 1%
Claudia De la Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation): 0%
Cornel West (Independent): 0%

U.S. Senate Race

The following are the results for registered Wisconsin voters:

Tammy Baldwin (D): 53%
Eric Hovde (R): 46%

Governor Tony Evers’ Job Performance

This poll asked registered voters if they approve or disapprove of the way that Democrat Tony Evers is handling his job as Governor. This poll found the following:

Approve: 48%
Disapprove: 46%
Don’t know: 5%

Direction of the State and Economic Conditions

Direction of the State

This poll asked registered voters whether things in Wisconsin are generally going in the right direction, or if things have gotten off on the wrong track. This poll found the following:

Right Direction: 44%
Wrong Track: 56%

Views of the National Economy

This poll asked registered voters how they would describe the national economy. This poll found the following:

Excellent: 5%
Good: 32%
Not so good: 30%
Poor: 33%

Polling on Various Issues – By Political Party

Republican Voters

This poll also asked Wisconsin registered voters which issue (out of the following eight issues) is the most important. This poll found that the following issues are the most important to Republican voters:

Economy: 53%
Immigration and border security: 31%
Medicare & Social Security: 5%
Abortion policy: 3%
Ensuring fair and accurate elections: 3%
Foreign relations: 2%
Health care: 1%
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza: 1%
Don’t know: 1%

Democratic Voters

Abortion policy: 31%
Economy: 19%
Medicare & Social Security: 13%
Health care: 13%
Ensuring fair and accurate elections: 11%
Foreign relations: 5%
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza: 2%
Immigration and border security: 1%
Don’t know: 5%

DHS Seeking Feedback on the 2025-2027 Wisconsin Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy

Account Administrator — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:25:35 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking feedback on the 2025-2027 Wisconsin Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy until October 25, 2024. What exactly is this? DHS provides the following explanation:

“The Wisconsin Medicaid Managed Care Quality Strategy (Quality Strategy) will help DHS understand how well certain health plans are working for Medicaid members and how to make them better. The department developed this draft strategy using feedback from groups it works with, the latest data, and information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Quality Strategy includes these managed care programs:

BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Family Care and Family Care Partnership
Care4Kids”

More information, including a link to the strategy document and methods to share feedback may be found on the DHS website.

DHS Mental Health & Substance Use Phone Line Announces New Hours of Operation

Account Administrator — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:24:43 GMT

Recently, Wisconsin DHS announced that the UpliftWI phone line is now available to receive calls daily – including holidays – from 10:00AM to 10:00PM. It was previously available daily – including holidays – from 12:00PM to 12:00AM.

If you are not familiar with the UpliftWI phone line, DHS describes it as “…a nonemergency source of support for people experiencing increased stress or symptoms from mental health and substance use concerns.”

This phone line does not charge a fee to callers and is a confidential service. The UpliftWI line may be reached at 534-202-5438. For more information on this service, please visit Mental Health America of Wisconsin’s UpliftWI website.

Governor Announces State Ends Fiscal Year with a $4.6 Billion Surplus

Account Administrator — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:23:03 GMT

On October 15, Governor Tony Evers announced that the state government ended Fiscal Year 2024 with a positive balance of $4.6 billion. This amount is $821.3 million higher than projected. This balance will be used when the Legislature’ crafts the state’s Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget next year.

Also, the state’s budget stabilization fund or “rainy day fund,” which is intended to be used to balance the state budget in a time of reduced tax revenue, is $1.9 billion. This fund balance is the highest in the state’s history.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:21:51 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· ‘We Need A Break, Please!’: Home Health Providers Sound Off On CMS Over Rate Cuts

Home Health Care News – By Joyce Famakinwa | Oct. 11, 2023

“Opposed.” That was the one-word response a home health provider left for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) during the comment period on the 2025 home health proposed payment rule. This comment was an anomaly, in terms of its brevity. While most respondents expressed similar sentiments, they chose to utilize more words to do so. Read More…

· CMS Report Shows Hospital-At-Home Care Increases Recovery, While Decreasing Costs And Readmissions

Home Health Care News – By Audrie Martin | Oct. 1, 2024

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a report on a study of its Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) program. This program permits specific Medicare-certified hospitals to provide inpatient-level care to patients in their homes. The report outlines the study’s results and discusses potential future considerations and limitations. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

State Representative Mark Born Honored with the “Champion of Home Health Care” Award

Account Administrator — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:49:02 GMT

WiAHC announced that State Representative Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) has been recognized as a “Champion of Home Health Care” for the 2023-2024 state legislative session. This designation is meant to publicly identify legislators for their exceptional work to promote the expanded utilization of skilled home health care as an effective, affordable option for post-acute medical care.

As the Assembly co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, Rep. Born led the approval of the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget that included a continuation of the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) five percent increase from April 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This rate increase has been invaluable to skilled home health providers throughout Wisconsin, as it has helped home health agencies attract and retain a highly qualified workforce and ensure access to care.

“Representative Born’s leadership ensured that the increase in funding for Home and Community Based Services was included in the state’s Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget,” said WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill. “Home health care agencies in Wisconsin are grateful for his support and leadership,” concluded Thill.

State Senator Howard Marklein Honored with the “Champion of Home Health Care” Award

Account Administrator — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 19:55:24 GMT

Today, the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) announced that State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) has been recognized as a “Champion of Home Health Care” for the 2023-2024 state legislative session. This designation is meant to publicly identify legislators for their exceptional work to promote the expanded utilization of skilled home health care as an effective, affordable option for post-acute medical care.

As the Senate Co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, Sen. Marklein led the approval of the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget that included a continuation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) five percent increase from April 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. This rate increase has been invaluable to skilled home health providers throughout Wisconsin, as it has helped home health agencies attract and retain a highly qualified workforce and ensure access to care.

“Senator Marklein’s leadership ensured that the increase in funding for Home and Community Based Services was included in the state’s Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget,” said WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill. “Home health care agencies in Wisconsin are grateful for his support and leadership,” concluded Thill.

WiAHC Members Meet with State Representative Pat Synder

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:25:48 GMT

On Tuesday, September 10, WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill and her Compassus colleagues and fellow WiAHC members met with state Rep. Pat Snyder (R-Schofield). During the meeting, the group discussed the value of home health care, and the regulatory and policy challenges faced by the industry. The conversation also touched on the workforce shortage crisis and how it impacts skilled home health care.

Rep. Synder not only listened intently to the group’s overview of the challenges they face in the field, but he also expressed an interest in WiAHC/home health care legislative issues. The WiAHC Government Affairs Team looks forward to continuing to work with Rep. Synder on key legislative priorities.

Reminder - Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Hard Launch Begins on October 1, 2024

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:25:08 GMT

For dates of service on or after October 1, 2024, DHS will implement the “hard launch” of electronic visit verification (EVV) requirements for the following service codes:

Home Health Care Service Codes: 92507, 97139, 97799, 99504, 99600, S9123, S9124, T1001, T1021, T1502
Personal Care Nurse Supervisory Visit Code: 99509

Claims submitted to DHS, HMOs and managed care organizations starting on this date of service that do not include the required EVV information will be denied.

DHS is imposing these penalties to ensure that the state receives its full allocation of federal Medicaid funding.

If you have any questions about the EVV hard launch, please feel free to contact DHS EVV Customer Care at 1-833-931-2035 between 7:00AM – 6:00PM (Central Time), Monday through Friday or via email at vdxc.contactevv@wisconsin.gov.

New Marquette Law School Poll Released

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:24:16 GMT

On September 11, 2024, Marquette Law School released a new statewide election poll, which was conducted between August 28 – September 5. The following poll findings may be of interest.

Presidential Race

The following are the results for polling of likely Wisconsin voters:

Kamala Harris (D): 52%
Donald Trump (R): 48%

U.S. Senate Race

The following are the results for likely Wisconsin voters:

Tammy Baldwin (D): 52%
Eric Hovde (R): 47%

Governor Tony Evers’ Job Performance

This poll asked registered voters if they approve or disapprove of the way that Democrat Tony Evers is handling his job as Governor. This poll found the following:

Approve: 51%
Disapprove: 44%
Don’t know: 5%

Direction of the State and Economic Conditions

Direction of the State

This poll asked registered voters whether things in Wisconsin are generally going in the right direction, or if things have gotten off on the wrong track. This poll found the following:

Right Direction: 46%
Wrong Track: 53%

Views of the National Economy

This poll asked registered voters how they would describe the national economy. This poll found the following:

Excellent: 3%
Good: 32%
Not so good: 35%
Poor: 30%

Polling on Various Issues – By Political Party

Republican Voters

Economy: 55%
Immigration and border security: 23%
Abortion policy: 6%
Ensuring fair and accurate elections: 5%
Foreign relations: 3%
Medicare & Social Security: 2%
Health care: 2%
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza: 1%
Don’t know: 1%

Democratic Voters

Abortion policy: 27%
Economy: 26%
Medicare & Social Security: 16%
Ensuring fair and accurate elections: 13%
Health care: 9%
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza: 3%
Foreign relations: 2%
Immigration and border security: 0%
Don’t know: 4%

November 2024 General Election - Wisconsin Legislature Races to Watch

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:23:07 GMT

State Assembly

Assembly District 21 – Southeast Milwaukee County

Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) vs. David Marstellar (D-Milwaukee)
This is a 53% Democratic district.

Assembly District 26 – Sheboygan Area

Rep. Amy Binsfeld (R-Sheboygan) vs. Joe Sheehan (D-Sheboygan)
This is a 52% Democratic district.

Assembly District 30 – Twin Cities Suburbs (River Falls, Hudson)

Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls) vs. Alison Page (D-River Falls)
This is a 51% Republican district.

Assembly District 51 – Southwestern Wisconsin

Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) vs. Elizabeth Grabe (D-Mount Horeb)
This is a 54% Democratic district.

Assembly District 61 – Southwest Milwaukee County

Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) vs. LuAnn Bird (D-Hales Corners)
This is a 51% Democratic district.

Assembly District 85 – Wausau Area

Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Schofield) vs. Yee Xiong (D-Weston)
This is a 51% Republican district.

Assembly District 88 – Eastern Green Bay Suburbs

Ben Franklin (R-De Pere) vs. Christy Welch (D-De Pere)
This is a 50.5% Republican district.

Assembly District 89 – Green Bay and Western Suburbs

Patrick Buckley (R-Green Bay) vs. Ryan Spaude (D-Green Bay)
This is a 51% Democratic district.

Assembly District 92 – Northwest Wisconsin, including Chippewa Falls

Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) vs. Joe Plouff (D-Menomonie)
This is a 52% Republican district.

Assembly District 94 – La Crosse Area

Ryan Huebsch (R-Onalaska) vs. Rep. Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska)
This is a 50% Democratic/50% Republican District

State Senate

Senate District 8 – Northern Milwaukee Suburbs

Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) vs. Jodi Habush Sinykin (D-Whitefish Bay)
This is a 51% Republican district.

Senate District 14 – Southcentral Wisconsin, mostly north of Madison

Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) vs. Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi)
This is a 52% Democratic district.

Senate District 18 – Fox Valley (Oshkosh, Appleton)

Dr. Anthony Phillips (R-Appleton) vs. Kristin Alfheim (D-Appleton)
This is a 54% Democratic District

Senate District 30 – Green Bay and Suburbs

Jim Rafter (R-Allouez) vs. Jamie Wall (D-Green Bay)
This is a 52% Democratic district.

Senate District 32 – La Crosse Area

Stacey Klein (R-Trempealeau) vs. Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska)
This is a 53% Democratic District

Governor's Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce Finalizes Recommendations

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:22:11 GMT

On August 15, the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce held its final public meeting, during which it approved the following recommendations. These recommendations will be submitted to the Governor for potential inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget request that he will submit to the Legislature in early 2025.

Education and Training
- Support faculty who teach health professions.
- - Expand the faculty workforce to increase schools’ capacity to enroll students.

Strengthen clinical training and experience.
- Expand access to clinical training and other hands-on experiences to help students complete the requirements to pursue healthcare occupations.

Reduce barriers to training.
- Address the significant personal and professional costs of education to help Wisconsinites pursue and advance in healthcare careers.

Expand apprenticeships and other learning opportunities.
- Expand apprenticeships and early learning opportunities to help increase the pool of healthcare workers.

Recruitment and Retention
- Increase payer support for recruitment and retention.
- - Increase funding provided through Medicaid and other payers to help employers boost provider compensation.

Foster recruitment and retention in areas of need.
- Encourage health professionals to practice in underserved communities across the state through state-sponsored incentive programs.

Support regional innovation.
- Invest in regional collaboration to help employers, schools, and other partners address local workforce challenges.

Regulatory Policy
- Support expanded pathways to licensure.
- - Expand licensure pathways to keep patients safe while encouraging workforce participation among qualified professionals.

Strengthen state capacity to support licensure.
- Increase support for the state’s licensing agency to help health professionals gain the necessary licenses and credentials.

Strengthen workforce monitoring and support.
- Invest in workforce monitoring and support to help the state’s licensing agency work with medical professionals to sustain workforce participation.

For further details, the full report (75 pages) may be viewed on the DHS website.

DHS Releases Report on Statewide Immunization Program

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:20:27 GMT

In recent weeks, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted a report to the Legislature regarding the statewide immunization program. The following are highlights from the report for the 2023-2024 school year:

89.2% of students met the minimum immunization requirements.
6.1% of students received a waiver for at least one required immunization.
1.9% of students had not received all the required immunizations.
1.9% of students received waivers for all immunizations.

The full report may be viewed here.

WiAHC Submits Comments to CMS on Proposed 2025 Home Health Payment Rule

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:19:08 GMT

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published their 2025 home health proposed payment rule, which immediately raised concerns for the home health care community in Wisconsin and across the country.

While the proposed rule includes a 2.5% increase, due to other proposed payment changes in the rule, including rebalancing of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), the update is estimated to be a 1.7% decrease, or $280 million less compared to calendar year 2024.

To express the concerns of our members that the rule as proposed will continue to significantly reduce access to essential home health services in Wisconsin and throughout the country, WiAHC signed on to a National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) state chapter letter proving key recommendations to CMS to improve the proposed rule. CLICK HERE to read a draft copy of the letter.

Gov. Evers Announces Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce Releases Full Report

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:18:10 GMT

Report details recommendations to address challenges facing the state’s healthcare workforce

Gov. Tony Evers announced today the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce has released its final report and advisory action plan providing solutions to address the state’s longstanding healthcare workforce shortages that have plagued the state for years.

The Task Force was charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system, including recruitment and retention, identifying ways to improve patient care and alleviate the burdens on the healthcare workforce, exploring educational and training pathways to grow a sustainable healthcare workforce, and creating an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training for consideration in the governor’s 2025-27 executive budget.

The 25-member force met six times since March to hear from healthcare industry experts and leaders, analyze labor market data, and produce an advisory action plan for Gov. Evers’ review and consideration. As a result of those meetings, the Task Force adopted 10 recommendations with 26 action items representing a variety of policies and programs to address various industry issues, including education, training, recruitment, and retention of healthcare workers. The action plan represents a strategic set of policy and implementation approaches targeting the healthcare industry’s chronic challenges.

The plan:

· Presents a comprehensive analysis of current and future workforce challenges impacting the healthcare sector;

· Explores educational and training pathways to create a more diverse, equitable, and sustainable workforce;

· Identifies strategies to improve patient care and alleviate the burden on our healthcare workforce; and

· Recommends solutions, including new policies and programs, modifications to existing programs, and necessary changes to state statutes.

Solutions address three broad categories, including education and training, recruitment and retention, and regulatory policy, including:

Education and training

· Support faculty who teach healthcare professions through increased compensation and incentives;

· Expand access to clinical training and hands-on experiences;

· Break down barriers by funding wraparound services for students, including transportation and child care; and

· Sustain and expand training programs for direct care professionals and certified nurse aides.

Recruitment and retention

· Adopt Medicaid Expansion to support healthcare workers and fund workforce initiatives;

· Increase rates for home and community-based services and behavioral health providers;

· Continue and create grant funding for innovative programs and trainings to support employers; and

· Ensure healthcare workers are able to navigate insurance benefits options.

Regulatory policy

· Authorize Medicaid to pay for community-focused services, such as those provided by doulas and community health workers;

· Support pathways to licensure for qualified internationally educated professionals;

· Enter into multi-state licensing compacts, allowing professionals to practice in other participating states; and

· Fund and grow healthcare workforce wellness programming to support retention.

Election Update: Aug. 13 Partisan Primary Races

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:17:14 GMT

Wisconsin held its partisan primaries yesterday (August 13) for state legislative and congressional races for the fall general election. Despite a significant number of primaries (primaries were held in roughly half of the 99 Assembly seats and 4 of the 16 Senate seats), there were very few surprises, with the only incumbents that lost their reelection bids were those who were paired against other incumbents due to redistricting. There was also a statewide referendum on two proposed constitutional amendments. Please find below key election result highlights:

CONGRESSIONAL RACES OF NOTE:

In the 8th Congressional District GOP primary, Trump-endorsed Tony Wied edged out state Senator Andre Jacque and former state Senator Roger Roth in this closely watched race. Wied will face Democrat Kristin Lyerly in November for the opportunity to fill the open seat vacated earlier this year by Congressman Mike Gallagher (R). Jacque will return to the State Senate, as his seat is not up in November.
In the 3rd Congressional District, former WEDC Board member Rebecca Cooke beat state Rep. Katrina Shankland in the Democratic primary. She will face Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R) in the November general election. The 3^rdCD is considered a swing seat, and Democrats have targeted it in their attempt to win back the House this fall.

OVERVIEW OF STATE LEGISLATIVE RACES:

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos easily won his primary challenge, which took place after two failed recall attempts against him earlier this year.
Freshman Republican State Rep. Nate Gustafson defeated Rep. Mike Schraa in the 55^thAssembly District. Schraa has served in the State Assembly for 12 years.
Republican State Rep. John Spiros won his three-way primary for the 86^thAD, which also included two-term incumbent State Representative Donna Rozar.
Freshman Republican State Rep. Elijah Behnke defeated freshman Rep. Peter Schmidt after moving into the 5^thAD to challenge him.
Dave Armstrong defeated Jimmy Swenson in the GOP primary for the 67th Assembly District, capturing nearly 78% of the vote.
Republican State Senator Dan Knodl defeated State Representative Janel Brandtjen in the Republican primary for the 24^thAssembly District. Sitting senators don’t typically run for the State Assembly. However, Knodl was redistricted into another Senator’s seat and decided to return to the State Assembly rather than run for the Senate. He served 15 years in the State Assembly prior to serving the last year in the State Senate.
Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) easily defeated Tim Ramthun in the GOP primary for the 20th Senate District, capturing nearly 65% of the vote.
Democrat State Representative Melissa Ratcliffe won a three-way primary for the 16^thSenate District, defeating fellow State Representatives Jimmy Anderson and Samba Baldeh. Both Anderson and Baldeh had to forgo running for their Assembly seat to run for Senate, so neither will be returning to the State Assembly in January.

PRPOSED CONSTITITIONAL AMENDMENTS:

Wisconsin voters rejected both constitutional amendment questions on the ballot, which aimed to give the Legislature more control over spending federal funds.

CLICK HERE to review all election results.

WiAHC Honors a Select Group of Legislators with Awards

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:16:18 GMT

On August 6, WiAHC unveiled a list of state legislators selected as “Champions of Home Health Care” and “Friends of Home Health Care” for the 2023-2024 state legislative session. At the completion of each two-year legislative session, WiAHC identifies an exclusive group of lawmakers for their exceptional work to address the priorities of home health care agencies and staff throughout Wisconsin.

The 2023-2024 “Champion of Home Health Care” recipients are:

--State Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam)

--State Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green)

The 2023-2024 “Friend of Home Health Care” recipients are:

--State Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville)

--Rep. Terry Katsma (R-Oostburg)

--Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk)

--Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls)

--Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)

--Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek)

--Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)

--Rep. Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc)

--Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay)

--Rep. Alex Dallman (R-Green Lake)

--Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee)

--Rep. Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha)

--Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison)

--Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay)

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Hard Launch Update

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:15:58 GMT

In the August 2024 edition of the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) ForwardHealth Update, it notes that the EVV “hard launch” for home health care services and nurse supervisory visit service code 99509 begins on October 1, 2024. Claims submitted to DHS, HMOs and managed care organizations starting on this date that do not include the required EVV information will be denied. This ForwardHealth Update may be viewed on the DHS website.

If your home health agency has questions regarding EVV implementation, please contact Wisconsin EVV Customer Care at vdxc.contactevv@wisconsin.gov or at 1-833-931-2035, Monday – Friday, 7:00AM – 6:00PM (Central Time).

DHS Seeks Feedback on Maternal and Child Health Needs

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:15:35 GMT

In recent weeks, DHS asked Wisconsinites to complete a survey addressing maternal and child health needs. DHS conducts this comprehensive, statewide survey every five years due to the related federal funding the agency receives. The survey addresses a variety of issues, such as prenatal care, access to health care, and maternal mental health. The agency offers two separate surveys – one for individuals and one for organizations. This survey will be available until September. If you are interested in filling out this survey, please go to the DHS website.

The Power of WiAHC Advocacy: Sign-up to Host a Legislative Tour

Account Administrator — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 19:14:53 GMT

It is more important than ever for WiAHC members to strengthen their relationships with their state lawmakers to educate them on the value of skilled home health care, the regulatory challenges we face, and the legislative solutions we need to increase access to care for patients. Rember, decisions state legislators make in the Capitol can have a significant impact on the home health care industry, your organization, and your profession.

One of the best ways you as a WiAHC member can engage your local legislators is to invite them to tour your facilities to illustrate firsthand the many benefits of home health care. These visits provide a tremendous advocacy opportunity, which is why WiAHC members across the state have already hosted numerous successful legislative tours. But we need to maintain the enthusiasm for this critical grassroots advocacy program, and WiAHC is excited and ready to set-up additional tours today.

If you would like to host a legislative tour at your site, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co. We will work with you and your legislators to coordinate the meetings and will provide participating members with full support, including legislator bios, advocacy tips, issue briefings, and supporting documents.

Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce – Summary of June Meeting

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:35:04 GMT

On June 6, the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce held a public meeting on the campus of Marquette University’s School of Dentistry. The bulk of the livestreamed portion of the meeting was taken up by a panel discussion on education and training. The following individuals participated in this discussion:

Christina Patrin, Health Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
Danielle Cook, Education Director, Health Sciences, Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS)
- Note: She is a task force member.
Dr. Melissa Weege, Clinical Associate Professor, Radiation Therapy Program Director, UW-La Crosse
Rebecca Larson, Executive Vice President for External Relations, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities

These panelists each gave some background information on their respective organizations, then discussed challenges, and possible solutions. Patrin noted that while 60 percent of school districts in the state have a direct patient care training pathway (program) embedded in their schools, she noted that it is difficult to start such pathways at high schools. Cook, Weege and Larson noted a number of similar challenges, including lack of classroom space, challenges in hiring faculty due to relatively low compensation levels, and continuing financial challenges for students.

Next, the panelists proposed various solutions, including the following:

Loan forgiveness for all health faculty, not just nursing faculty.
Need incentives to help hire part-time health faculty.
Need to do more to promote health care careers early on, even in elementary school.

The task force then moved on to the various breakout discussion groups and then adjournment, neither of which were covered in the livestream of this task force meeting.

It is also worth noting that in preparation for the June meeting, a document listing draft task force recommendations was prepared. The following is a high-level summary of these draft recommendations:

Education and Training

Faculty
- Expand existing incentive programs for nurse and allied health educators (e.g., loan repayment).
- Review compensation of UW and WTCS nursing faculty and develop a plan to make salaries competitive.

Strengthen Clinical Training and Experience
- Continue the state-funded Qualified Treatment Trainee (QTT) grant program, which provides supervision for certain new mental health care professionals.
- Develop a statewide registry of clinical experience sites.
- Expand experiential learning tools (e.g., simulation labs)

Reduce Barriers to Training
- Continue sustainable funding for “wraparound services” for students in need (e.g., childcare, transportation).
- Continuation and expansion of the WisCaregiver Careers Program.
- Strong state support for the UW System and WTCS.
- Reduce cost of completing a Certificate of General Educational Development (GED) or a High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED)

Expand Apprenticeship Programs in Wisconsin
- Leverage state-owned healthcare facilities for apprenticeship expansion.
- Increased funding for state registered apprenticeship programs

Expand Non-Apprenticeship Work-Based Learning Opportunities
- Continue the Worker Advancement Initiative – a grant program that helps Wisconsinites enter and advance in the healthcare workforce.

Other
- Strengthen licensure pathways for veterans and service members.
- Strengthen “dual enrollment programs’ in secondary schools. These programs help students finish post-secondary coursework before graduation and earn certification and/or occupational licenses.
- State support for the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) program, which educates youth about healthcare careers.

Recruitment and Retention

Medicaid Strategies to Support Recruitment and Retention
- Expand Medicaid to increase funding for strategic healthcare workforce development.
- Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to strengthen the workforce for aging Wisconsinites.
- Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to strengthen the behavioral health workforce.

Recruiting and Retaining in Areas of Need
- Expand state loan repayment/forgiveness for health care professionals working in state-defined shortage areas.
- Increased funding to increase compensation for healthcare professionals at state-operated health facilities.

Supporting Innovation
- Support employer-based workforce development solutions with provider innovation grants.
- Support regional collaboration for workforce development through Workforce Innovation Grants.
- Provide resources to healthcare workers and connect them to healthcare benefit opportunities (for those who lack healthcare benefits).

Regulatory Policy

Support New or Expanded Pathways to Licensure
- Create new licensure pathways for healthcare support professionals, such as community health workers, birth doulas, etc.
- Support licensure pathways for qualified foreign educated professionals.
- Ratify and enter into multi-state licensing compacts.
- Explore alternative pathways for licensure qualification demonstration.

Strengthen State Capacity for Regulation
- Provide the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) with enough staff to expedite license processing.
- Enhance state Department of Health Services quality assurance staff capacity.

Healthcare Workforce Wellbeing and Monitoring
- Increase support for healthcare workforce wellness.
- Additional resources to analyze the healthcare workforce, including assessing the workforce, identifying shortages, and targeting and evaluating policy solutions.

We Need Your Input: Take the WiAHC Legislative Priorities Survey

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:34:17 GMT

Help shape WiAHC’s Policy Agenda for the 2025-26 legislative session. The WiAHC Legislative Priorities Survey provides a tremendous opportunity to offer your input on what policy issues are most important to you and your organization. The purpose of surveying the full WiAHC membership is to help association leadership develop a policy agenda and determine what legislative and regulatory issues we should on focus during the 2025-2026 Wisconsin legislative session.

The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and will provide invaluable information used to help shape WiAHC’s advocacy priorities moving forward. The survey results will be presented to the WiAHC’s Legislative Committee and Board for further consideration. In addition to the member survey data, WiAHC leadership will consider the following criteria when finalizing the association’s policy agenda and issue priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiAHC members; 3.) The extent to which it will improve the delivery of home health care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

Once the WiAHC Board finalizes the policy agenda and legislative priorities for 2025-2026, it will be presented to the full membership and used by the WiAHC Government Affairs team to guide the association’s advocacy efforts over the next two years.

We value your input and encourage you to complete and submit the brief survey as soon as possible. Please CLICK HERE to take the survey.

Membership and Scope of the Legislative Council Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Wisconsin are Finalized

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:33:30 GMT

After the state legislative session concludes in even-numbered years, the Legislative Council – the legislature's in-house, non-partisan group of attorney advisors – organizes study committees that perform in-depth reviews of various state policy matters facing Wisconsin. Committees are comprised of both legislators and citizen members.

Study committees hold hearings, during which they hear public testimony – including from subject-matter experts – on state policies that may need to be fixed or updated. Once a committee has completed receiving public testimony, it generally drafts legislation for possible introduction and consideration by the legislature. Recently, the scope of the Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Wisconsin was announced:

“The Study Committee is directed to review current uses of artificial intelligence technology and make recommendations for legislation regarding the use and development of artificial intelligence technology. The committee may review the use of artificial intelligence in disinformation and artificial imagery and the feasibility of establishing a process to ensure continued state monitoring of high-risk use of artificial intelligence.”

State Senator Julian Bradley (R-Mukwonago), who will serve as chair, recently announced via press release the members of the committee. Rep. David Armstrong (R-Rice Lake) will serve as vice chair. Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and Rep. Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) are the other legislator members. Of the eight Wisconsin citizen members, there is one representative from the health care field – Jay Hill, who serves as vice president of advanced technologies for GE HealthCare. The full committee membership list may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

In his press release, Sen. Bradley also notes that this study committee “…will travel throughout the state to consider how the new technology will impact workforce, healthcare, law enforcement, government, and consumer protection.”

The committee’s first meeting was held at the Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee on Wednesday, July 24.

DHS Annual Adjustment to Patient Health Care Record Fees

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:32:41 GMT

Each year on July 1, DHS is required by state law to adjust the maximum fees (factoring in the change in the consumer price index) that health care clinicians may charge for patient medical records. The updated fee schedule may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

The Power of WiAHC Advocacy: Sign-up to Host a Legislative Tour

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:32:02 GMT

The 2023-24 legislative has come to an end, and legislators have shifted their focus to the upcoming election season and the need to connect with voters. With that in mind, it is more important than ever for WiAHC members to strengthen their relationships with their state lawmakers (and new legislative candidates) to educate them on the value of skilled home health care, the regulatory challenges we face, and the legislative solutions we need to increase access to care for patients. Rember, decisions state legislators make in the Capitol can have a significant impact on the home health care industry, your organization, and your profession.

From the Desk of Home Health Care News: Why Home Health Providers Should Expect To See A ‘Less Draconian’ Final Payment Rule

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:30:37 GMT

By Joyce Famakinwa | July 22, 2024

As home health providers continue to digest the proposed payment rule for 2025, National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) President William A. Dombi believes that the industry will ultimately see a comparatively toned down final rule.

“We believe we will not end up with this proposed rule as a final rule,” he said during the opening presentation at NAHC’s Financial Management Conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. “We will end up with something less draconian. The cuts will be reduced because, No. 1, that’s what they’ve done for the last several years, and, No. 2, it’s an election year.”

Even with a prediction of a “less draconian” final payment rule, NAHC is still gearing up to fight against home health cuts and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) payment-setting methodologies.

“Our focus more than anything else is remedy coming by way of Congress,” Dombi said. “If we run the clock back 365 days, we had a Congress that was telling us, very overtly, ‘We will not help you.’ They were telling us that because they believed [providers] were making too much profit in the Medicare program. They were not understanding how the business runs. They weren’t understanding how any margin [providers] got was subsidizing other government programs like Medicaid and Medicare Advantage. They now understand it.”

Dombi credits a meeting the organization had with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), which took place in Portland, Oregon and included five home health agency representatives from the state.

“Senator Wyden asked the question: ‘MedPAC says your margins average 22%, are those numbers wrong or has something changed?’” Dombi said. “One agency representative immediately spoke up and said, ‘the numbers are wrong and things have changed for the worse.’ He started explaining what happened within his home health agency. Now Senator Wyden is working with us to help us bring about some positive legislative changes.”

Dombi noted that there is already pending legislation.

Still, working with Congress isn’t the only way NAHC plans to address the issue. The organization is still moving forward on its plan to sue the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The action plan continues with this litigation,” Dombi said. “This litigation does not give us quick remedies. My estimate is if we succeed in the first round, we will be facing an appeal by the government. If we lose, they’ll be facing an appeal. Then there’s still the step above that — the U.S. Supreme Court. This kind of litigation may take many years to get through.”

However, Dombi believes that last month’s Supreme Court decision, which struck down the Chevron doctrine, may help NAHC’s lawsuit.

The proposed payment rule wasn’t the only issue highlighted during Dombi’s rundown of legislative and regulatory updates, however.

80-20 silver lining

The “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule also came under fire, specifically its 80-20 provision, which is controversial among providers.

Dombi pointed out that caregivers should receive higher compensation for their work, but NAHC doesn’t believe that the 80-20 provision is the right method to achieve this.

“We’re in agreement that the direct care workforce is underpaid and underappreciated,” he said. “We don’t agree that the solution is to say, ‘You have to pay 80% of your payment rate as compensation to that workforce,’ when the states are paying you at such an abysmal level for the service. There’s nothing in this rule that increases payment rates for the providers of services.”

There is, however, a silver lining to the provision. It doesn’t require compliance for the first six years.

“In Washington circles, giving that much of a glide path for something to take effect is almost a death sentence, so we expect that there’ll be a number of changes or it will be abandoned along the way,” Dombi said.

Despite the 80-20 provision, Dombi explained that the rule had other aspects that would be beneficial to providers, including more accountability for the states regarding payment rates.

Dombi warned private-duty personal care providers not to fall into the trap of viewing the industry as being free of regulation.

“They may not be getting paid by federal or state governments, but they’re subject to a lot of rules and regulations, particularly under the Department of Labor,” he said.

Specifically, personal care is an industry that the department has its eye on when it comes to compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Aside from the DOL’s personal care focus, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also finalized a rule that effectively banned non-competes. Though this impacts all industries, Dombi noted that home care companies often rely on non-competes.

More recently, a federal court in Texas temporarily blocked the FTC’s non-compete ban. Dombi advised providers to follow these updates closely.

CMS Publishes FY 2025 Home Health Proposed Payment Rule

Account Administrator — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 13:16:21 GMT

Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published its FY 2025 home health proposed payment rule, which calls for additional cuts to home health payments. Please find below some key information on the proposed rule:

Home Health Care News Article: CMS Proposes Over 4% Cut to Home Health Medicare Payments In 2025
NAHC Webinar: 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update Proposed Rule (tomorrow, July 2, 2024). More information HERE.
Copy of proposed CMS Rule: CLICK HERE

WiAHC will be working with our national partners to submit official comments on the rule to CMS. Stay tuned for more information on that front.

2023-2024 Legislative Session Highlights

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:11:26 GMT

The 2023-2024 state legislative session, which began on January 3, 2023, has ended. The State Assembly held its final floor date for the regular session on February 22, 2024, and the State Senate held its final regular session day on March 12, 2024. While the Senate reconvened on May 14, 2024, for a “Veto Review” session day, during which they voted to override the Governor’s vetoes of nine bills, it appears unlikely that the Assembly will also reconvene to vote to attempt to override these vetoes. Furthermore, it does not appear likely at this time that either chamber will reconvene before the November general election.

The following are highlights from the current biennial budget law, as well as other relevant legislation introduced during the 2023-2024 legislative session.

· 2023-2025 State Budget:

o Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Rate Increase Continuation: Provided $43,707,300 in FY2023-24 and $181,951,800 in FY2024-25 to continue the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) HCBS 5.0 percent rate increase from April 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.

o Personal Care Reimbursement: Increased Medicaid personal care reimbursement rates by $12.9 million in 2023-24 and $25.4 million in 2024-25.

o Complex Patient Pilot Program: Provided $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 on a one-time basis to help facilitate the transfer of complex patients from acute care settings, such as hospitals, to post-acute care facilities, such as nursing homes.

o Allied Health Professional Training: Provided $2,500,000 annually to expand allied health professional education and training grants. Expanded eligibility for the program to include registered nurses.

o Nurse Educators: Maintained $5 million in annual funding for this program.

NOTE: WiAHC had requested to increase this annual funding level to $10 million. In addition, our organization was part of a coalition that advocated increasing this annual funding level to $10 million.

Occupational Credentialing:
- Software: $3.57 million for occupational credentialing software and related maintenance.
- License Processing Staffing: 7 license processing contract workers (on a four-year employment contract).
- Customer Service Call Center Staffing: 6 license processing-focused customer service call center contract workers (on a two-year employment contract).

Prescription Drug Monitoring: $1.1 million for software improvements, electronic health records integration, and licensing costs for the state’s electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP).

· Other 2023-2024 Legislative Highlights:

o Support – Enactment of Senate Bill 476: Codifies existing state regulations allowing health care providers that do not have a physical location in Wisconsin to be certified as a Medicaid provider in order to treat patients who are Medicaid beneficiaries via telehealth as long as the provider is licensed in the state and is in good standing with the relevant occupational licensing board. Governor Evers signed this bill on March 22, 2024.

o Support – Assembly & Senate Passage of Senate Bill 158: Grants preliminary occupational health care credentials to those who recently completed the requirements to obtain such a credential (e.g., recent graduates), submitted a license application, and have been engaged by a qualifying health care employer. The intent behind this bill was to expedite the processing of health care occupational credentials. Governor Tony Evers vetoed this bill on March 29, 2024.

o Support – Assembly Passage of Assembly Bill 204: Increases the renewal period for health and business occupational credentials from two years to four years. This legislation passed the Assembly, but the Senate did not vote on it before the end of the legislative session.

o Support – Assembly Bill 507: Prevents an insurance policy from requiring prior authorization for certain health care services, including the first 12 visits for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, or chiropractic services. The Assembly Health Committee voted unanimously to recommend full Assembly approval of this bill. However, neither the Assembly nor the Senate took any further action on this bill prior to the end of the legislative session.

· Miscellaneous Policy Priorities

o Amending Legislation Limiting Prior Insurance Authorization for Certain Health Care Services: WiAHC’s government relations representatives will continue to work with the authors of such legislation (e.g., Assembly Bill 507 referenced above) and stakeholders to add “skilled home health nursing” to such legislation to exempt that type of service from prior insurance authorization in certain circumstances.

o Updating Department of Health Services Regulations:

§ Professional Advisory Bodies: WiAHC will continue to work with DHS to remove outdated state regulations related to professional advisory bodies for home health agencies. Our intent is that this change will be incorporated into a large package of regulatory updates that DHS works on every two years.

· Governor Signs Bill Creating New State Legislative District Maps

o On December 22, 2023, the State Supreme Court issued a ruling that Wisconsin’s state legislative district maps are unconstitutional and the maps for each such district must be redrawn before the 2024 elections. State Supreme Court justices voted 4-3 in favor of this ruling. The decision focused on specific state legislative districts that include non-contiguous portions of land, which the court found violated the state constitution.

o Specifically, the court ruled that the legislature must redraw the boundaries for each state Assembly and state Senate district in advance of the August 2024 primary election. If the legislature and Governor Evers were not able to agree on legislation creating new district boundaries, the court noted that it would decide on the new boundaries. As a practical matter, the state Elections Commission noted that new district boundaries needed to be finalized by March 15, 2024.

o In January 2024, the parties to the case submitted various proposed state legislative district maps to the court and the court-appointed consultants reviewed these maps and provided their analysis to the court on February 1. However, in mid-February, the Legislature passed a bill with the version of state legislative district maps that Governor Evers previously submitted to the court. This legislation passed both chambers of the Legislature with mostly Republican votes and was sent to the Governor. On February 19, 2024, Governor Evers signed this legislation. As such, these new legislative district maps have taken effect for legislative candidates who are elected in November 2024. These new maps may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

· Governor Creates Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce

o On January 29, 2024, Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order creating the Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce. According to the Governor’s press release on this topic: “The task force will be charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system, including recruitment and retention, identifying ways to improve patient care and alleviate the burdens on the healthcare workforce, exploring educational and training pathways to grow a sustainable healthcare workforce, and creating an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training for consideration in the governor’s 2025-27 biennial budget.”

o The task force is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in public health, who has worked for both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as a chronic disease director for the state of Colorado.

o The task force is co-chaired by state Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek and state Department of Health Services Secretary Kirsten Johnson. Prior to being named DHS Secretary, Kirsten Johnson led the City of Milwaukee Health Department, as well as the Washington-Ozaukee Health Department.

o Task Force members also include representatives from institutions of higher education, medical providers, patient advocacy organizations, among others.

o In March 2024, representatives from WiAHC and the Wisconsin Hospice and Palliative Care Association (WiHPCA) participated in a joint meeting with the task force chair, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, to discuss health care workforce issues. Various issues were discussed, including reimbursement from insurers and public sector payers, medical personnel wage levels, and the potential to expand an existing effort to concurrently train high school students to be licensed practical nurses (LPNs), so that they are able to graduate from high school and immediately enter the workforce.

o Please be assured that WiAHC’s government relations representatives will continue to monitor the work of this task force. For more information about this task force, please visit the task force’s website.

DHS Announces Electronic Visit Verification Announces Hard Launch Date

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:10:34 GMT

In late May, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that the electronic visit verification (EVV) hard launch begins on October 1, 2024. The following service codes are impacted:

Home health care services (service codes 92507, 97139, 97799, 99504, 99600, S9123, S9124, T1001, T1021, T1502)

Personal care nurse supervisory visits (service code 99509)

As you are likely aware, the federal government is requiring the hard launch of EVV in Wisconsin as a condition of the state receiving its full allocation of Medicaid funding.

If your home health agency has not yet started to implement EVV, WiAHC strongly recommends that such agencies start the process immediately as the implementation process may take longer than expected. Please note that DHS is able to provide assistance with implementation. Wisconsin EVV customer service may be reached Monday through Friday, from 7:00AM – 6:00PM (Central Time) at 1-833-931-2035 or via email at vdxc.contactevv@wisconsin.gov. Also, there is additional information regarding EVV implementation on the DHS website, including an online “Key Conversation” that DHS will hold on July 15 from 1:00PM – 2:00PM (Central Time) to answer questions.

Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce – Summary of May Meeting

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:09:51 GMT

This task force’s most recent meeting was held on May 9 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus. The initial portion of the agenda was a panel discussion on recruitment and retention that featured the following panelists:

Dr. Hannah Maxey, Veritas Health Solutions (NOTE: She served as panel moderator.)
Dr. Tom Kernozek, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Professions, UW – La Crosse (Task Force Member)
Heather Schimmers, President, Gundersen Health System (Task Force Member)
Ann Zenk, Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice, Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA)

Zenk discussed the annual workforce report that WHA publishes. WHA is concerned about the “silver tsunami” – the increase of those Wisconsinites aging into retirement. She also discussed that in 2022, the nursing shortage hit Wisconsin hard, as nurses comprise over half of a hospital’s workforce. Kernozek discussed UW-La Crosse’s health education programs and how they partner with local school districts and health systems with a presence in the area. With respect to challenges, he discussed their faculty recruitment and retention issues. Schimmers discussed the hiring challenges that Gundersen faces and how they made changes to try to improve. She noted that there is high turnover within the first 1-2 years of joining the health care profession and that the industry is not preparing the workforce enough for the hardships they will face in the workplace.

The three panelists proposed a number of solutions: Medicaid reimbursement expansion, loosen restrictions on requirements for faculty, uniform licensing processes, tax incentives for nursing preceptors (mentors), loan repayment programs for faculty, among others.

The next portion of the meeting featured Dr. Maxey reviewing the themes discussed during the breakout sessions held during the task force’s April 4 meeting: education, incentives, funding, and apprenticeships. Please note that these issues were addressed in our summary of the task force’s April 4 meeting.

The final portion of the agenda featured breakout groups, which came up with numerous proposed solutions to workforce challenges. The groups came up with numerous suggestions, including encouraging worker usage of employee assistance programs, target funding based on geography and need, expanding Medicaid, invest in apprenticeship and related programs, marketing campaign to seek health care workers, removing the state “benefits cliff” for workers who are promoted, encouraging high school students to seek concurrent training for certain roles (LPNs, etc.), tax incentives for preceptors (mentors), among others.

The meeting closed with an announcement that the task force’s June meeting will review prior workforce improvement suggestions and transform them into draft task force recommendations that will be prioritized.

DHS Requests Public Comment on Family Care and Family Care Partnership Program

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:09:17 GMT

In early June, DHS issued a request for public comment on the Family Care and Family Care Partnership 1915(b) and 1915(c) waiver renewal applications. The federal government requires that these waivers be renewed every five years. These waivers comprise the rules for the Family Care program and allow this Medicaid-funded program to exist.

The deadline to submit public comments to DHS is July 5, 2024. Comments may be submitted to DHS via the following methods:

Send an email to dhsltcpubliccomment@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Please include the subject line: “Family Care 1915(b) Waiver Renewal or Family Care 1915(c) Waiver Renewal”

Mail written comments to the following address:

Division of Medicaid Services

Bureau of Programs and Policy

Attn: Family Care 1915(b) Waiver Renewal or Family Care/Family Care Partnership 1915(c) Waiver Renewal

PO Box 309

Madison, WI 53701-0309

Additional details about this waiver renewals, including a summary of the proposed waiver changes may be viewed at the DHS website.

Dane County Judge Launches 2025 State Supreme Court Campaign

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:08:32 GMT

On June 10, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford announced her candidacy for the State Supreme Court seat that will be vacated next year by veteran Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who is a member of the liberal court majority. Prior to serving on the Dane County Circuit Court, Judge Crawford worked as an assistant attorney general in the state Department of Justice. In addition, she served in the state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Natural Resources, as well as then-Governor Jim Doyle’s chief legal counsel. She also worked as an attorney in private practice.

As this is written, former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel – who currently serves as a judge in Waukesha County – is the only other candidate who has announced a run for Justice Walsh Bradley’s seat on the State Supreme Court. If additional candidates enter the race, a primary election will be held on February 18, 2025. The general election will occur on April 1, 2025.

The Power of WiAHC Advocacy: Sign-up to Host a Legislative Tour

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 14:07:34 GMT

2024 Election Outlook

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:27:30 GMT

Now that the Legislature has adjourned their legislative session, the 2024 election cycle is in full campaign mode. Wisconsin’s state legislative and congressional district maps were finalized earlier this spring, which will create several very competitive races for control of the Wisconsin legislature. This, coupled with Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in July and Wisconsin’s status as a key battleground state in the Presidential election and control of the U.S. Senate, will make for a very interesting 2024 election year.

State Legislative Elections

Both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature currently have large Republican majorities (Assembly – 64-35; Senate 22 to 10 with 1 vacancy in a heavily Democratic district in Milwaukee). All 99 Assembly seats are up for election. In the Senate, 16 of 33 seats are up – eight of these seats feature GOP incumbents and four of them are open seats.

The current political wisdom is that Assembly Republicans are in position to maintain control following the 2024 election due to the number of Republican seats that are viewed as safe or strong for the GOP, in addition to the high number of GOP incumbents. However, due to 2024 redistricting, the number of highly competitive seats has increased under the new district maps. As such, it is possible that Assembly Republicans may lose a small number of seats, but not enough to lose the majority.

Likewise, it is expected Senate Republicans will also maintain control of that body in 2024. However, the GOP may also lose seats in this chamber due to the increase of competitive seats because of 2024 redistricting. To take control of this chamber, 13 Democratic candidates would have to win Senate seats in November, which is unlikely.

To read the more detailed memo regarding the 2024 election, please click here.

Upcoming WiAHC Legislative Priority Survey

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:26:37 GMT

In the coming months, WiAHC will send a legislative priority survey to all members. This will help WiAHC leadership determine the policy priorities for the 2025-2026 state legislative session. Please consider completing the survey once you receive it. This will be a great opportunity to share your thoughts on the direction that WiAHC should take with respect to advocacy.

Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce Launches Website

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:25:49 GMT

In recent weeks, the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce launched its new website, which includes the following:

An overview of the mission of the task force.
A list of names and titles of the task force members.
Schedule of future task force public meetings.
Information related to prior meetings, including agendas and presentations.

DSPS Announces Initiative to Expedite Nursing Licensure for Recent Nursing School Graduates

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:24:32 GMT

In mid-May, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced the Accelerate Wisconsin initiative. The intent behind this initiative is to streamline the occupational licensure process for recent nursing school graduates, so that they can begin practicing more quickly after graduation. Nursing students at participating schools will now be able to take the required NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) national nursing exam before they graduate. Once certification of a nurse’s graduation has been provided to DSPS, the nurse will receive their occupational license from DSPS within three business days. Furthermore, to assist employers with their hiring process, DSPS will provide nursing students who meet all criteria except graduation with a letter reflecting this.

The following nursing schools are participating in this program:

Alverno College
Carroll University
Carthage College
Chippewa Valley Technical College
Edgewood College
Gateway Technical College
Madison College
Marian University
Marquette University
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Viterbo University

DHS Submits Biennial Report to Legislature on Diabetes Care and Prevention Action Program

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:23:34 GMT

As a requirement of the Diabetes Care and Prevention Action Program Act, which was enacted during the 2019-2020 state legislative session, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) recently submitted a report to the Legislature that includes recommendations to help “reduce the number of new cases of diabetes, improve diabetes care, and manage diabetes-associated complications.” More specifically, the report makes the following specific recommendations:

· Reduce patient cost-sharing of diabetes self-management education and support services (DSMES), devices, supplies, and medicines.

· Increase pricing and insurance coverage transparency for all diabetes medications throughout the supply chain.

· Improve access for personal continuous glucose monitoring.

· Reimburse DSMES delivered by all professional support providers, including pharmacists, registered nurses, registered dietitian nutritionists, and certified diabetes care and education specialists.

· Reimburse for DSMES delivered via telehealth.

· Require Wisconsin health insurers to maintain at least one non-insulin drug in every diabetes drug class available on-formulary.

· Reimburse community health workers who provide chronic disease management and care coordination services.

Increase awareness of and access to the National Diabetes Prevention Program and Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support.

Governor Calls Two Special Elections

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:22:44 GMT

On May 14, Governor Evers called for special elections for the following positions:

4^th State Senate District

This heavily Democratic district in the City of Milwaukee is vacant as former State Senator Lena Taylor (D) was appointed to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. This special primary election will occur, if needed, on July 2, 2024. The special general election will occur on July 30, 2024. It’s important to note that the winner of this special general election will hold this seat through the end of the term, which ends on January 5, 2025. The 4^th State Senate District will also be up for election during the normal August primary and November general elections this year. The winner of that general election will take office for a full four-year term on January 6, 2025 (state legislative inauguration day).

8^th Congressional District

This Republican-leaning district, which includes the Fox Valley and the Green Bay area, became vacant when former Congressman Mike Gallagher (R) resigned. The special primary election and special general election will occur on the same dates as the normal primary and general elections (August 13 and November 5 of this year) for this seat. Therefore, the winner of the special general election would take office immediately after the November 5 election and hold the seat until January 3, 2025 (Congressional inauguration day). The winner of the normal general election (also on November 5) will take office on January 3, 2025.

The Power of WiAHC Advocacy: Sign-up to Host a Legislative Tour

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 May 2024 18:21:37 GMT

Governor Evers Takes Action on Various Bills of Interest to WiAHC

Account Administrator — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:43:27 GMT

Over the last few weeks, Governor Evers acted on numerous bills, including the following legislation of interest to WiAHC:

Signed – Senate Bill 964 - Allows physical therapists to certify to the state Department of Transportation that a person has a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk and therefore meets the criteria to receive a disabled parking license plate or card. The Governor signed this bill on March 22, and the bill will take effect 10 months after it is signed into law.

Vetoed - Senate Bill 158 – Proposed creating a preliminary health care credential that is available to individuals who have completed the requirements for the corresponding permanent or training health care credential while they await a decision from the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) regarding their application for the permanent or training credential. The Governor vetoed this bill on March 29, issuing the following statement in his veto message:

“I am vetoing this bill because I object to potentially reducing patient protections from individuals who have a disqualifying criminal background by allowing unlicensed individuals to receive preliminary healthcare credentials based solely upon their own attestations and employer-conducted background checks. The department would have no way to discern the veracity of an employer-conducted background check and no ability to hold employers accountable for false or neglectful attestations.”

Governor’s Task Force on the Health Care Workforce Holds April Meeting

Account Administrator — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:42:29 GMT

On April 4, the Governor’s Task Force on the Health Care Workforce held a public meeting in Madison. Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, a registered nurse, chairs this task force. The intent behind this task force is to craft health care workforce recommendations that may be included in the Governor’s FY2025-2027 budget request to the Legislature.

The meeting started out with a discussion of the results of a survey that was sent to all 24 task force members, all of whom completed the survey. The intent of this survey was to help determine the potential areas of focus for the task force.

With respect to specific profession areas, the survey found that the task force should focus on the following (in order of priority):

Behavioral Health
Nurses
Direct Care
Allied Health
Physicians
Oral Health
Emergency Medical Services
Other

With respect to health care sectors, the survey found that the focus should be on the following (in order of priority):

Behavioral Health
Long term care
Primary care
Emergency Medical Services
Oral Health
Other

With respect to health care workforce improvement strategies, the survey found that the focus should be on the following areas (while they are in order of importance, these were all ranked quite close to each other – therefore, the task force views these as effectively equal):

Recruitment and Retention
Education and Training
Regulatory Policy

Following this conversation, David Polk, who serves as the director of the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards at the state Department of Workforce Development, discussed the various health care apprenticeships that are currently offered in the state. These apprenticeships include medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, and registered nurses. Immediately following that presentation, Bridgett Willey, the director of Allied Health Education and Career Pathways at UW Health, described their health care apprenticeship offerings.

Next, Jessica Smith, who serves as the director of the Center for Inclusive Transition, Education, and Employment at UW Whitewater (UWW), presented on the Qualified Treatment Trainee (QTT) grant program at UWW. A QTT is someone with a master’s degree in social work, counseling or marriage and family therapy, who wants to get a professional license for such counseling work. These individuals perform counseling work under the guidance of a clinical supervisor. This grant program is funded by the state Department of Health Services (DHS) and is administered by DHS, along with UWW. Right after this presentation, Jill Baures, Psy.D., who serves as the Clinical Training Director for Pauquette Center for Psychological Services in the Madison area, discussed her agency’s experience with the QTT program.

At the end of the meeting, the upcoming task force meeting schedule was discussed:

May 9 – UW La Crosse
- During this meeting, the task force will identify additional strategies and opportunities.
June 6 – UW Milwaukee
- During this meeting, they will start prioritizing all strategies and opportunities.
July 11 – UW Green Bay
- During this meeting, they will review a draft set of recommendations.
August 8 – Madison (Hill Farms State Office Building)

For further details about the task force’s April 4 meeting, you are welcome to review a more detailed summary.

State Department of Health Services Proposes Plan for Spending Opioid Settlement Funds

Account Administrator — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:41:35 GMT

In early April, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted a proposal to the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee requesting their approval for DHS’s plan for spending $36 million in settlement funds received from opioid litigation. In summary, DHS proposes to spend these funds for the following purposes:

Tribal Nations: $6 million
Community, Education, After-School Prevention: $5 million
Family Support/Resource Centers: $5 million
Peer Support in Opioid Treatment Programs: $5 million
Narcan: $3.5 million
Fentanyl Test Strips: $1 million
Capital Projects: $3 million
Room and Board: $2.5 million
EMS “Leave Behind” Programs: $1.5 million
Public Health Vending Machines: $1 million
Law Enforcement Grants: $1 million
Data Collection and Surveillance System Enhancements: $1.5 million

State Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley Announces Retirement

Account Administrator — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:40:49 GMT

On April 11, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced that she would not run for re-election in 2025. She is currently a member of the liberal majority of the court. When she completes her term on July 31, 2025, she will have served 30 years as a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Prior to her service on this court, she served 10 years as a circuit court judge in Marathon County.

The primary election to fill her seat on the court will be held on February 18, 2025, and the general election will occur on April 1, 2025. As this is written, former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel – who currently serves as a judge in Waukesha County – is the only candidate who has announced a run for Justice Walsh Bradley’s seat on the State Supreme Court.

WiAHC and Horizon Home Care and Hospice Host Rep. Jessie Rodriguez for Legislative Outreach Meeting

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:07:34 GMT

On March 21, WiAHC member Horizon Home Care and Hospice hosted Wisconsin Representative Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) at a local Oak Creek coffee shop. The visit was held as part of WiAHC’s Capitol Connection program, which aims to build relationships between members and their local state lawmakers.

During the meeting, Horizon staff, led by CEO Coleen Schmidt, CFO Vicki Meyer, and COO Jessica Lisinski, had an opportunity to discuss with Rep. Rodriguez the value of skilled home care for Wisconsin patients. It also provided a great opportunity to thank Rodriguez for her past support of Medicaid rate increases for skilled nursing in a home care setting.

In addition, the discussion navigated to challenges faced by the home health industry, specifically the nursing workforce shortage. Rep. Rodriguez was highly engaged in the conversation and interested in helping to strengthen the home health care industry in Wisconsin and knock down regulatory obstacles for providers.

Rep. Rodriguez currently represents the 21^st Assembly District in southeast Wisconsin, which includes the cities of South Milwaukee and Oak Creek. She was first elected to the Assembly in a Nov. 2013 Special Election and is serving her second term on the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee. Rodriquez resides in Oak Creek with her husband and son.

If you are interested in hosting your lawmaker as part of WiAHC’s Capitol Connection program, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

WiAHC Meets with Lt. Governor to Discuss Governor's Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:06:32 GMT

On March 7, representatives from WiAHC and the Wisconsin Hospice and Palliative Care Association (WiHPCA) participated in a joint virtual meeting with Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez to discuss health care workforce issues. Lt. Gov. Rodriguez, a registered nurse, chairs the newly formed Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce. Various issues were discussed, including reimbursement from insurers and public sector payers, medical personnel wage levels, and the potential to expand an existing effort to concurrently train high school students to be licensed practical nurses (LPNs), which would enable them to graduate from high school and immediately enter the workforce.

Future task force meetings will be held each month from April through August. The following is the schedule that is currently available:

Thursday, April 4th, 1-4pm, Madison (Hill Farms State Office Building – Room TBD)
Thursday, May 9th, 1-4pm, La Crosse (Location TBD)
Thursday, June 6th, 1-4pm, Milwaukee (Location TBD)
Thursday, July 11th, 1-4pm, Green Bay (Location TBD)
Thursday, August 8th, 1-4pm, Madison (Hill Farms State Office Building – Room TBD)

In addition, the task force will launch a website in the future. Once that occurs, that will be shared in a future edition of this newsletter.

Legislation Addressing Physical Therapists Goes to Governor

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:05:29 GMT

In late February, as the Legislature was wrapping up the 2023-2024 legislative session, both the state Assembly and Senate passed Senate Bill 964. This legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers as 2023 WI Act 188, will allow physical therapists to certify to the state Department of Transportation that a person has a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk and therefore meets the criteria to receive a disabled parking license plate or card.

Governor Signs Bill Finalizing State Legislative Districts

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:04:39 GMT

On December 22, 2023, the State Supreme Court issued a ruling that Wisconsin’s state legislative district maps are unconstitutional and the maps for each such district must be redrawn before the 2024 elections. State Supreme Court justices voted 4-3 in favor of this ruling. The decision focused on specific state legislative districts that include non-contiguous portions of land, which the court found violated the state constitution.

Specifically, the court ruled that the legislature must redraw the boundaries for each state Assembly and state Senate district in advance of the August 2024 primary election. If the Legislature and Governor Evers were not able to agree on legislation creating new district boundaries, the court noted that it would decide on the new boundaries. As a practical matter, the state Elections Commission noted that new district boundaries needed to be finalized by March 15, 2024.

In January, the parties to the case submitted various proposed state legislative district maps to the court and the court-appointed consultants reviewed these maps and provided their analysis to the court on February 1. However, in mid-February, the Legislature passed a bill with the version of state legislative district maps that Governor Evers previously submitted to the court. This legislation passed both chambers of the Legislature with mostly Republican votes and was sent to the Governor. On February 19, Governor Evers signed this legislation. As such, these new legislative district maps will take effect for legislative candidates who are elected in November 2024.

The new 2024 state Assembly and state Senate district maps may now be viewed on the Legislature’s interactive district map page.

In addition, the following related articles/links may be of interest:

DSPS Announces Updates to Credential Processing Dashboard

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:03:53 GMT

In February, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced that it added additional information to its online credential processing dashboard. This updated website includes additional data points, including the median amount of time to receive an occupational credential in the health or business industries, or in the trades.

DHS Opens Registration for State Summit on Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:02:50 GMT

In early March, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) opened registration for their annual Opioids, Stimulants, and Trauma Summit. According to DHS, this summit “highlights prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery strategies related to opioids, stimulants, and trauma.” This event will be an in-person event (with a virtual option) held on May 7-9, 2024, at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

For more information, please visit the DHS website.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:00:40 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· MedPAC recommends 7% cut for home health

Home Health Line – By Greg Hambrick| March 19, 2024

For home health payments in 2025, MedPAC’s commission is again recommending a 7% reduction in the base payment rate. The commissions recommendations to Congress also included no payment update for hospice providers. MedPAC argues that Medicare fee-for-service payments are “substantially in excess of costs.” The industry has argued consistently that payment rates have not accounted for increased costs and noted Medicare payments are keeping some agencies afloat due to the insufficient payment rates from Medicaid and MA payors. Read more...

· The Looming Home Care Disaster In New York State

Home Health Care News – By Joyce Famakinwa| March 18, 2024

There’s a potential storm brewing in New York state due to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget for 2025. The budget proposal includes over $1 billion in cuts to the states’ home care programs. The move is an effort to reduce Medicaid spending. The budget proposal cuts, which was released on Jan. 16, would directly impact New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP). Read more...

· New Bill Seeks To Reduce Challenges For Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries, Expand PACE Model Across US

Home Health Care News – By Robert Holly| March 14, 2024

Individuals who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid make up a sizable portion of the overall home-based care population. Too often, though, this dual status comes with frustrating challenges around care plans and coordination. Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday hopes to reduce some of those frustrations while also creating new opportunities for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model. Read More…

· President Biden’s State of The Union Address: ‘Imagine The Future Of Home Care’

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | March 8, 2024

In a State of the Union address that evoked Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Vladimir Putin within the first minute, President Joe Biden also made room for home-based care. After urging for higher taxes on the uber-wealthy, Biden challenged Americans to imagine a future with better access to home care. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Bills Supported by WiAHC Advance in the Legislature

Account Administrator — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:16:17 GMT

In recent weeks, the Legislature has approved several bills supported by WiAHC that will now be sent to Governor Evers:

Senate Bill 476 – Codiﬁes a DHS rule that allows health care providers who are not physically located in the state to apply for certiﬁcation as a Medicaid provider to treat Medicaid recipients via telehealth.

Both the Assembly and Senate have approved this bill. The next step is to send it to the Governor for his signature or veto.

Senate Bill 158 – Creates a preliminary health care occupational credential for those who have applied and are waiting for a decision from DSPS on a permanent or training credential.

Both the Assembly and Senate have approved this bill. The next step is to send it to the Governor for his signature or veto.

State Legislative Redistricting Update

Account Administrator — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:14:57 GMT

Specifically, the court ruled that the legislature must redraw the boundaries for each state Assembly and state Senate district in advance of the August 2024 primary election. If the legislature and Governor Evers are not able to agree on legislation creating new district boundaries, the court noted that it will decide on the new boundaries. As a practical matter, the state Elections Commission has noted that new district boundaries will need to be finalized by March 15, 2024.

In January, the parties to the case submitted various proposed state legislative district maps to the court and the court-appointed consultants reviewed these maps and provided their analysis to the court on February 1. However, in mid-February, the Legislature passed a bill with the version of state legislative district maps that Governor Evers previously submitted to the court. This legislation passed both chambers of the Legislature with mostly Republican votes and has been sent to Governor Evers, who signed the new maps into law on Feb. 19, 2024.

The new state legislative districts will take effect for legislative candidates who are elected in November 2024.

Governor Creates Task Force on Healthcare Workforce

Account Administrator — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:14:01 GMT

In Governor Tony Evers’ State of the State address, which was delivered before the Legislature on January 15, he announced that he would be forming a Task Force on the Health Care Workforce. Soon thereafter, he signed an executive order formally creating this task force. According to the Governor’s press release, “The task force will be charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system, including recruitment and retention, identifying ways to improve patient care and alleviate the burdens on the healthcare workforce, exploring educational and training pathways to grow a sustainable healthcare workforce, and creating an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training for consideration in the governor’s 2025-27 biennial budget.”

In early February, Governor Evers announced the various members of the task force, which includes several nurses. Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, who is also a registered nurse, will chair the task force and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek and Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kirsten Johnson will serve as co-chairs.

This task force will likely hold multiple public meetings in various locations in the state. That information will be shared in this newsletter, once it is available.

DHS Launches Online Tool to Report Foodborne/Waterborne Illnesses

Account Administrator — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:13:16 GMT

In early February, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced a new online system that will allow Wisconsinites to report food and water related illnesses when individuals experience symptoms. This new online questionnaire, which should take less than five minutes to complete, may be accessed here. This data will help local health departments determine the source of potential contamination and prevent others from getting sick.

For more information on illnesses caused by food or water, please visit the DHS website.

CMS Finalizes Rule to Improve the Prior Authorization Process

Account Administrator — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:12:06 GMT

Final rule reduces patient and provider burden by streamlining the prior authorization process

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized the CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F), which sets requirements to improve the electronic exchange of health information and prior authorization processes for medical items and services. Together, these policies will improve prior authorization processes and reduce burdens on patients, providers, and payers, resulting in approximately $15 billion of estimated savings over ten years.

While prior authorization can help ensure medical care is necessary and appropriate, it can sometimes be an obstacle to necessary patient care when providers must navigate complex and widely varying payer requirements or face long waits for prior authorization decisions. This final rule establishes requirements for certain payers to streamline the prior authorization.

Beginning primarily in 2026, impacted payers, including Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations will be required to send prior authorization decisions within 72 hours for urgent requests and seven calendar days for standard requests for medical items and services. For some payers, this new timeframe for standard requests cuts current decision timeframes in half. The rule also requires all impacted payers to include a specific reason for denying a prior authorization request, which will help facilitate resubmission of the request or an appeal when needed. Finally, impacted payers will be required to publicly report prior authorization metrics.

The rule also requires impacted payers to implement an electronic prior authorization application interface, which can be used to facilitate a more efficient electronic prior authorization process between providers and payers by automating the end-to-end prior authorization process. These new requirements for the prior authorization process will reduce administrative burdens on the healthcare workforce, empower clinicians to spend more time providing direct care to their patients, and prevent avoidable delays in care for patients.

The final rule is available to review here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cms-0057-f.pdf - PDF.

The fact sheet for the final rule is available here: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cms-interoperability-and-prior-authorization-final-rule-cms-0057-f.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:09:49 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· The Path for Occupational Therapy To Lose Its ‘Second-Tier’ Status In Home Health Care

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin | Feb. 20, 2023

If a senior or homebound patient is eligible for home health care, there are a number of caregiving professionals who can open a case and begin an assessment. Those include nurses, home health aides, physical therapists, and others. Read More…

· The ‘Tipping Point Is Coming’ For Hospital-At-Home Care In The US

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | Feb. 16, 2024

Empirical evidence suggests that hospital-at-home care is safe and effective. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the model is still not nearly as widespread as it should be, however, with patients regularly asking their health care providers about the option. Read more…

· Lawmakers Rubio, Carper Introduce Bill to Expand Hospital-At-Home Care In US

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | Feb. 9, 2024

Two senators introduced a bill Thursday that would create a pilot program aimed at expanding the scope of hospital-at-home care in the U.S. Dubbed the At Home Observation and Medical Evaluation (HOME) Services Act, the bill was introduced specifically by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.). Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) was an original cosponsor of the legislation. Read More…

· ‘A Monumental Shift’: Home Health Providers Believe Review Choice Demonstration Is Here To Stay

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin | Feb. 1, 2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been tight-lipped about its Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) plans beyond May 2024. However, industry leaders believe RCD will be extended across the country on a more permanent basis — a development that agency leaders should recognize as a momentum shifting change. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Bills Supported by WiAHC Advance in the Legislature

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:09:08 GMT

On January 16, the full Assembly approved several bills supported by WiAHC that attempt to streamline the state occupational licensing process:

Assembly Bill 90: A bill allowing a third-party contractor to process occupational credentialing applications for occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants. This will help expedite the processing of these applications, as many of them are stuck in a continuing backlog of credential processing at the state Department of Safety and Professional Services.

This bill passed the Assembly by voice vote on January 16 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Assembly Bill 143: This bill would help reduce processing delays for individuals applying for occupational credentials to be occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, advanced practice nurse prescribers, and certain other health care professions by no longer requiring such applicants to take a “statutes and rules” exam. Instead, such applicants may need to affirm that they have read and understood the statutes and rules that apply to the applicants’ practice.

This bill passed the Assembly by voice vote on January 16 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Senate Bill 158: In order to help expedite the occupational credentialing process for new college graduates in the health care field, this bill would require the state Department of Safety and Professional Services to grant preliminary occupational credentials to those who have recently completed the requirements to obtain a health care credential, submitted a license application, and have been engaged by a health care employer.

This bill passed the Assembly by voice vote on January 16. Also, on June 14, 2023, the state Senate approved this bill on a party-line basis (22 in favor, 11 against).

As the Assembly also amended this bill on January 16, the bill goes back to the Senate for further consideration. This amendment would enter Wisconsin into the national Social Work Licensure Compact (allowing Wisconsin-licensed social workers to work in other states that have also approved this compact).

Gov. Evers Appoints State Senator Lena Taylor to Milwaukee County Circuit Court

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:08:26 GMT

On Friday, Jan. 26, Gov. Tony Evers appointed State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Taylor immediately resigned from the Senate and will fill her new role starting on Jan. 30.

Taylor, 57, was first elected to the state Assembly in 2003 and has served in the Senate, representing the 4th Senate District, since 2005. Her departure from the Senate creates a vacancy, with Republicans now holding a 22-10 majority in the 33-seat legislative body. Evers said he will call a special election this spring to fill Taylor’s seat, which leans heavily Democratic.

Gov. Evers Highlights Healthcare Workforce Challenges in State of the State Address

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:07:45 GMT

Delivering his sixth State of the State Address on Jan. 23, Gov. Tony Evers focused on what his team is messaging as the Administration’s achievements, saying that Wisconsin “has never been in a better fiscal position than we are today – better than last year, better than when I took office, and better than any year in Wisconsin’s 176 years of statehood.”

He also touched on the political battle occurring in the state as it relates to reproductive rights, as well as the state’s ongoing workforce shortage crisis. In fact, during his speech, Evers announced he will issue an executive order to establish the Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce.

According to the governor’s office, the task force will be charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare system, including recruitment and retention, identifying ways to improve patient care and alleviate the burdens on the healthcare workforce. The task force will also explore educational and training pathways to grow a sustainable healthcare workforce, and to create an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training.

Task force members will include representatives from institutions of higher education, medical providers, individuals from various levels of government, and patient advocacy organizations.

State Supreme Court Rules State Legislative Districts Unconstitutional

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:06:41 GMT

Specifically, the court ruled that the legislature must redraw the boundaries for each state Assembly and state Senate district in advance of the August 2024 primary election. If the legislature and Governor Evers are not able to agree on legislation creating new district boundaries, the court noted that it will decide on the new boundaries. As a practical matter, the state Elections Commission has stated that new district boundaries will need to be finalized by March 15, 2024.

After the December 22 decision, Legislative Republicans asked the State Supreme Court to reconsider its decision. The State Supreme Court rejected that request. Subsequently, the State Supreme Court requested that parties to the lawsuit submit new suggested district maps. Seven such maps were submitted to the court on January 13. At this point, two consultants hired by the court will review all these proposed new maps and submit their recommendations to the court by February 1. At that point, the court will select the new state legislative maps, unless the Governor signs a bill creating new maps.

In an unexpected twist, the GOP-controlled Senate and Assembly passed legislation the week of Jan. 22 to create new maps, giving little notice to legislative Democrats of Evers. Republican leadership said the new maps were very close to maps previously proposed by Evers with some small changes to ensure political fairness. Democrats blasted the maps and Evers indicated he would veto the legislation.

Assuming the State Supreme Court ultimately selects the new maps, it is possible that this case will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Legislative Republicans Unveil Medical Marijuana Legislation

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:05:51 GMT

On January 8, state Assembly Republicans unveiled their draft bill permitting registered patients to access medical cannabis.

Under the legislation, all prescribers who have a bona-fide relationship with a patient would be able to certify if a patient has a qualifying condition (prescribers are not mandated to make certifications if they choose not to for whatever reason). Qualifying conditions include cancer, HIV or AIDS, seizures and epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma, severe chronic pain (narrowly defined in the legislation), severe chronic nausea, severe muscle spasms, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chronic motor or vocal tic disorder, Tourette syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and any terminal illness with a probable life expectancy of less than one year.

After receiving a certification, the patient would register with the newly created Office of Medical Cannabis Regulation (OMCR) within the Department of Health Services (DHS). The OMCR would issue patients and caregivers (up to 3 chosen by each patient) “registry identification cards”. These cards would allow the patient or caregiver to go to one of the five state government-operated medical cannabis dispensaries where a licensed pharmacist will consult on dosage and dispense medical cannabis to a patient or caregiver. The bill allows medical cannabis concentrates, oils, tinctures, edibles, pills, topical forms, gels, creams, vapors, patches, liquids, or forms administered by a nebulizer. The bill does not allow smokeable cannabis. All forms of cannabis would need to be dispensed in child/tamper proof containers.

As of the writing of this newsletter, this bill has not yet been introduced. However, it is likely that the full Assembly – and possibly the full Senate – will vote on this bill before the end of the 2023-2024 legislative session.

DHS Recommends Blood Lead Tests for Children

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:05:10 GMT

In mid-January, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced their recommendation that young children living in Wisconsin should have their blood tested for lead. Specifically, DHS recommends that all children between the ages 1 and 2 should receive this test. Also, DHS recommends that any child between the ages of 3 and 5 who has not been tested, should be tested. Further, any child under the age of 6 who lives in the City of Milwaukee may need to be tested, according to the City of Milwaukee Health Department guidelines. For further information, please go to the DHS website.

DHS Extends Free COVID-19 Treatment Telehealth Service Through 2024

Account Administrator — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:03:54 GMT

In December 2023, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that it would extend its free telehealth service to ensure rapid access to COVID-19 antiviral drugs through April 10, 2024. With this service in place, any Wisconsinite 18 years of age or older who tests positive for COVID-19 is able to receive a telehealth consultation with a health care professional seven days a week during the hours of 8:00AM – 8:00PM. If the patient is eligible for treatment, the patient will receive a prescription for a COVID-19 antiviral drug that may be filled at a pharmacy. If the patient does not have access to a pharmacy, the prescription drug will be shipped overnight to the patient. For more information, go to the DHS website.

New Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Policy for Home Health Care Services

Account Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:11:40 GMT

In recent weeks, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) released a Forward Health Update entitled “Home Health Care Services Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Announcement.”

Starting on January 1, 2024, DHS will require home health agencies to use an electronic visit verification (EVV) system if they are providing home health services covered by Medicaid. This is being implemented to ensure that the State of Wisconsin receives its full allocation of Medicaid funding from the federal government.

If you have any questions about EVV implementation, please contact DHS EVV Customer Care at 1-833-931-2035 or VDXC.ContactEVV@wisconsin.gov from Monday through Friday, 7:00AM – 6:00PM (Central Time).

WiAHC Members Meet with Senate Health Committee Chair Rachael Cabral-Guevara

Account Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:11:01 GMT

On Wednesday, December 6, WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill and her Compassus colleague and fellow WiAHC member Brenda Lefeber met with state Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton). Cabral-Guevara, who currently serves as chair of the Senate Health Committee, is also a nurse practitioner and worked in home health care early in her career.

During the meeting, the group discussed the value of home health care and the regulatory and policy challenges the home health industry faces. Their conversation also touched on the challenges with prior authorization for home health care. Sen. Cabral Guevara not only expressed an interest in our issues, offered her help on prior authorization obstacles.

Senate Democrats Select New Leader

Account Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:10:08 GMT

On November 30, Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) announced her candidacy for the position of Dane County Executive. As such, she immediately stepped down as Senate Democratic Leader. Very soon thereafter, Senate Democrats elected Senator Dianne Hesselbein – who represents a Senate district in the western Madison suburbs – to be the new Senate Democratic Leader. Senator Hesselbein assumed that position immediately after being elected.

Senate Democratic Committee Changes

Account Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:09:10 GMT

Once Senator Hesselbein was elected as Senate Democratic Leader, she resigned from most of her committee positions – including her role as the top Democrat on the Senate Health Committee. Soon thereafter, she announced committee changes for Senate Democrats. Of interest to WiAHC, Senator LaTonya Johnson of Milwaukee is the new top Democrat on the Senate Health Committee and Senator Tim Carpenter of Milwaukee is a new member of the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families. It’s notable that Senator LaTonya Johnson is also the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.

DHS Unveils Interactive Medicaid Renewal Data Dashboard

Account Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:08:20 GMT

In early December, the state Department of Health Services announced that it updated its webpage addressing post-COVID-19 pandemic Medicaid renewal data to include an interactive dashboard. Specifically, this dashboard includes enrollment data for BadgerCare Plus, Medicaid and other programs that are funded by the state government. DHS will update this page on the third Thursday of each month – by 2:00pm.

Underage Tobacco and Vape Sales Increase in Wisconsin in 2023

Account Administrator — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:06:35 GMT

In mid-November, the state Department of Health Services announced that tobacco and vape product use among underage individuals increased by 1.7% from 2022 to 2023. Specifically, it increased from 11.9% in 2022 to 13.6% in 2023. This research is based on an “underage” definition of individuals younger than 21. Per a federal law enacted in 2019, the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vape products was increased from 18 to 21. However, despite efforts in the Legislature, Wisconsin has not updated state law to increase the minimum age from 18 to 21. There are seven other states that also have not updated their respective state laws in a similar manner.

Timeliness of Care Toolkit for Home Care Agencies Now Available

Account Administrator — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 17:09:28 GMT

The Care Coordination Team from Superior Health Quality Alliance developed a FREE Home Care toolkit to prevent emergency department visits and hospital readmissions through timeliness of care of home care services. The Timeliness of Care Toolkit (described below) includes a Home Care Intake Scripting Tool (HIS Tool), and Home Care Acceptance Tracking Tool (HAT Tool).

Timeliness of Care Toolkit:
- The HIS (Scripting) Tool can be used to guide your initial and ongoing discussion with potential clients and/or caregivers. It normalizes home care as a crucial component of health care to improve well-being and prevent relapses and readmissions.
- The HAT (Tracking) Tool is an Excel spreadsheet that is very easy to use, requiring only 2 checkmarks (if services were accepted or declined, and if the scripting tool was used). There are (optional) drop-down responses (why services were declined, and suggestions for improvement). The HAT Tool provides weekly and monthly comparisons of home care acceptance rates, correlating with the use of the HIS (scripting) Tool.

Home Care Agencies can download, use, and share the links to the Timeliness of Care Toolkit with other agencies. You can start by viewing the 30-minute Instructional Video, refer to the PowerPoint, and use the Example HAT Tool to practice before you begin using the toolkit.

Time for implementation: The Excel tool is very easy to use and implement. It may add a minute (or two) to your intake process, and it calculates acceptance rates automatically.

Please email HATTool@superiorhealthqa.org if you have any questions about the tools.

10 Reasons to be Thankful for Home Care & Hospice

Account Administrator — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:36:40 GMT

From the Desk of NAHC - November 22, 2023

More people die from chronic disease than from acute disease. What this suggests is that the future will be about the management of chronic disease and not acute illness. The number of people going into hospitals will be fewer and they will spend less time there. What will increase by geometric progressions is the number of people cared for at home.

While sheer demographics and increased life expectancy – perhaps the greatest gift of the 20^th and 21^st centuries – have and will continue to increase the demand for home care services, our community will grow for other reasons, as well. Those other reasons mostly center around the great work done by home care workers and the unique services they provide.

So, as we begin this holiday season, here are the top ten reasons to be thankful for home care:

1. Home care keeps families together. There are few, if any, social values more important than keeping strong families together and this is particularly true in times of illness.

2. Home care is safer than the alternatives. While hospitalization is sometimes necessary, statistics show that hospitals can be dangerous for patients. It is not uncommon for patients to develop new or additional health problems (about 20 percent of hospital patients develop an infection or other illness) as a result of hospitalization, but those risks are minimized with care at home.

3. Home care is the most personal care. Home care is tailored to the needs of each individual and delivered on a person-to-person basis with lots of one-on-one interaction between the patient and caregivers. When we care for people in their own homes, we tell them they are special, they matter and they are loved.

4. Home care involves patients in their own care. In home care, the patient and his or her family are taught to participate in the caregiving by monitoring the health of the patient and taking steps to get well and maintain wellness.

5. Home care is a much better value. Studies have repeatedly shown that home care is far less expensive than institutionalization. In fact, home care is, on average, 10 times less expensive than a hospital and about four times less expensive than a nursing home.

6. Home care is more efficient. By caring for people at home, we allow them to avoid room and boarding expenses. In addition, the dazzling improvements in health technology are enabling people to monitor their own health as never before. Thanks to the development of the Internet and other technologies, telemedicine has more potential than ever. What’s more, technology has now developed that make it possible to treat most illnesses as well or better at home than in a hospital.

7. Home care is the only way to care for some people. In many rural parts of America or even dense urban areas, home care is the only available form of health care. Nurses and aides routinely visit patients in rural areas using unorthodox modes of transportation such as horses, dog sleds and boats.

8. Home care extends life. Allowing people to age at home not only adds life to their years, it adds years to their lives. Studies by nursing schools and government agencies have established beyond reasonable doubt that home care extends longevity because home care personnel and the intensely personal services they provide assist people not only medically, but psychologically and spiritually, as well.

9. Home care reduces stress. There is nothing like a health crisis to create stress, not only for the patients, but for their loved ones, as well. Hospitals, with their remoteness, their size and their state of frenzied activity, usually add to this stress. Home care, on the other hand, which is quieter and far more peaceful, has been shown to reduce the stress of patients and their families.

10. Home care is what people want. Home care is the preferred form of health care for America’s infirm and disabled. In fact, home care is preferred by a margin of 90 percent over comparable institutional care by the infirm. People facing terminal illnesses are increasingly choosing the form of home care known as hospice.

Home care is the oldest and most reliable form of health care, so it is no surprise that America is returning to it. However, home care is also the newest form of health care, as people increasingly prefer it over hospitalization and the advance of medical and other technologies make it possible – even preferable – to treat many maladies at home. The public is demanding that home care become more available than ever and our elected leaders must respond to this demand. NAHC is here to ensure that they do.

New Electronic Visit Verification Policy for Home Health Care Services

Account Administrator — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:35:48 GMT

ForwardHealth Update 2023-40, "Home Health Care Services Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Announcement"

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has published ForwardHealth Update 2023-40, “Home Health Care Services Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Announcement.”

For dates of service on and after January 1, 2024, DHS will require use of an electronic visit verification (EVV) system for Medicaid-covered home health care services. The affected services codes can be found on the EVV website. EVV is required by federal law. All states must require EVV system use to maintain full federal Medicaid funding.

Please feel free to direct any questions to Wisconsin EVV Customer Care – Monday through Friday; 7 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. – at 833-931-2035 or VDXC.ContactEVV@wisconsin.gov.

In Case You Missed It: Gov. Tony Evers Issues Commendation Recognizing the Value of Home Health Care in Wisconsin

Account Administrator — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:33:16 GMT

Earlier this month, in recognition of National Home Health Care Month, Gov. Tony Evers issued a certificate of commendation recognizing the important role of home health care professionals in Wisconsin’s health care system and the benefits of home health care for patients across the state. The commendation, which was requested by WiAHC, outlines the value of home health care and highlights the fact that it is a preferred method of health care delivery for patients recovering from an ailment, those who were recently discharged from the hospital, or those dealing with a chronic illness. CLICK HERE to read the read the Governor’s commendation.

Representative Alex Dallman Addresses WiAHC Conference in WI Dells

Account Administrator — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:29:36 GMT

Wisconsin Rep. Alex Dallman (R-Green Lake) attended the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiHCA) 2023 Fall Conference, which was held in the Wisconsin Dells on Nov. 2-3. Dallman welcomed conference attendees to the Dells and gave a legislative update on health care and workforce issues being considered at the State Capitol. His appearance was part of a larger effort by WiAHC to connect home health care professionals with state lawmakers to advance policies that improve the delivery of home health care across Wisconsin.

“WiAHC greatly appreciated Rep. Dallman's appearance at the conference, his insightful comments, and his willingness to engage our members in positive dialogue”, said Jayne Thill, WiAHC Board Chair. “His support of home health care in Wisconsin, particularly related to the home health care worker shortage, will help pave the way toward sustainable solutions to improve care.”

“It was great to speak at WiAHC’s 2023 Fall Conference and give attendees an update on work the legislature is doing for home health care services across the state,” said Dallman. “I believe home health care services help keep costs low for families while also giving individuals the comfort of staying in their homes. I am grateful for the work WiAHC is doing to advance and expand home health care services in Wisconsin.”

Dallman who was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2020 represents the 41^st Assembly district, which includes the northeast corner of Sauk County and large portions of Adams, Marquette, and Green Lake Counties. His district also includes the cities of Wisconsin Dells, Adams, Portage, and Green Lake. He currently serves as a member of the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee, which oversees development of the state’s two-year budget.

New Electronic Visit Verification Policy for Home Health Care Services

Account Administrator — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 14:35:35 GMT

ForwardHealth Update 2023-40, "Home Health Care Services Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Announcement"

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has published ForwardHealth Update 2023-40, “Home Health Care Services Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Announcement.”

For dates of service on and after January 1, 2024, DHS will require use of an electronic visit verification (EVV) system for Medicaid-covered home health care services. The affected services codes can be found on the EVV website. EVV is required by federal law. All states have to require EVV system use to maintain full federal Medicaid funding.

Questions? Contact Wisconsin EVV Customer Care Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. CT at 833-931-2035 or VDXC.ContactEVV@wisconsin.gov.

WiAHC Resources for Members Reviewing the CMS Home Health Final

Account Administrator — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:58:26 GMT

WiAHC hosted Katie Wehri, Director of Home Health and Hospice Regulatory Affairs at the National Association for Home Care and Hospice at the 2023 Fall Conference. Katie’s “Home Health Update” was the morning after the Final Rule was published and included the latest news and updates. Click HERE for a copy of Katie’s presentation and a report from NAHC can be found HERE.

Representative Alex Dallman Addresses Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care Conference in WI Dells

Account Administrator — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 14:20:34 GMT

Wisconsin Rep. Alex Dallman (R-Green Lake) recently attended the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiHCA) 2023 Fall Conference, which was held in the Wisconsin Dells on November 2-3. Dallman welcomed conference attendees to the Dells and gave a legislative update on health care and workforce issues being considered at the State Capitol. His appearance was part of a larger effort by WiAHC to connect home health care professionals with state lawmakers to advance policies that improve the delivery of home health care across Wisconsin.

Home health care offers a wide range of health care services provided by skilled non-physician practitioners, such as nurses and physical therapists, to treat an illness or injury in a patient’s home.

The goal of home health care is to treat patients in the comfort of their homes, where they tend to recover more quickly, avoid complications, and enjoy a better quality of life than they might in an acute care setting.

Dallman who was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2020 represents the 41^st Assembly district, which includes the northeast corner of Sauk County and large portions of Adams, Marquette, and Green Lake Counties. His distirct also includes the cities of Wisconisn Dells, Adams, Portage, and Green Lake. He currently serves as a member of the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee, which oversees development of the state’s two-year budget.

Governor Issues Certificate of Commendation for Home Health Care Workers

Account Administrator — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:53:18 GMT

Governor Evers issued a certificate of commendation to Home Health Care workers on Nov 2, 2023. The certificate includes a summary of the services and benefits home health care workers provide patients and their families as well as commendation to home health care workers, providers and agencies for their dedicated service to the state of Wisconsin. View the full certificate HERE.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:37:06 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

WiAHC Supports Bill to Codify DHS Regulation Allowing Wisconsin-Licensed Health Care Providers Outside Wisconsin to Provide Care via Telehealth

WiAHC has decided to formally support legislation – Senate Bill 476 – that formalizes state Department of Health Services (DHS) regulations allowing health care providers who are not physically located in Wisconsin to apply for certification as a Medicaid provider in order to treat Medicaid recipients via telehealth. In this situation, the health care provider will need to be licensed in Wisconsin and will need to be in good standing with the respective credentialing board.

Senate Health Committee Recommends Approval of DHS Secretary Nominee

On September 27, the Senate Health Committee held a hearing on the nomination of Kirsten Johnson to be the Secretary of the state Department of Health Services (DHS). Prior to her nomination, Kirsten served as the head of the City of Milwaukee Health Department, as well as the Washington-Ozaukee Health Department. She also served as the president of the Wisconsin Public Health Association. On October 6, the Senate Health Committee voted 5-1 to recommend her confirmation to the full Senate. Senator Andre Jacque (R-DePere) voted no. The next and final step is for the full Senate to vote on her confirmation. This full Senate vote could occur by mid-November.

DSPS Upgrades Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

On October 15, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) unveiled an updated Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP) website. In its recent announcement, DSPS noted that the updated website incorporated feedback from stakeholders, including prescribers, health care systems, law enforcement and pharmacies. Specifically, DSPS highlighted the following improvements:

Dispensing records will be processed as soon as they are submitted, and patient reports will be updated accordingly as close to real time as possible.
Instances of patient records being falsely merged or separated will be significantly reduced. Falsely matched records will be addressed in a timely manner should they occur.
Healthcare professional account users will be able to reconfigure their own patient report layout to prioritize information most useful to their clinical practices and treatment decisions.

Legislative Committee Rejects Request for More DSPS Occupational Credentialing Staff

On September 26, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee – the budget writing committee – rejected Governor Evers’ request to provide more funding for additional staff members at the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) to assist in processing occupational credential applications. The vote was along party lines – 10 against and 4 in support. In its request, DSPS noted that they needed more staff members to maintain or reduce processing time for occupational credentials.

During the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget process, the Legislature approved over 17 new positions for DSPS, as well as approximately $3.5 million for credentialing software.

Wisconsin Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to State’s Legislative Districts

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:36:20 GMT

Earlier this month, on Oct. 6, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 4-3 decision – split down ideological lines – agreeing to hear a legal challenge to the state’s current legislative maps, which were drawn following the 2020 U.S. Census and after a series of rulings by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Wisconsin voters, claims Wisconsin Assembly and Senate legislative districts were gerrymandered in violation of the state constitution.

Depending on a final ruling by the liberal-leaning court, new legislative maps could be in place by next year and could shift the balance of power in the Legislature. Republicans have held large majorities in both houses since 2011. The state’s high court will hear oral arguments in the case on November 21, but has not provided a timeline for when it will issue a decision.

State of Wisconsin ends fiscal year with $7 billion surplus

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:35:43 GMT

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) announced the state closed the 2023 fiscal year, which ended June 30, with a surplus of slightly more than $7 billion. That is roughly 65% more than last year’s $4.3 billion balance. In addition, the state Budget Stabilization Fund, or “rainy day” fund continues to have a balance of $1.8 billion.

WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert: Urge Your Members of Congress to Save the Medicare Home Health Program

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:34:40 GMT

The home health community is seeking support for legislation to curb dire cuts to Medicare home healthcare services. The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 (S.2137/H.R. 5159), introduced by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Terri Sewell (AL-7) and Adrian Smith (NE-3), would safeguard access to essential home-based, clinically advanced healthcare services for America’s older adults and people living with disabilities by preventing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing devastating cuts. Passage of this legislation is imperative to ensure the continued functioning of the Medicare Home Health Program.

This critical legislation would:

Stop CMS from imposing certain permanent and temporary payment cuts. More specifically, the bill would repeal CMS’s authority to make these permanent and temporary payment cuts based on its misguided budget neutrality methodology.

Instructs MedPAC to analyze the Medicare Home Health Program. Under current law, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is allowed to review the effect of Medicare payment policies on the delivery of healthcare services outside of Medicare. The bill would require MedPAC to report on aggregate trends under Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and other payers, and consider the impact of all payers on access to care for the Medicare population. It also updates the Commission’s Medicare home health cost reports to include data on visit utilization and total payments by program.

Simply CLICK HERE to contact your federal lawmakers on the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023. All you need to do is fill in your name and contact information and hit SEND.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:33:38 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· The Last-Ditch Efforts Home Health Providers, Advocates Are Making To Nix Payment Cuts

Home Health Care News – By Joyce Famakinwa | Oct. 24, 2023

Any day now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will release the 2024 home health final payment rule. In anticipation, home health providers and advocates have been appealing to Congress, educating, calling to action on social media and more. Read more…

· New Legislation Offers Hope For Expanding HCBS Across More States

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin | Oct. 24, 2023

Over the past several years, many states have strengthened their home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs by covering more services and increasing rates. Now, over a dozen members of Congress are trying to give states additional funding to help expand those HCBS programs further.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:35:07 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

WiAHC Requests DHS to Appoint Home Health Provider to Possible Complex Patient Pilot Program Advisory Group

In the FY2023-2025 state budget bill that Governor Evers signed into law, the Legislature appropriated $5 million for a complex patient pilot program focused on successfully transferring patients with complex medical needs from acute care facilities to post-acute care facilities. These are funds that are directed toward the state Department of Health Services (DHS).

Governor Evers’ original FY2023-2025 budget request included a provision giving DHS authority to administer these funds, including the creation of an advisory group that would assist the department with developing and creating a complex patient pilot program. Furthermore, members of such an advisory group would need to have “clinical, financial, or administrative expertise in government programs, acute care, or post-acute care.” However, the final enacted version of the budget did not provide this authority. Despite that, the Evers Administration is working towards obtaining legislation that provides this authority.

With this in mind, WiAHC sent a letter to state Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson in August requesting that DHS consider appointing a home health care provider to a complex patient pilot program advisory group, should separate legislation be enacted that authorizes this program, including the creation of an advisory group.

Governor Evers/DSPS Unveils New Occupational License Processing Dashboard

On August 31, Governor Tony Evers and the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) unveiled a new online dashboard that provides high-level data on occupational license processing. In addition to showing the average number of days to process all new applications, all health applications, and all business applications, users may also look up application review times by profession.

Governor Evers Creates Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence

On August 23, Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order creating the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence. This task force will “produce an advisory action plan to identify the current state of generative artificial intelligence’s impact on Wisconsin’s labor market and develop informed predictions regarding its implication for the near term and future.” In addition, it will “recommend solutions related to workforce development and educational systems.”

This task force will be chaired by the state Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek and will include the Secretary of the state Department of Administration, the head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, representatives from the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Technical College System, as well as other public and private sector representatives.

The Governor’s executive order did not include a timeline for the work of this task force.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos Creates Artificial Intelligence Task Force

On August 31, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced the creation of several speaker’s task forces, including one focused on artificial intelligence. This task force, comprised entirely of Republican and Democratic state representatives, will hold public hearings at various locations across Wisconsin, starting in September. The task force aims to complete its work by the end of 2023 and recommend legislation for introduction during the 2024-2025 legislative session. This task force will be chaired by state Rep. Nate Gustafson (R-Neenah).

State Rep. Deb Andraca Appointed to Legislature's Joint Finance Committee

On August 16, state Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) appointed Rep. Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay) to serve on the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance for the rest of the 2023-2024 legislative session. Rep. Andraca, who represents portions of the north shore Milwaukee suburbs, will replace Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee), who is departing the committee to focus on his campaign for the position of Milwaukee City Attorney.

Legislature Adjourns Gov. Evers Special Session on Workforce Without Acting

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:33:49 GMT

On August 8, Governor Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature, urging lawmakers to consider a $1 billion workforce development package the Governor said was needed to address the state’s workforce shortage crisis.

Republicans, who control both houses of the Legislature, convened the session as required by law, but quickly adjourned without acting. They called the special session a “political stunt” that was fiscally irresponsible and did not provide real solutions to Wisconsin’s workforce challenges.

The Governor’s proposed legislative package included $365 million to support childcare programs; the creation of a paid family and medical leave program that would cost $243 million; $66 million for the UW; $40 million for the state’s technical colleges; and nearly $60 million to help address the shortage of healthcare workers across the state. The funding to address the healthcare worker shortage included:

o $10 million for the state’s nurse educators program, which incentivizes nursing professors to remain in Wisconsin.

o $6 million for the WisCaregiver Careers program, which is intended to increase the number of certified nursing assistants employed at nursing homes.

o $17 million for healthcare opportunity grants, which will go to local workforce development boards to help individuals obtain employment in the healthcare field.

o $936,600 for the state Department of Workforce Development to work on healthcare apprenticeships.

o $22.5 million for healthcare innovation grants, which will help the healthcare industry recruit and retain employees.

o Over $1.2 million for graduate medical training support grants.

Assembly Republicans Pass Redistricting Reform Plan

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:33:09 GMT

The Republican-controlled state Assembly recently passed a redistricting reform plan to completely overhaul how legislative district maps are drawn in Wisconsin. Under the proposal, which is based on the model used in Iowa, a nonpartisan committee would draw the legislative maps. The maps drawn by committee would be subject to approval by the state Legislature.

Gov. Tony Evers roundly criticized the proposal, saying it was essentially election interference by the GOP and strongly inferred he would veto the measure if it made it to his desk. Assembly Republicans praised the legislation as not only the fairest approach to redistricting for citizens, but also a plan that would avoid costly political and legal battles.

Recent polling has shown that a large majority of Wisconsin residents would prefer legislative district maps be drawn by a nonpartisan commission rather than elected officials.

The proposal, which passed the Assembly on a largely partisan vote with one Democrat voting for the measure, is awaiting further action in the Senate.

State Assembly Passes $3 Billion Tax Cut

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:32:18 GMT

Earlier this month, the GOP-controlled state Assembly passed a nearly $3 billion state income tax cut proposal that would drop income tax rates from 5.3% to 4.4% for individual filers with incomes between $27,630 and $304,170 and deliver the same tax relief for married couples with incomes between $18,420 and $405,550. The legislation would also exclude the first $150,000 of a couple’s retirement income from state income taxes. The provision would apply to residents over the age of 67.

Gov. Tony Evers has promised to veto the legislation, saying it would jeopardize priorities such as public schools, child care, and public safety. On the flip side of the debate, Assembly Republicans said the measure, which passed on a partisan vote, will help fight inflation, encourage retires to stay in Wisconsin, and give a large portion of the state’s $4 billion surplus back to taxpayers.

The bill is currently under further consideration in the Senate.

Home Care Executive Appointed to State Board of Nursing

Account Administrator — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:31:23 GMT

Jenny Malak, Vice President of Homecare Operations for Agrace, has been appointed by Governor Tony Evers to serve on the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing, which resides at the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). The Board is comprised of eight members who were appointed to four-year terms.

The State Board of Nursing oversees issues related to the protection of the public from illegal and unauthorized nursing practices. It also enforces standardized training and certifications for all nurse assistants, registered nurses, and advanced medical professionals in Wisconsin.

Malak, a registered nurse who is also certified in hospice and palliative nursing, currently oversees Agrace’s in-home hospice operations, its chronic specialty care program, and the Agrace Grief Support program. She also serves on several other local and national committees, including the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation’s (NPHI) chief clinical officer/chief operations officer forum, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) quality and standards committee, the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Leaders’ new membership committee, and the Wisconsin Nurses Association Workforce Advocacy Council.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:28:29 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

DHS Announces Sept. 7 Electronic Visit Verification Public Hearing for Home Health Care Services

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will hold a public hearing regarding Medical Assistance electronic visit verification (EVV) requirements on Thursday, September 7 at 11:00AM. This hearing will be held virtually (via Zoom). The following is a link to a page with the Zoom meeting link: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/register/2023/812a3/register/rule_notices/cr_23_045_hearing_information/cr_23_045_hearing_information

Please note that this EVV hearing will address an administrative EVV rule for Medical Assistance personal care and home health care services. To view the rule text (it is fairly short), please go to the following page (you will need to scroll to the bottom of the page to review the rule text):

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/register/2023/812a3/register/rule_notices/cr_23_045_hearing_information/cr_23_045_rule_text

Governor Requests Special Legislative Session to Provide Funding for the Healthcare Workforce Shortage

On August 8, Governor Tony Evers announced that he was calling the Legislature into session on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, to provide funding for several of his major budget priorities that were not included in the FY2023-2025 state budget, including over $300 million for childcare programs, the creation of a paid family and medical leave program, and almost $60 million to help address the shortage of healthcare workers. The funding to address the healthcare worker shortage includes:

o $10 million for the nurse educators program, which incentivizes nursing professors to remain in Wisconsin.
o $6 million for the WisCaregiver Careers program, which is intended to increase the number of certified nursing assistants employed at nursing homes.
o $17 million for healthcare opportunity grants, which will go to local workforce development boards to assist individuals obtain employment in the healthcare field.
o $936,600 for the state Department of Workforce Development to work on healthcare apprenticeships.
o $22.5 million for healthcare innovation grants, which will help the healthcare industry recruit and retain employees.
o Over $1.2 million for graduate medical training support grants.

However, very soon after this announcement, Republican legislative leaders stated that they opposed this special session. As such, they will very likely call the Legislature into session on September 20 and then quickly adjourn the session, as they have done in the past when Governor Evers has called for special sessions.

DHS Announces Free Online Program to Train 10,000 Caregivers

On August 8, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced an initiative to train 10,000 Wisconsinites as certified direct care professionals (CDCP). These individuals provide personal/supportive home care to senior citizens and disabled people.

More information may be found on the DHS website.

DHS Creates Webpage Detailing Statewide BadgerCare Plus & Medicaid Enrollment Data

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government put in place a continuous coverage requirement for Medicaid enrollees. Now that the pandemic-related federal public health emergency has ended, those Wisconsinites who benefit from BadgerCare Plus and Medicaid and want to continue to participate in these programs will need to renew their enrollment. DHS has created a webpage that tracks this data, which will be updated on the third Thursday of each month.

DHS Launches "UpliftWI" Peer Support Phone Line

On July 31, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) unveiled “UpliftWI,” which is a new peer support phone line for individuals who are experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. This phone line may be reached at 534-202-5438, seven days a week between the hours of noon and midnight. There is no charge to use this service and those who call for assistance will not be required to disclose their name, address or other identifying information. DHS intends to expand the phone line’s hours of operation to 24 hours a day by the end of 2024. More information may be found at the UpliftWI website.

Bipartisan Sen. Jacque Bill would Help Control Costs of Prescription Medications

Account Administrator — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:27:22 GMT

All Copays Count” applies discounts and other assistance toward patients’ out-of-pocket costs

Guest Column by WI Senator André Jacque

Patients would receive protections from rising health care costs by ensuring that health plans count copay assistance toward a patient’s maximum out-of-pocket cost or annual deductible, under bipartisan “All Copays Count” legislation (Senate Bill 100) I introduced with several of my colleagues earlier this session.

Amid nationwide inflation, health plans have increasingly shifted costs to patients and created barriers between individuals and the medications on which they rely. For advocates of Wisconsin patients and the providers who care for them, this bill is a clear solution to help those individuals afford the critical medications their physicians prescribe to them to manage their health.

Copay assistance programs often act as a lifeline to help patients afford specialty medications they need to treat serious health conditions. Sixteen other states have already enacted such protections.

Just when patients think they’ve reached their out-of-pocket limit, insurers and benefit managers keep moving the goalposts, and folks wind up paying more. For someone suffering from a complex disease, the financial hit is especially hard, leaving them to choose between groceries, utilities and mortgage payments - and the prescription medications that keep their condition under control.

In 2020, the average deductible for single coverage was $1,364, which is a 364% increase from 2006. Over the past five years, the percentage of covered workers with a general annual deductible of $1,000 or more for single coverage has grown from 23% to 57%. Further, in 2020 more than one in four covered workers was enrolled in a plan with a deductible of $2,000 or more.

Many of these patients rely on copay coupons and vouchers to afford their prescribed treatments at the pharmacy counter. Insurers should not have the power to prevent that copay assistance from counting toward their out-of-pocket expense or deductible. If patients can’t afford their medications, they may choose to skip doses or stop treatment altogether, which can lead to increased costs in the overall healthcare system. And worse.

The All Copays Count legislation would ensure that the copay assistance programs patients use to afford their medications count toward their out-of-pocket costs. It would also close the loophole that allows insurers to define prescription drugs as non-essential and therefore not eligible to count toward their deductible. At the same time, under this initiative Wisconsin insurers would retain flexibility with their plans, while making sure patients can continue to afford the medications they need.

If you have cancer, epilepsy or any other serious health condition, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether you’ve met your deductible. “All Copays Count” is about giving patients peace of mind that they can pay for their prescriptions.

Senator André Jacque represents Northeast Wisconsin’s First Senate District, consisting of Door and Kewaunee Counties and portions of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties.

WiAHC Submits Comments to CMS Expressing Concern Over 2024 Home Health Proposed Payment Rule

Account Administrator — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:25:07 GMT

Earlier this summer, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2024 home health proposed payment rule, which proposes to reduce home health payments by 2.2%, or an estimated $375 million less compared to 2023 levels.

While the home health care industry was not surprised by the proposed cuts, it is still discouraging considering the array of challenges home health care is facing – challenges that threaten patient access to care. In short, staffing shortages, inflation, increased operating costs, and reduced reimbursements are negatively impacting our ability to serve home health patients, and it is difficult to see where additional rate cuts can be absorbed without reducing access to care.

To prevent the proposed rate cuts, WiAHC, our national partners (NAHC / NHPCO), and other state chapters across the county have urged CMS to withhold the imposition of any of the proposed rate cuts in 2024, as doing so will further reduce care access in our communities.

CLICK HERE to review WiAHC’s comment letter to CMS on the proposed home health payment rule.

NHPCO/NAHC Boards Agree to Pursue Creation of a New, Combined Organization

Account Administrator — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:24:07 GMT

The Boards of Directors of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) signed a non-binding Letter of Intent earlier this week to jointly explore the formation of a new as-of-yet unnamed organization that combines the strengths of NAHC and NHPCO, creating a better and more powerful advocate for the entire home care, hospice, palliative care, and serious illness community.

The purpose of combining the two leading organizations serving providers of care to America’s elderly, disabled, and dying is simple: to better serve you. Both Boards voted for this course of action following the recommendations of a Steering Committee composed of member and staff leaders from both organizations. The Steering Committee’s recommendations were informed by consultation with members of both organizations. The Committee has been working, with the support of association consulting firm McKinley Advisors, since the March 8, 2023 joint announcement (NAHC website, NHPCO website) that NHPCO and NAHC would explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

“The collaborative process of the NHPCO and NAHC Boards over the last five months has brought the two organizations closer together,” said Kenneth Albert, R.N., Esq., NAHC Board Chair, and President and CEO of Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice. “In addition to the Board-level discussions, our organizations have been collaborating on multiple advocacy efforts, as well as projects such as the Value of Hospice research. Through these efforts, it has become crystal clear that we can do more on behalf of our members by working together. If the current discussions do not lead to a new, combined organization, the outcome will nevertheless be closer working relationships on behalf of community-based and home care providers.”

“The American healthcare system is shifting, and home and community-based care options are increasing in a multitude of forms across the country,” said Melinda Gruber, PhD, MBA, CNA, NHPCO Board Chair, and President of Caring Circle/Vice President, South Region, Medical Group and Continued Care of Corewell Health. “With decades of experience in hospice and home care, NHPCO and NAHC members are the long-standing experts, and they are evolving to meet patient needs in a shifting environment. As we look ahead, we see an opportunity for the organizations representing those providers to evolve. In this time of change, we are acting with intention and care to continue meeting the needs of providers, patients, families, and communities well into the future.”

To facilitate an effective process, both Boards have decided to suspend elections for new Directors this year.

We know our members may have many questions about this process and how a new combined organization will affect them. NAHC and NHPCO will be updating and consulting our members throughout this process to address your questions and concerns as quickly as possible.

Many details are still being determined and in the coming months, the NAHC and NHPCO Boards of Directors will work together, in consultation with member volunteers from both organizations, to determine how a consolidated organization could represent the best interests of the combined memberships. The organizations expect this process to take six to ten months, but getting it done right will be more important than getting it done quickly. McKinley will continue to support the process as an independent, third-party advisor.

In the meantime, you may be assured that staff of both organizations will continue to work as hard as possible to serve your needs, advocate for your interests, and strengthen the entire hospice, home care, and home health community.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:22:32 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· Cigna To Shed Certain Prior Authorization Requirements, May Benefit Home-Based Care Providers

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin |Aug. 24, 2023

In an attempt to lower administrative burden, Cigna Healthcare — the health insurance arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) — announced that it is removing nearly 25% of medical services from its prior authorization requirements. Broadly, prior authorization is the process that occurs when a health care provider requests a patient to receive a specific service, medication or procedure. The health insurance company then has to give the go-ahead. Read more…

· New Home-Based Care Worker Recruitment Program Includes Incentives, Plans For Nationwide Expansion

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin |Aug. 22, 2023

Over the next few years, hundreds of thousands of home care workers will be needed to meet demand. In order to meet that demand in the Badger State, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and state health officials are hoping to certify 10,000 new home care aides through a new online certification program. The program includes a $500 bonus for individuals who become certified and remain employed for six months. Read more…

· Report: HCBS Utilization Remains High, But Varies Drastically By State

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan |Aug. 15, 2023

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation shines further light on how popular home- and community-based services (HCBS) are in the U.S. It also makes clear how much cheaper HCBS delivery is for states in comparison to institutional-based care. Read more…

· Home-Based Care Providers Break Down ‘Unintended Consequences’ Of CMS’ Proposed Medicaid Rule

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin |Aug. 14, 2023

A proposed rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – which would require at least 80% of Medicaid reimbursement for home- and community-based services go toward worker compensation – received over 2,100 submissions during its public comment period. Many of the comments included gratitude and appreciation for CMS regarding its efforts to enhance the HCBS workforce. But concerns persist over how the rule would affect HCBS providers across the country. Read More…

· CMS Allows States To Extend PHE-Era Flexibilities For HCBS

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin |Aug. 3, 2023

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended a COVID-19 pandemic-era waiver that will allow home- and community-based service (HCBS) providers to take advantage of flexibilities in their state programs. The Appendix K waiver allowed HCBS providers more wiggle room during emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. CMS introduced the waiver to support states in responding to the unique challenges brought on by the public health emergency. Read More…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health care industry.

Protasiewicz Sworn in as New Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice; Swings Ideological Majority of the Court

Account Administrator — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:20:29 GMT

Earlier this month, Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in as a new justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Protasiewicz, who has positioned herself as a judicial liberal, defeated former Justice Dan Kelly in the April 4 spring general election, replacing two-term Justice Patience Roggensack, who did not seek reelection.

More notably, Protasiewicz’s addition to the state’s high court shifted it from a majority conservative court to a majority liberal one. With the ideological swing to a 4-3 advantage in favor of liberals for at least the next two years, the court is expected to issue several high-profile judicial decisions that could impact the political landscape in Wisconsin.

Among the hot-button issues that may be determined by the court include voting and election rules, redrawing legislative district maps, the future of abortion and reproductive rights in Wisconsin, and overturning the law that eliminated bargaining rights for most state and local government employees.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:15:42 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Fiscal Year 2023-2025 Finalized State Budget Highlights

The following are highlights of the finalized Fiscal Year 2023-2025 state budget, which was signed into law by Governor Tony Evers on July 5, 2023.

Department of Health Services (DHS) – The approved DHS budget increased spending by $3.1 billion overall over the biennium.

Medicaid/Medical Assistance

Nursing Home Support Services: Provide $73,200,000 in FY2023-24 and $73,200,000 in FY2024-25 to increase the support services portion of Medical Assistance program reimbursement for nursing homes. Require DHS to establish and implement a priced rate for nursing home support services based on median facility costs, plus 25 percent.

Nursing Home Ventilator Dependent Rate: Provide $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 and $5,000,000 in FY2024-25 to increase the all-encompassing ventilator-dependent resident reimbursement rate for nursing home care. Require DHS to increase the reimbursement rate under the Medical Assistance program for an authorized facility treating a resident of the facility who has received prior authorization for ventilator-dependent care reimbursed under the all-encompassing ventilator dependent resident reimbursement rate by $200 per patient day.

Elder and Disability Services

Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs): Provide $2,513,700 in FY2023-24 and $5,027,400 in FY2024-25 in funding increases.

Complex Patient Pilot Program: Provide $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 on a one-time basis to help facilitate the transfer of complex patients from acute care settings, such as hospitals, to post-acute care facilities, such as nursing homes.

Public Health

Allied Health Professional Training: Provide $2,500,000 annually to expand allied health professional education and training grants. Expand eligibility for the program to include registered nurses.

Behavioral Health

Telemedicine Crisis Response Pilot Program: Provide $2,000,000 in FY2023-24 for a telemedicine crisis response pilot program.

Higher Education Aids Board

Nurse Educators: Maintained $5 million in annual funding for this program. However, WiAHC had requested to increase this annual funding total to $10 million.

Department of Safety and Professional Services

Occupational Credentialing

Software: $3.57 million for occupational credentialing software and related maintenance.

License Processing Staffing: 7 license processing contract workers (on a four-year employment contract).

Customer Service Call Center Staffing: 6 license processing-focused customer service call center contract workers (on a two-year employment contract).

Prescription Drug Monitoring

$1.1 million for software improvements, electronic health records integration, and licensing costs for the state’s electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP).

· DHS Launches Independent Living Supports Pilot Program

In late June 2022, DHS announced the launch of their Independent Living Supports Pilot Program. This program will allow eligible senior citizens and individuals with disabilities to access short-term, flexible services and supports to allow them to continue to live independently, instead of entering Medicaid long-term care. This program will make available up to $7,200 in services and support to eligible individuals either on a one-time or continuing basis. Such services and support include supportive home care, specialized medical equipment, home and vehicle modifications, among other items.

For more information, including the list of counties in which the pilot program is taking place, go to the DHS pilot program website.

Improved Finances for State Medicaid Fund

DHS has projected that the state Medicaid fund ended state fiscal year 2023 with a $875.5 million surplus compared to the FY2021-2023 budgeted amount. In addition, the surplus is $79.1 million more than what DHS projected this past spring. This surplus was due to a number of factors, including lower costs for prescription drugs and long-term health care. Once the surplus amount is finalized and confirmed at the end of July 2023, surplus funds will be transferred to the state’s general fund.

DHS Annual Adjustment to Patient Health Care Record Fees

Each year on July 1, DHS is required by state law to adjust the maximum fees (factoring in the change in the consumer price index) that health care providers may charge for patient medical records. The updated fee schedule may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

Republican Melotik Wins Special Election in Wisconsin’s 24th Assembly District

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:14:43 GMT

Republican Paul Melotik (R-Grafton) defeated Democrat Bob Tatterson (D-Mequon) in a special election held on July 18 to fill the vacant 24th Assembly District –which includes portions of Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha Counties.

Melotik won the historically Republican-leaning district with 53.7% of the vote, compared to Tatterson’s 46.3% vote total. The Melotik victory gives the GOP a 64-35 majority in the 99-member Assembly.

Melotik, an accountant, small business owner, and former local official who has served on the Ozaukee County Board and Town of Grafton Board, will replace Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) in the Assembly. Knodl was elected to the state Senate (8th Senate District) in an April 4 special election.

After Governor’s Budget Vetoes, State Sits on $4 Billion Budget Surplus

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:13:49 GMT

Earlier this month, Gov. Tony Evers signed the $99 billion state budget bill sent to him by the GOP-controlled Legislature, but not before using his powerful veto pen to make 51 vetoes to the two-year spending plan for the state.

One of the Governor’s vetoes eliminated $3.3 billion in income tax cuts approved by lawmakers. Primarily because of this veto, the state of Wisconsin is projected to have a balance of more than $4 billion at the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year. Prior to Evers vetoes, the projected balance was $588 million.

Republican lawmakers are expected to send another tax cut to the Governor via a stand-alone bill prior to the end of the 2023-24 legislative session.

What’s Happening Under the Capitol Dome: Tracking WiAHC Legislative of Interest

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:12:47 GMT

With work on the 2023-25 state budget bill – the state’s two-year spending plan – wrapped-up, state lawmakers have turned their attention to hundreds of pending stand-alone bills, some of which could impact WiAHC members and the home health care community in Wisconsin. Fortunately, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team – headed by Tim Hoven and Nathan Butzlaff from Hoven Consulting – closely monitor and lobby on legislative proposals important to WiAHC.

However, you can also track the bills WiAHC is lobbying on during the 2023-24 legislative session. Please CLICK HERE to review WiAHC’s legislative activity on the state of Wisconsin’s Eye on Lobbying website.

In Case You Missed It: Urge Your Member of Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:11:33 GMT

Medicare Home Health has endured a series of massive cuts to the reimbursement structure and providers are expecting additional cuts to be announced in this year’s rulemaking by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These cuts will have devastating, long-term repercussions on access to care for patients, and it is estimated that more than half of Medicare-certified home health agencies will be operating with negative margins as a result of these cuts.

It is crucial for Congress to intervene and tell CMS to stop these additional cuts. The 7.85% permanent cut finalized in 2022 equates to more than $1 billion in cuts annually starting in 2024 and continuing in perpetuity. This will result in devastating, long-term repercussions for home health patients and their providers.

To maintain access to home health care services and prevent harm to the Medicare patients across Wisconsin that depend on essential health care provided in their homes, it’s critical for WiAHC members to urge Congress to fix the potential chaos created by CMS by passing the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 (S. 2137), which is being authored by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 not only seeks to reverse these damaging Medicare home health cuts, but it also instructs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to analyze the Medicare Home Health Program comprehensively. MedPAC's review would encompass aggregate trends under Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and other payers.

We need you to tell your members of Congress to act NOW and require CMS to stop additional cuts to home healthcare in 2024. Remember, these cuts will threaten the ability of 3.2 million Medicare beneficiaries to receive life-saving clinical care in the home each year. It is time to prioritize the health and well-being of our elderly, disabled, and chronically ill patients and ensure that they have access to the care they need and deserve.

Of course, when advocating for home health with your members of Congress, it is important to ensure your message is both compelling and clearly presented. Thankfully, our national partner, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), has made connecting with your elected representatives as easy as a few clicks on your computer or mobile device.

Simply CLICK HEREto contact your federal lawmakers on the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022. All you need to do is fill in your name and contact information and hit SEND.

NAHC and HCAOA Submit Joint Letter on Medicaid Access Rule

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:10:21 GMT

July 18, 2023 – From the Desk of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice

On Monday, July 3, 2023, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) submitted a joint comment letter on the proposed Medicaid Access Rule. In our letter, we express support for many of the provisions in this proposed rulemaking. We specifically support and provide comments that we believe would strengthen and improve the following provisions:

Access Reporting: 42 CFR §441.311(d);
Payment Rate Transparency: 42 CFR §447.203(b)(1);
Interested Parties Advisory Group: 42 CFR §447.203(b)(3)(ii)(6);
State Analysis Required for Payment Restructuring and Access: 42 CFR §447.203(c);
HCBS Quality Measure Set: 42 CFR §441.312;
Strengthening Oversight of Person-Centered Plans: §441.301(c)(3)(ii)(A);
Incident Management System: 42 CFR §441.302;
HCBS Grievance System: 42 CFR §441.301(c)(7); and
Medicaid Advisory Committee and Beneficiary Advisory Group: 42 CFR §431.12.

We also provide recommendations that we believe would make the following provisions more effective and improve the ability to successfully implement:

Definition of DCW: 42 CFR §441.302(k)(1)(ii);
Reporting on Proportion of Payments to DCWs: 42 CFR §441.311(e); and
Payment Rate Disclosure: 42 CFR §447.203(b)(3)(ii).

Unfortunately, the HCBS Payment Adequacy provision at 42 CFR §441.302(k)(3)(i) is the most impactful part of this rule and is untenable for our members. We provide significant analysis and detail to demonstrate why:

The proposal lacks statutory authority;
There is no data to support it;
It contradicts CMS HCBS quality efforts;
Existing policies do not support such a mandate;
State rate models demonstrate inconsistency of the proposal with HCBS practices;
Provider cost data also does not align with the proposal;
Provider surveys indicate significant confusion and negative impacts for patients and caregivers;
The mandate is administratively complex and would be extremely challenging to enforce;
The proposal would create inequities within and across states;
The proposed rule undermines state authority; and
The proposed rule would disproportionately impact small and rural providers.

We believe that there are opportunities to implement regulations that improve the structure and outcomes of state HCBS reimbursements and offer an alternative proposal. We believe that our proposal would enhance HCBS payment methodologies in a way that:

Provides more structure for state rate-setting processes;
Creates a transparent approach that clearly delineates the components of a Medicaid reimbursement methodology;
Supports and increases worker compensation;
Maintains state flexibility and autonomy regarding provider rate setting;
Preserves the ability to perform both required and supplementary administrative activities that are crucial to high-quality HCBS delivery; and
Adheres to the statutory requirements regarding Medicaid payment adequacy found at Section 1902(a)(30)(A) of the Social Security Act.

NAHC and HCAOA look forward to ongoing discussions and collaboration with CMS, states, and other partners to strengthen and improve HCBS, increase wages for workers, and supports ongoing provider viability.

Save the Date: NAHC Fall Advocacy Day!

Account Administrator — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 14:04:01 GMT

Each year, National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) members and industry partners touch down in our nation’s capital to advocate with lawmakers for support of the care-in-the-home community. NAHC tracks critical legislative, regulatory, and policy issues that affect their members to ensure you’re prepared for the day.

Advocacy Day is where NAHC needs your help to advance policy by joining them for a day on Capitol Hill and participating in their grassroots efforts virtually through their online Action Center.

Advocacy Day participants will have the opportunity to meet with Members of Congress or their legislative staff to advance issues facing our growing and evolving industry. This is a chance to share your story with legislators and ask that they back policies to bolster your capacity to continue providing high-quality home-based care to patients and families. FREE REGISTRAION OPEN NOW!

Governor Signs State Budget Bill

Account Administrator — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:29:54 GMT

Governor Tony Evers signed Senate Bill 70 – the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget bill – into law on July 5. It is now 2023 Wisconsin Act 19. This budget will spend nearly $99 billion over the next two fiscal years.

In addition, Governor Evers issued a veto message that specifies 51 separate line-item vetoes he made to this budget bill. The Governor’s budget and veto message may be viewed here: https://doa.wi.gov/budget/SBO/2023-25%20Veto%20Message%20FM.pdf

The following provision that Governor Evers fully vetoed will likely be of interest to WiAHC: DHS and Managed Care Organization Reporting Requirements: Require DHS to include information regarding (a) executive leadership salaries and (b) amounts retrieved by the state under the contractual risk corridors, in the publicly available financial summaries for Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and PACE managed care organization. Require DHS and Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and PACE managed care organization (MCO) to track and annually report to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee total authorized and total provided care plan hours by service category and MCO.

A summary of all the WiAHC budget highlights are included (HERE).

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:12:47 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Fiscal Year 2023-2025 State Budget Update – Department of Health Services

On June 15, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) approved Fiscal Year 2023-2025 funding levels for the Department of Health Services (DHS). The approved DHS budget increased spending by $3.1 billion overall during the biennium. The budget bill will still need to be approved by the JFC and the legislature and signed by the Governor before it becomes law.

In part due to WiAHC’s advocacy, JFC approved a continuation of the 5% Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) rate increase that was initially funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The following are highlights of the approved DHS budget:

Medicaid/Medical Assistance

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Rate Increase Continuation: Provide $43,707,300 in FY2023-24 and $181,951,800 in FY2024-25 to continue the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) HCBS 5% rate increase from April 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Family Care Direct Care Reimbursement: Provide $12,993,800 in FY2023-24 and $25,438,800 in FY2024-25 to increase the direct care and services portion of the capitation rates DHS provides to managed care organizations to fund long-term care services for individuals enrolled in Family Care.
Personal Care Reimbursement: Provide $12,993,800 in FY2023-24 and $25,438,800 in FY2024-25 to increase Medical Assistance personal care reimbursement rates.
Nursing Home Ventilator Dependent Rate: Provide $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 and $5,000,000 in FY2024-25 to increase the all-encompassing ventilator-dependent resident reimbursement rate for nursing home care. Require DHS to increase the reimbursement rate under the Medical Assistance program for an authorized facility treating a resident of the facility who has received prior authorization for ventilator-dependent care reimbursed under the all-encompassing ventilator dependent resident reimbursement rate by $200 per patient day.
DHS and Managed Care Organization Reporting Requirements: Require DHS to include information regarding (a) executive leadership salaries and (b) amounts retrieved by the state under the contractual risk corridors, in the publicly available financial summaries for Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and PACE managed care organization. Require DHS and Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and PACE managed care organization (MCO) to track and annually report to JFC total authorized and total provided care plan hours by service category and MCO.

Elder and Disability Services

Complex Patient Pilot Program: Provide $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 on a one-time basis to help facilitate the transfer of complex patients from acute care settings, such as hospitals, to post-acute care facilities, such as nursing homes. This pilot program appears to be focused on the relationship between hospitals and nursing home facilities.

Public Health

Allied Health Professional Training: Provide $2,500,000 annually to expand allied health professional education and training grants. Expand eligibility for the program to include registered nurses.

The DHS budget was adopted by the committee on a party line vote of 11-4. While these items will be included in the Legislature's budget proposal, they will only be enacted if the budget bill is passed by both the Assembly and Senate and the bill is signed by Governor Evers.

Fiscal Year 2023-2025 State Budget Update – Department of Safety and Professional Services (Occupational Credentialing)

On June 8, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) held a committee meeting and approved the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget for the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). This agency is responsible for occupational credential processing, the state’s electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, as well as other matters. In recent years, DSPS has struggled with processing a backlog of applications for new and renewed occupational credentials.

During this meeting, committee Republicans proposed funding the following:

$3.57 million for occupational credentialing software and related maintenance.
7 license processing contract workers (on a four-year employment contract).
6 license processing-focused customer service call center contract workers (on a two-year employment contract).
$1.1 million for software improvements, electronic health records integration, and licensing costs for the state’s electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP).

The committee approved this funding package and did not approve an alternate funding package advanced by committee Democrats.

During this committee meeting, committee Democrats criticized GOP JFC members for not including funding for more credential processing staff, bearing in mind the ongoing credential processing backlog at DSPS. JFC Republicans responded by noting that the agency will improve its output with fewer employees due to the increased use of technology.

The DSPS budget was also adopted by the committee on a party line vote of 11-4. While these items will be included in the Legislature's budget proposal, they will only be enacted if the budget bill is passed by both the Assembly and Senate and the bill is signed by Governor Evers.

Professional Advisory Bodies Rule Changes - Update

In January 2023, WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill wrote to Deb Standridge, the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) Deputy Secretary, requesting that the DHS eliminate an outdated administrative rule relating to professional advisory bodies for home health care agencies in their biennial rules review. Specifically, this would bring Wisconsin’s regulations in line with federal regulations by eliminating professional advisory bodies but maintaining governing bodies along with regulatory oversight for ensuring the quality of care and patient safety.

WiAHC made this request since federal regulations eliminated professional advisory committees in 2017, as home health agencies are already overseen by a governing body pursuant to federal regulations. They are also overseen by governing bodies in Wisconsin administrative rules. In 2017, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also put in place federal regulations requiring home health agencies to implement ongoing quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) programs. Essentially, CMS replaced professional advisory committees in federal regulations with the creation of the QAPI program.

On May 18, Governor Evers approved a document – a “statement of scope” – for a biennial review of administrative rules intended to repeal obsolete state administrative rules. This document includes a provision that would effectively remove professional advisory bodies from the home health care portion of state administrative rules. The approval of the “statement of scope” is the first step in the regulatory process. WiAHC will provide future updates in this newsletter.

WiAHC Spring Conference

WiAHC held its 2023 Spring Conference at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel and Conference Center in Oshkosh from June 1-2. This event featured a combination of general sessions and breakout sessions of interest to all those who work in Wisconsin’s home health care industry. Leading subject matter experts from Wisconsin and throughout the nation presented at this event. In addition, WiAHC was fortunate enough to host two state legislators at this conference – Representative Lori Palmeri (D-Oshkosh) and Senator Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac). Rep. Palmeri serves on the Assembly Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Sen. Feyen is the Assistant Majority Leader in the state Senate.

Compassus Hosts State Sen. Andre Jacque as Part of WiAHC Legislative Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:11:34 GMT

Ascension at Home Together with Compassus recently opened their doors to State Senator Andre Jacque (R-DePere), hosting the veteran lawmaker at their Sturgeon Bay, WI office.

Compassus is a national leader in providing high-quality, compassionate, person-centered care to individuals wherever they call home. Their continuum of post-acute care services ensures patients and their families have the support they need to address current and future health needs.

Led by WiAHC Board Chair and Compassus Regional Quality Director Jayne Thill, the Compassus team (including Donna Moens, Executive Director; and Marla Wills, Director of Clinical Services) spent over an hour with Sen. Jacque discussing the value of home health care for patients, the mission of WiAHC, and the regulatory and legislative challenges faced by the home health industry. Much of the discussion focused on the growing workforce shortage in the health care sector and how it is impacting home health.

WiAHC thanks Jayne and her dedicated team for hosting Sen. Jacque and participating in WiAHC’s

legislative advocacy outreach program. Our advocacy efforts aim to connect members with their local state lawmakers to advocate for programs and policies that improve the delivery of home health care, support home health professionals, and enhance home health services provided to patients.

For more information on local legislator visits to your agency, please contact wiahc@badgerbay.co.

What’s Happening Under the Capitol Dome: Tracking WiAHC Legislation of Interest

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:08:08 GMT

Although most of the activity the State Capitol is currently focused on the 2023-25 state budget bill – the state’s two-year spending plan – lawmakers are still working on stand-alone legislation, some of which could impact WiAHC members and the home health care community in Wisconsin. Fortunately, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team – headed by Tim Hoven and Nathan Butzlaff from Hoven Consulting – closely monitor and lobby on legislative proposals important to WiAHC.

WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert: Urge Your Member of Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:06:52 GMT

Simply CLICK HEREto contact your federal lawmakers on the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022. All you need to do is fill in your name and contact information and hit SEND.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:05:35 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· Study: Shortages Force 89 Percent of Home Care Agencies to Turn Away Care

McKnights Home Care – By Adam Healy | June 26, 2023

MissionCare Collective, parent organization of myCNAjobs, a job placement, career tools and training site for caregivers, released a study Friday revealing that a vast majority of home care providers have been forced to turn away care because of workforce shortages. Findings from the study indicate that 89% of providers have had to deny care because of the workforce crisis. On average, small- and mid-sized care providers refuse 510 care hours each month, the study said. Also, a majority have seen problems surrounding recruitment and retention worsen in the past six months. Read More…

· Lawmakers Seeking to Block Home Health Medicare Cuts

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | June 22, 2023

The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 was introduced Thursday. Its largest objective is to prevent further cuts to home health payments in 2024 and beyond. The bill, if passed, would also strip the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of some of its payment-rate setting power and force the The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) to consider Medicare Advantage (MA) payment rates in its reports. Read More…

· NAHC: Medicaid Unwinding May have Affected Thousands of Home Care Patients

McKnights Home Care – By C. Max Bachmann | June 14, 2023

Officials with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Tuesday they have urged states to adopt flexibilities to minimize Medicaid coverage loss during the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision. Between 8 million and 24 million people could lose Medicaid coverage during the 12-month unwinding period, according to data from KFF. The concern, CMS and home care providers say, is not that these beneficiaries are no longer eligible, but rather that procedural roadblocks are stopping them from receiving coverage. Read more…

· Home Health Care A ‘Perfect Storm’ Of Complexity For Dealing With ACA Compliance

Home Health Care News – By Patrick Filbin | June 8, 2023

Within all of health care, home health agencies are among the most likely to be audited by the IRS for non-compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That’s true, in part, because of the number of hourly employees and data collection issues in the industry. To avoid scrutiny, agencies need to rigorously check their compliance records and understand what is being asked of them by the federal government, according to compliance experts. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Senator Jacque Meets Home Care Leaders in District

Account Administrator — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 11:33:55 GMT

WiAHC leaders met with State Senator Andre Jacque (R-DePere) in Sturgeon Bay. The meeting was hosted by Jayne Thill and her team at Ascension at Home Together with Compassus. The meeting highlighted the benefits of home health care for patients, as well as the challenges the home health care industry faces.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:35:53 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Update on the FY2023-2025 State Budget

On May 2, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance voted to remove over 500 budget items included in Governor Tony Evers’ Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget request from further consideration by the committee. However, it is important to note that even though certain budget items from the Governor’s budget request remain in the budget bill after this vote, a majority of committee members will still need to vote separately to approve including those budget items in the committee’s version of the budget bill. Those votes will occur at committee meetings on various dates in the future, as the committee considers different state agency budgets. In addition, the Joint Committee on Finance is able to offer their own budget amendments to different state agencies.

However, on May 2, the Joint Committee on Finance did not vote to remove funding for the following budget items likely of interest to WiAHC:

Nurse Educators - An annual increase of $5 million over the existing $5 million in annual funding.
Maintain the 5 percent rate increase for Medicaid home and community-based services through June 30, 2025.

On May 23, the Joint Committee on Finance voted on the budget for the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB), which includes funding for the nurse educators program. While an amendment was offered to increase the nurse educators program by $5 million per year – for a total of $10 million per year –that amendment unfortunately failed. It's important to note that demand for nurse educator program funds has been less than anticipated. That could be the reason why this amendment failed. However, the committee did not modify the existing annual $5 million for this program. In addition, HEAB anticipates that there will be unspent funds – at least $1.5 million – from Fiscal Year 2022-2023 that will be carried over to FY2023-2024. Therefore, if Governor Evers signs the budget bill, the nurse educator program will be funded at least at a $6.5 million level in FY2023-2024.

WiAHC Supports Bills Addressing Occupational Credentialing

WiAHC has decided to support the following bills that attempt to streamline the occupational credentialing process:

Assembly Bill 144/Senate Bill 158: In order to help expedite the occupational credentialing process for new college graduates in the health care field, these bills would require the state Department of Safety and Professional Services to grant preliminary occupational credentials to those who have recently completed the requirements to obtain a health care credential, submitted a license application, and have been engaged by a health care employer.
Assembly Bill 143/Senate Bill 160: These bills would help reduce processing delays for individuals applying for occupational credentials to be occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, advanced practice nurse prescribers, and certain other health care professions by no longer requiring such applicants to take a “statutes and rules” exam. Instead, such applicants may need to affirm that they have read and understood the statutes and rules that apply to the applicants’ practice.
Senate Bill 193/Assembly Bill 204: This bill changes the two-year renewal period for health and business occupational credentials to four-year renewal periods.

· Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends

On May 11, 2023, the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended. With the end of this emergency, there are changes in the response to COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be provided free of charge to individuals until the government supply is depleted. The state-funded Say Yes! COVID Test program will continue to provide free at-home antigen tests through May 2023, as supplies allow. Eventually, however, all tests (antigen or PCR) will no longer be provided free of charge – individuals may have purchases reimbursed by insurance plans or may need to purchase them out-of-pocket. COVID-19 antiviral treatments, such as Paxlovid, will continue to be free to patients until the federal stockpile has been depleted. In addition, DHS will continue to operate its free-of-charge COVID-19 treatment telehealth service through December 31, 2023.

· Governor Calls Special State Assembly Election

On May 5, Governor Tony Evers called a special general election for the 24th Assembly District on July 18, 2023. If a special primary election is needed, it will occur on June 20, 2023. This vacancy was created by the election of then-state Representative Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) to the 8th Senate District, which was previously held by longtime state Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). The 24th Assembly District includes portions of Waukesha and Ozaukee Counties, including the communities of Germantown, Menomonee Falls, and Grafton.

Guest Column: The Workforce Shortage is Compounding Healthcare Issues in Wisconsin

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:30:26 GMT

By WI Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton)

As a healthcare provider myself, I’ve seen firsthand the dramatic changes the industry has gone through in the last two decades. Digitization, growth in specialty care, and diversification of service models have all helped advance how providers deliver care to patients.

Then a pandemic hit. This dramatically increased burnout, wore on the mental health of staff, and others simply left because of overburdensome restrictions. As a result, the entire healthcare system is still reeling from historic drops in staffing levels, with the pipeline of students entering the profession not keeping up with demand.

Hospitals are now relying on traveling nurses, who can come at a cost almost three times as much as nursing staff. Nursing homes, who were struggling to recruit before the pandemic, are now closing entire wings of their facilities. Meanwhile, the shortage of providers in rural areas remains an issue and the pace of attracting professionals to Wisconsin has been slow.

What can be done? As chair of the Senate Committee on Health this session, I’ve made it my mission to address these workforce issues head-on. There is no “silver bullet” solution–both investment and regulatory reform is necessary to improve Wisconsin’s nation-leading healthcare system.

I’m focused on three specific areas to achieve this:

· Boosting the attractiveness of healthcare professions to students. By highlighting healthcare professions and the rewarding nature of care, we can and should do a better job encouraging internships and other work-based learning programs for students to be exposed to healthcare. We also have opportunities to offer some loan forgiveness for our highest-need professions, reducing the financial burden on those who wish to pursue a career in the field.

· Streamlining the school-to-work pipeline. I’ve proposed letting students who have completed their education and training to enter the workforce without waiting on a bureaucratic process that–in some cases–can last months. This would keep students here after college, allow them to enter the workforce immediately, and so long as their employer consents, start treating patients.

· Allowing healthcare professionals to practice at the full extent of their scope. This includes our nurses, who are now operating in an environment that hinders their ability to practice independently. By unleashing this group of healthcare professionals, we can help solve two issues: attract more nurses to Wisconsin (which is desperately needed) and expand the pool of providers able to set up shop in areas that need it most.

Though we can and should do more than this, we need to start somewhere. This is our opportunity to break down barriers, build a robust patient-focused system, and deliver more accessible care to Wisconsinites.

Let’s keep moving forward!

Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) served one term in the state assembly and currently represents the 19^th Senate District in the Wisconsin State Senate. She serves as chair for the Senate Committee on Health and Vice Chair for the Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children, and Families.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:28:21 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· Home Health Stakeholders Call on CMS To Rectify ‘Significant’ Forecast Errors From 2021, 2022

Home Health Care News – By Joyce Famakinwa | May 17, 2023

Home health stakeholders are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to address an alleged forecast error in the home health market basket for 2021 and 2022. Broadly, CMS calculates the expected impact of cost inflation for home health agencies annually. In order to do this, CMS relies on a forecasting methodology from a private entity that is applied to the most recent cost data available for home health care. Read More…

· ‘Sky is falling’ under weight of home health cuts, NAHC’s Dombi says

McKnights Home Care – By C. Max Bachmann | May 16, 2023

The healthcare industry is nearing a breaking point due to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ 3.925% behavioral rate cut enacted in January, home care leaders said recently. “Hospitals are saying, ‘we can’t find a place to send out patients,’ and patients are saying the same thing,” William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice said during a McKnight’s Home Care Newsmakers podcast. “We’re starting to see home health agencies reject care for Medicare Advantage patients because they are paying less than cost. Those are signs and symptoms that the sky is starting to fall.” Read more…

· The Public Health Emergency’s End Will Mark ‘Significant’ Change for Home Health Providers

Home Health Care News – By Joyce Famakinwa | May 10, 2023

Now that the public health emergency (PHE) is ending, home health stakeholders are taking stock of what ripple effects will impact the industry most. The Trump Administration first declared the PHE in March of 2020, retroactive to Jan. 27, 2020. In January, the Biden administration announced that the PHE would end on May 11. Read More…

· 2024 Hospice Proposed Rule Offers Hints on What’s to Come For Home Health Agencies

Home Health Care News – By Joyce Famakinwa | May 3, 2023

Many home-based care providers tend to offer both home health and hospice services. Thus, home health leaders pay close attention to proposed rules in hospice. Home health providers are still weeks away from getting a glimpse at their proposed rule for 2024. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

National Association for Home Care and Hospice Unveils Legislative and Regulator Priorities

Account Administrator — Thu, 25 May 2023 14:27:00 GMT

Recognizing potential big changes on the legislative and regulatory front this year in Washington, D.C., the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has once again planned ahead with strategies to protect the continued viability of home care and hospice across the country.

In fact, NAHC recently posted its finalized 2023 Regulatory and Legislative Blueprints, which entail a comprehensive review of all NAHC policy positions on matters impacting the home care and hospice community.

In addition, the NAHC Board of Directors has identified a list of specific legislative and regulatory priorities for 2023. These priorities, selected from the larger Blueprints, address issues related to workforce, home health, hospice, home care, and innovation. The priorities highlight the areas needed for Congressional and regulatory action to support and expand care in the home. The proposed priorities aim to improve access to high-quality care, reduce costs, and address workforce shortages to better meet the needs of patients and their families.

The full Legislative and Regulatory Priority Reports are linked below for your review:

· NAHC 2023 Legislative Priorities

· NAHC 2023 Regulatory Priorities

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:10:00 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Will Be Implemented on May 1, 2023

As of May 1, 2023, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) will begin imposing penalties when personal care and home health agencies do not collect the required electronic visit verification for Medicaid-covered personal care and supportive home care services. This is otherwise known as the “EVV hard launch.” The included service codes are: T1019, T1020, S5125 and S5126.

DHS is imposing these penalties to ensure that the state receives its full allocation of federal Medicaid funding.

If you would like additional information, please review the April 2023 ForwardHealth Update. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact DHS EVV Customer Care at 1-833-931-2035 between 7:00AM – 6:00PM (Central Time), Monday through Friday or via email at vdxc.contactevv@wisconsin.gov.

Temporary Health Care “Act 10” Occupational Licenses Will Continue to Be Available

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tony Evers signed into law legislation that became 2021 Wisconsin Act 10. This legislation allowed health care professionals who are licensed in good standing in other states to work in Wisconsin immediately, without obtaining a permanent occupational credential. This was to ensure that Wisconsin had enough health care professionals to treat Wisconsinites during the pandemic. These temporary licenses are known as “Act 10 licenses.”

This state law was tied to the end of the pandemic-related Presidential Emergency Declaration. On April 10, 2023, President Biden signed federal legislation that ended this emergency declaration. According to state law, the “Act 10 licenses” expire 30 days after the Presidential Emergency Declaration ends – which is May 10, 2023 – unless the license holder applies for a permanent license by that date. If a license holder applies for a permanent license by that date, that individual will still be allowed to practice in Wisconsin.

In addition, there is a provision in 2021 Wisconsin Act 10 that could benefit out-of-state health care professionals who seek Wisconsin licensure after May 10, 2023, and wish to practice immediately in the state. If an individual’s out-of-state license is in good standing, that professional could apply simultaneously in Wisconsin for an “Act 10 license” and a permanent license and would be able to practice immediately in Wisconsin.

For more information on “Act 10 licenses,” please go to the state Department of Safety and Professional Services’ FAQ page.

WiAHC Legislative Committee Report

Account Administrator — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:05:47 GMT

The WiAHC Legislative Committee is charged with developing the association’s legislative priorities and providing direction and support on public policy that impacts Wisconsin’s home health care industry. The committee, which meets once a month, also evaluates legislative and regulatory issues of importance as they arise and leads WiAHC’s lobbying and grassroots advocacy efforts. The committee recently acted on the following items:

· State Funding for Nurse Educators

WiAHC’s 2023-24 Legislative Agenda includes a priority to strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce. More specifically, WiAHC is working to secure additional state funding to increase the supply of nurse educators in Wisconsin. As such, the WiAHC Legislative Committee recently approved a member-driven grassroots advocacy campaign to encourage the WI Legislature to provide $10 million in additional funding to boost the state’s Nurse Educators program.

The Nurse Educators program was established two years ago to support nursing education and increase the number of nurses in Wisconsin by providing grants to nurses enrolled full-time in doctor of nursing or mater of nursing programs. Grant recipients must commit to teaching at an approved Wisconsin nursing school for at least three years post-graduation. Providing additional funding for this program is more important than ever, as nursing education programs across the state are struggling to turn out enough graduates to meet the growing demand for nurses in Wisconsin.

Please be on the lookout for a WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert asking you to contact your state lawmakers and urge them to support $10 million in funding for the Wisconsin Nurse Educators program as part of the state budget bill.

Legislation to Expedites Health Care Occupational Licensing in Wisconsin
Speaking of workforce challenges in the home health care industry, many of our members have had trouble and experienced delays securing occupational licenses from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). The licensing backlog at DSPS is exacerbating the state’s health care workforce shortage crisis, and WiAHC has been encouraging policymakers to address the problem. In fact, the WiAHC Legislative Committee recently voted to support Assembly Bill 144, legislation to expedite occupational licensing in Wisconsin.

This bill requires the state to grant preliminary occupational credentials to health care professionals. More specifically, the bill requires DSPS to grant a preliminary credential to an individual who has met all the requirements for a permanent credential, including having completed all education, training, supervised experience requirements. In addition, an applicant for a preliminary license must also: 1.) Attest that they do not have a disqualifying arrest or conviction record; 2.) Verify that the position they have been hired for is within the scope of their practice; and 3.) Confirm that they have applied for a permanent credential. Finally, the health care employer that hired the applicant must verify that the individual has – to the best of the health care employer's knowledge – completed the required education, training, and supervised experience necessary for a permanent credential.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 16:03:48 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· CMS To Publicly Release All Ownership Info of Home Health, Hospice Agencies

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | April 20, 2023

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making ownership data for all Medicare-certified home health and hospice agencies publicly available. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the news early Thursday. Read more…

· Providers On Biden’s Executive Order, Home-Based Care ‘Drumbeat That Won’t Be Ignored’

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | April 19, 2023

The Biden administration has made mention of home-based care regularly and intentionally during its tenure in the White House. It did so again Wednesday, this time through 50-plus directives for government agencies, many of which were home care-related. Though still just directives, the sitting president making this sweeping of an executive order focused on senior care – in part – is worth plenty of weight. Read More…

· As States Negotiate Budgets, Biden’s Executive Order Puts Home-Based Care at The Forefront

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | April 18, 2023

In tandem with an executive order, the White House announced a bevy of directives for government agencies on Tuesday, many of which were centered around bettering home-based care. Perhaps most notable is the timing, however. As states work through their budgets and potential Medicaid spending, the Biden administration has put home care at the forefront of their minds. Read More…

· Nearly 800,000 More Nurses Are Expected to Leave Field Within 5 Years

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Dolan | April 17, 2023

Nearly 100,000 registered nurses left the field during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Worse yet, the analysis suggested that nearly 800,000 more nurses could leave the field by 2027. For home health providers already short on staffing, that could mean significant headwinds over the next five to ten years. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

WiAHC Legislative Outreach: Rep. Paul Tittl Visits Holy Family Memorial Home Health in Manitowoc

Account Administrator — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 14:52:01 GMT

WiAHC’s grassroots advocacy program is critical to the success of the association’s overall government affairs program. It allows our members to have a voice and influence in shaping public policy that impacts home health care in Wisconsin.

With that in mind, we are pleased to report about WiAHC’s latest legislative advocacy outreach effort. WiAHC Board member Nicole Naidl recently hosted state lawmaker Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc) at Holy Family Memorial Home Care (Manitowoc Medical Center) to discuss WiAHC and home health care in the Badger State.

The meeting, which also included WiAHC Advocacy Director Micheal Welsh, provided a tremendous opportunity to have a conversation about the importance of home health care for Wisconsin patients. Nicole did a great job briefing Rep. Tittl on the value of home health care and WiAHC’s legislative priorities, which focused primarily on the industry’s workforce challenges. WiAHC would like to thank Nicole for making time to host the meeting. She did a wonderful job leading the discussion and was a fantastic representative of WiAHC. Her passion for home health care was evident and appeared to have a big impact on Rep. Tittl.

As mentioned above, grassroots advocacy is the most powerful tool WiAHC has at its disposal to shape public policy – and building relationships with lawmakers is the most important aspect of grassroots advocacy. The meeting with Rep. Tittl was just the latest endeavor in WiAHC’s goal to connect members with their local legislators. WiAHC encourages all members to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program. If you or your organization is interested in hosting a state lawmaker, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:38:09 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

WiAHC Advocacy on State Budget Bill

One of WiAHC’s top legislative priorities for the 2023-24 legislative session is to strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce. More specifically, WiAHC will be working to secure additional state funding to support efforts to increase the supply of nurse educators in Wisconsin.

Fortunately, Gov. Tony Evers has included a provision in his state budget bill proposal to allocate an additional $5,000,000 annually for the state’s nurse educators program. The program provides the following to boost the state’s nursing workforce:

Fellowships to students who enroll in programs for degrees in doctor of nursing practice, doctor of philosophy in nursing, or master of science in nursing in a Wisconsin institution of higher education.

Educational loan repayment assistance to recruit and retain faculty for nursing programs in an institution of higher education.

Postdoctoral fellowships to recruit faculty for nursing programs in an institution of higher education.

While WiAHC will be implementing numerous advocacy tactics to support the proposal and win legislative approval – including direct lobbying and member grassroots advocacy engagement – one of the first steps we can take is to “enlist” members to testify on the initiative before the Joint Finance Committee’s public hearings on the budget bill.

In fact, the Co-Chairs of the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee – the Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee – recently announced they will hold the following four public hearings across the state to give Wisconsin residents the opportunity to testify on issues related to the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 State Budget bill, which lays out the state’s spending plan for the next two years:

If you are interested in attending one of the public hearings and testifying in favor of the nurse educators funding proposal on behalf of WiAHC, please contact WiAHC Advocacy Director Michael Welsh for coordination purposes. You may reach Mike at mwelsh@weda.org.

Please keep in mind the public hearings on the budget bill are very well attended and generally take all day. Individuals who testify typically have two minutes to speak and could wait several hours for their brief appearance before the committee. With that said, there is still significant value in testifying before the committee and signaling to lawmakers that the nurse educators funding proposal is important to home health care and the overall health care workforce in Wisconsin.

State Legislative Committee Suspends Certain DHS Immunization Requirements for Children

Earlier this year, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) announced updates to the required immunizations for children attending school, as well as those placed in child-care facilities. The changes to chapter DHS 144 of state administrative rules include requiring: (1) children to receive the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) vaccine at the start of the seventh grade (instead of the sixth grade), (2) students starting seventh grade to receive a meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY-containing vaccine), (3) high school seniors to also receive a booster of the meningococcal vaccine, (4), parents/guardians to obtain proof from a medical clinician that their child in child care or school has had chickenpox if they want their child to be exempted from the chickenpox vaccine, and (5) updating the definitions of “substantial outbreak” for both child care centers and schools so that they are aligned with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions and to add chickenpox and meningococcal disease to the definitions.

As originally released, these requirements took effect at child-care centers on February 1, 2023, and were to take effect for school-age children at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.

On Tuesday, March 7, the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) held a public hearing in Madison to consider suspending these updated state administrative rules. Two days later, JCRAR voted 6-4 to suspend portions of chapter DHS 144 of state administrative rules addressing student immunizations. The following items were suspended:

Removes the meningitis vaccine (first and second doses) from the table of required immunizations. Removes other references in the rule related to requiring the meningitis vaccine.

Removes Varicella (Chicken Pox) and Meningococcal disease from the list of diseases for which DHS can exercise their “substantial outbreak” powers.

Removes the new requirement that a physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice nurse prescriber must confirm a child’s history of chicken pox in order for the student to be exempt from having to receive the vaccine.

As a result of this March 9 vote in JCRAR, this will likely suspend implementation/enforcement of the three portions of chapter DHS 144 referenced immediately above until at least spring 2024.

WiAHC Supports Occupational Licensing Legislation

At its March meeting, the WiAHC Legislative Committee agreed to support the following legislation:

A bill allowing a third-party contractor to process occupational credentialing applications for occupational therapists and occupational therapist assistants. This will help expedite processing of these applications, as many of them are stuck in a continuing backlog of credential processing at the state Department of Safety and Professional Services.

A bill to establish reciprocal occupational credentialing in Wisconsin, so that people who have occupational licenses in other states are able to more easily practice their profession in Wisconsin and address the shortage of licensed professionals.

Governor Evers Appoints New Secretary of State

Effective on Friday, March 17, longtime Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette resigned his position. He had held that position for more than 40 years and was re-elected to a four-year term in November 2022. Also, on Friday, March 17, Governor Evers appointed former State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski as the new Secretary of State. Godlewski will serve out the remainder of La Follette’s term, which will end in January 2027.

State Capitol Spotlight: Assembly Health Committee Chair Shares his Policy Goals for Legislative Session

Account Administrator — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:33:49 GMT

Earlier this month, the WiAHC had the opportunity to ask State Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie), Chair of the Assembly Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, what his health care-related policy goals are for the 2023-24 legislative session. Here is what he had to say:

“My health priorities this session is to address the healthcare workforce shortage and to help make healthcare more affordable and accessible for Wisconsin citizens. Throughout Wisconsin, the health care workforce shortage has reduced accessibility to quality care. We have seen reduced service options and closures of clinics. In many cases, people are driving over an hour plus for a routine checkup. This creates a challenging situation for patients, especially for our aging population who face increasingly difficult decisions when it comes to their healthcare. I have been spending time learning about regulations surrounding Senior Care, IRIS, Nursing Homes, and Hospitals services across the state. I have also been on numerous tours in health care facilities and have met with many health care providers. I look forward to working with all the stakeholders to make Wisconsin a healthy state for all ages.”

Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) represents the 29^th Assembly District in northwestern Wisconsin, which includes portions of Dunn and St. Croix Counties. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2020 and was reelected in 2022. He currently serves at the Chair of the Assembly Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee. Rep. Moses, who resides in Menomonie with his wife and four daughters, is a chiropractor by trade. He operates Red Cedar Chiropractic with his wife, Dr. Nora Moses, and has been caring for residents of Dunn County for 20 years. He is a member of the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin, Community Foundation of Dunn County, lifetime alumni member of Northwestern Health Sciences University, and has served on the Colfax Health & Rehabilitation Board.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:32:38 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· In Win For Home-Based Care Providers, Health Care Workforce Bill Passes

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | March 22, 2023

A bill that passed Wednesday on the state level is being touted as a potential blueprint to mitigating home-based care workforce shortages nationwide. In Frankfort, Kentucky on Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear passed the Kentucky Healthcare Workforce Development Act, legislation that aims to combat workforce shortages by building a public-private partnership that is designed to increase workforce training and education initiatives. Read More…

· Home-Based Care Stakeholders See Public-Private Partnerships As Way To Address Workforce Shortage

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | March 20, 2023

Following the U.S. Senate’s request for information (RFI) regarding solutions to the national health care workforce crisis, the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH) submitted a comment letter on Saturday. The letter detailed the challenges the home-based care sector has been facing, and also included possible solutions. Among the potential solutions is recent state legislation that PQHH and others believe could work on a national level. Read more…

· Biden Administration Calls For $150 Billion For Home- And Community-Based Services

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | March 9, 2023

The Biden Administration, as part of its 2024 proposed budget, plans to allocate $150 billion for home- and community-based services over the next 10 years. That, and a plan to keep Medicare from becoming insolvent in the near-term future, were the most relevant home-based care takeaways. Read more…

· Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Expand Home-Based Care Coverage Under Medicaid

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | March 9, 2023

A number of lawmakers – including Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) – introduced a bill Thursday that would expand coverage of home- and community-based services under Medicaid. The HCBS Access Act was introduced by Casey, as a companion bill to the Better Care Better Jobs Act, which was originally unveiled in 2021 and reintroduced in January. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Wisconsin Spring Election to Be Held on April 4; Don’t Forget to Cast Your Ballot

Account Administrator — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:31:31 GMT

To ensure the voice of citizens is heard across state government, it is critical for Wisconsin residents to understand our electoral process, and even more important for them to cast their vote on election day. And a big election is right around the corner… Wisconsin’s 2023 Spring Election will take place on Tuesday, April 4, and voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots in the WI Supreme Court Race, which could decide the ideological direction of the court for years to come.

In the Feb. 21 Spring primary, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly captured the most votes in the four-way race and will face-off in the April 4 general election. Protasiewicz took 46% of total votes cast, with Kelly coming in a distant second, capturing 24% of the votes. Again, the winner of the general election will decide the ideological direction of the 7-seat high court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by conservative-leaning justices.

In addition, for those of you who live in the 8th Senate District (in southeastern Wisconsin), there is a special election to replace Sen. Alberta Darling (R) who retired from the Wi Senate late last year. Republican State Representative Dan Knodl is running against Democrat environmental attorney Jodi Habush Sinykin.

For more information about the April 4 Spring Election, including your polling place and which candidates and referendum questions will be on your ballot, simply CLICK HERE.

Be an Effective Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:30:14 GMT

Grassroots advocacy is the most powerful tool WiAHC has at its disposal to shape public policy – and building relationships with lawmakers is the most important aspect of grassroots advocacy. In effort to capitalize on our greatest advocacy resource – our membership – WiAHC has established our Coffee Conversations with Legislators advocacy program.

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility, or a local coffee shop provide a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Again, WiAHC encourages all members to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program. If you’re interested in participating, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:38:52 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Governor Evers Submits FY2023-2025 Budget Request to Legislature

On Wednesday, February 15, Governor Tony Evers unveiled his budget bill proposal for the Fiscal Year 2023-2025 budget biennium. The budget bill outlines how the State of Wisconsin will administer tax dollars, program revenue, and federal aid dollars over the next two years. In total, the budget aims to spend $103.8 billion ($52.1 billion in FY2023-2024 and $51.7 billion in FY2024-2025) on state government programs. For fiscal year 2023-2024, that's a $7.9 billion increase (17.9 percent) over the budget proposed by Evers in 2021.

The most significant increase in state tax dollar spending is in the following state agencies/areas:

LARGEST BIENNIAL GPR (General Purpose Revenue) INCREASES OVER 2021-2023 FUNDING LEVELS

· Department of Public Instruction: $2.809 billion

· Shared Revenue and Tax Relief: $1.099 billion

· Department of Administration: $1.019 billion

· Public Service Commission: $755 million

· Department of Health Services: $716 million

· Department of Children and Families: $512 million

· Department of Workforce Development: $265 million

· All Other Changes: $1.656 billion

· TOTAL: $8.831 billion

The bill has now been sent to the Wisconsin legislature where it will be reviewed by the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC). The committee will review and amend the budget bill after having several public hearings across the state at which citizens may testify. After JFC has passed the bill, it will then be sent to the State Assembly and Senate for passage, likely in June.

It's important to note that Republican legislative leaders have stated publicly that they do not support the Governor's budget proposal. Republicans control both houses of the legislature and major changes to the proposal are expected.

WiAHC Sends Legislative Priorities Letter to All Legislators

On January 27, WiAHC’s lobbyists sent an introductory letter to all Wisconsin state legislators. In the letter, we provided background information on what exactly skilled home health care is and shared WiAHC’s state legislative agenda for the 2023-2024 legislative session. WiAHC provided legislators with a “legislative leave-behind” document that includes this information.

WiAHC Requests DHS to Remove Professional Advisory Bodies from State Regulations

On January 26, WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill sent a letter to DHS Deputy Secretary Deb Standridge – the most senior DHS official on that date – requesting that the department update an outdated administrative rule relating to professional advisory bodies for home health agencies. In particular, WiAHC requested that they bring state regulations in line with federal regulations by eliminating professional advisory bodies but maintaining governing bodies along with regulatory oversight for ensuring the quality of care and patient safety. We requested that they make this change in their biannual comprehensive list of regulatory updates.

DHS Releases State Health Improvement Plan

On February 2, DHS released its 2023-2027 State Health Improvement Plan. Under state law, DHS is required to craft a public health agenda for the state at least once per decade – this plan meets that requirement. Further, this plan helps maintain DHS as an accredited state health department, per the requirements of the Public Health Accreditation Board.

In summary, the report recommends the following three “foundational shifts” in how Wisconsin addresses public health:

· Institutional and systemic fairness

· Representation and access to decision-making

· Community-centered resources and services

Also, it highlights the following priority areas – areas that are critical to ensuring the wellness of Wisconsinites:

· Social and community conditions

· Physical, mental, and systemic safety

· Person and community centered health care

· Social connectedness and belonging

· Mental and emotional health and well-being

The full report may be viewed on the DHS website.

Home Health Care Services Electronic Visit Verification Public Forum on March 2

DHS will hold an online public forum on Thursday, March 2, 2023, from 1:00 – 3:00PM addressing the electronic visit verification (EVV) requirement for home health care services. During this forum, DHS representatives will discuss the federal requirement to implement EVV for Medicaid-covered personal care and applicable home care services and answer any questions that attendees may have. Attendees may submit questions in advance to DHS by emailing: dhsevv@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

For more information on this public forum, including the Zoom meeting link and call-in number, please go to the DHS EVV Forum page.

Evers Budget Proposal Includes Healthcare Workforce Initiatives; Medicaid Expansion

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:38:22 GMT

As mentioned above, Gov. Evers recently introduced his 2023-25 budget proposal – the state’s two-year spending plan – before a Joint Session of the Wisconsin Legislature. Although the Republican-controlled Legislature is expected to scrap most of the Evers budget and craft their own version by working off current spending levels, it is likely the Legislature will adopt some of the governor’s proposals.

According to Evers, his budget includes proposals that would increase access to affordable healthcare coverage, improve the quality of healthcare services in the state, and expand the scope of benefits available through Medicaid. Please find below a brief overview of items included in governor’s budget proposal that may be of interest to WiAHC members:

Expand Medicaid eligibility for parents and adults from 100% of the federal poverty line ($27,750 annually in 2022 for a family of four) to 138% of the federal poverty line ($38,300 annually in 2022 for a family of four). According to the Evers Administration, this expansion would result in 89,700 low-income individuals becoming eligible for Medicaid, of which approximately 30,300 are uninsured. Under this proposal, the state would realize a savings of over $1.6 billion and draw down an additional $2.2 billion in federal funding over the two-year budget cycle. Republicans who control the Legislature are firmly opposed to this proposal.

Provide $200 million in additional funding for Wisconsin Innovation Grants, a current program previously funded with federal dollars to design and implement plans to address workforce challenges. This proposal includes a $100 million allocation to specifically focus on fortifying the state’s healthcare workforce by providing grants to healthcare employers and related organizations.

Provide $22.5 million to establish an ongoing Innovation Grant program for healthcare employers to engage in improved recruitment and retention of long-term care providers.

Provide $10 million to expand the state’s nurse educators program.

Provide $5 million GPR in additional funding for the Worker Advancement Initiative to support efforts by technical colleges and nursing schools to reduce barriers to graduation and assist students in becoming career ready.

Provide $8 million for continuation of the WisCaregiver Careers program, which aims to address the shortage of certified nursing assistants in the state by supporting recruitment, training and retention of individuals to care for nursing home residents across Wisconsin.

Provide over $900,000 to the Department of Workforce Development to support healthcare profession apprenticeship curriculum development and to advance new collaborations related to healthcare workforce.

Provide nearly $4 million and increased staffing to the Department of Safety and Professional Services to streamline the state’s credentialling process for licensed professionals and provide more efficient processing of license applications.

The WiAHC Government Affairs Team will continue to analyze the recently introduced budget bill and keep the membership updated throughout the budget process.

Gov. Evers Appoints New Department of Health Services Secretary

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:35:57 GMT

Earlier this month, Gov. Tony Evers announced his appointment of Kirsten Johnson as the next secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Johnson, who begins her new role on Feb. 27, will replace former Secretary Karen Timberlake’s who left the state agency at the end of 2022.

According to a press release issued by the governor’s office, Johnson has over 20 years of experience as a public health leader in local, state, national, and international organizations. Most recently, she served as the health commissioner for the city of Milwaukee following her appointment in January 2021. Prior to serving the city of Milwaukee, Johnson led the Washington-Ozaukee Public Health Department for more than a decade as the director and health officer. Johnson also served as a health policy fellow and advisor for U.S. Congressman Ron Kind and helped develop policy for the House Committee on Ways and Means.

“Over the past 20 years of my career in public health, I have worked to address the challenges and health disparities facing Wisconsin’s rural, urban, and suburban communities alike—disparities that were laid bare by the pandemic,” said Johnson. “I am excited and honored to join Gov. Evers’ administration to lead DHS, where I look forward to using my expertise and knowledge to continue this important work.”

Johnson has her master’s degree in public health from Tulane University of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and holds certifications as a public health professional and certified education specialist.

Wisconsin Spring Election Update

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:35:26 GMT

In the closely watched Feb. 21 primary for the Wisconsin Supreme Court – which centered on the issue of abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 – liberal-leaning Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz and conservative former Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly captured the most votes in the four-way race and will face-off in the April 4 general election. Protasiewicz took 46% of total votes cast, with Kelly coming in a distant second, capturing 24% of the votes. The winner of the general election will decide the ideological direction of the 7-seat high court, which is currently controlled 4-3 by conservative-leaning justices.

The other high-profile primary race saw Republican state Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) defeat fellow state Rep. Janel Brandtjen in the GOP primary for the 8th WI Senate District. Knodl will face Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin in the April 4 spring election for the chance to replace former Republican Sen. Alberta Darling, who left office in Dec. 2022 after holding the senate seat for three decades. If Knodl ultimately wins the seat, Republicans will hold a veto-proof majority in the senate.

Be an Effective Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:34:51 GMT

Again, WiAHC encourages all members to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program. If you’re interested in participating, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

Wisconsin DHS to Hold EVV Key Conversations Monday, Feb 20th

Account Administrator — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 14:16:29 GMT

Please bring your questions about electronic visit verification (EVV) and the Sandata EVV system to our monthly Q&A session, Key Conversations. There, you will join experts from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Wisconsin EVV Customer Care, and Sandata.

Next session: February 20, 2023, 1-2pm CT
Online Zoom link: https://dhswi.zoomgov.com/j/1601125213
Call in: 1-669-254-5252, Webinar ID* 160 112 5213

Key Conversations are informal, monthly drop-in sessions for anyone who has questions about EVV. No new policy or technical processes will be announced in these sessions.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Wisconsin EVV Customer Care at 833-931-2035 or vdxc.contactevv@wisconsin.gov.

Thank you,
Wisconsin DHS EVV Team

Reminder
Electronic visit verification (EVV) has been required in Wisconsin for Medicaid-covered personal care and supportive home care services since November 2, 2020. In order for Wisconsin Medicaid to continue to receive its full federal funding, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is required to begin imposing consequences for failure to capture required EVV information.

For dates of service on and after May 1, 2023, DHS will begin imposing financial and programmatic consequences when EVV information is not captured for required personal care and supportive home care services (service codes T1019, T1020, S5125, and S5126).

Consequences include claim denial, exclusion from future capitation rate setting development, and possible IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct) participant disenrollment. The beginning of these consequences is known as hard launch. For more information, review ForwardHealth Update No, 2022-48.

Wisconsin EVV Customer Care: 833-931-2035
Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. CT
vdxc.contactevv@wisconsin.gov

DHS Announces American Rescue Plan Act Funding for Home and Community-Based Services

Account Administrator — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:32:57 GMT

Application Period to Open Soon for $15 Million in Grants Supporting Quality and Innovation in Wisconsin Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services

Join informational webinars February 14 and 16

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is launching the second round of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Grants Supporting Quality and Innovation, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These grants offer an exciting opportunity for entities active in the state’s Medicaid HCBS system to apply for $25,000 to $1 million to enact innovative changes that will benefit participants, families, and the long-term care workforce in Wisconsin. The initiative aims to positively impact people receiving HCBS from providers regionally, locally, and in urban and rural communities throughout the state. A total of $15 million is available.

Applications will open on February 21 and close on March 21, 2023. Visit the DHS website for details about the grant opportunity. Refer to the grants webpage for more information as we get closer to the release date.

Upcoming webinar info sessions

DHS is hosting informational webinars to provide detailed information on the grant opportunity and application process. Use the links below to register for an upcoming session.

Round 2 Overview

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
9-10 a.m. Central Time

Improve Your Grant Application

Thursday, February 16, 2023
3-4:30 p.m. Central Time

Accessibility

If you need American Sign Language, live captioning, or other language assistance during the presentation, please email us by February 10, 2023, at DHSDMSWIARPAHCBS@dhs.wisconsin.gov. The presentation will be posted to the DHS website before the webinar, and a recording will also be posted afterward for those who cannot attend.

Support resources

Help desk

If you need assistance with your application, you may contact our help desk Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Central Time at the email and phone number below.

Email GrantsWIARPAHCBS@pcgus.com
Call 833-660-2499

Virtual office hours

From February 22 through March 15, 2023, we will hold virtual office hours on Wednesdays from 2-3 p.m. Central Time to answer questions about the grant process. Join virtual office hours on Microsoft Teams when office hours are open.

For questions, email the DHS ARPA HCBS team. For more information about ARPA funding for HCBS, visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.

DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake Leaves Evers Administration

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:04:14 GMT

On January 2, 2023, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake resigned her position. She was appointed to this position after the 2021 resignation of then-DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm, who resigned her position to join the Biden Administration in Washington, DC. Karen Timberlake also served as the DHS Deputy Secretary and Secretary under former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s (D) administration in the mid-to-late 2000s.

Governor Evers has publicly stated that he will announce a new DHS Secretary-designee in the coming weeks. As such, DHS Deputy Secretary Deb Standridge is the most senior official at this state agency at this time. Once the Governor announces a new DHS Secretary-designee, we will share that in a future newsletter.

DHS Seeks Applicants for Two Long-Term Care Advisory Councils

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:03:29 GMT

On January 17, 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that it is looking for qualified applicants for two advisory councils addressing long-term care matters – the Long-Term Care Advisory Council (LTCAC) and the IRIS Advisory Committee (IAC). This could be a great opportunity to have a WiHPCA member on one or both councils, particularly the LTCAC. Applications are due to DHS by Friday, February 3, 2023.

According to the DHS website, LTCAC “Members give advice and make recommendations to the DHS Secretary about long-term care policy, programs, and services.” For more information about the council or to apply, go to the LTCAC page on the DHS website.

The DHS website states that “The IAC advises DHS about the IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct) program. IRIS is a self-directed program for adults with disabilities and elderly people. IAC members have knowledge, experience, expertise, and community relationships relevant to this area. They give ideas, opinions, or facts to improve the IRIS program.” For more information about the IRIS Advisory Committee, go to the IAC page on the DHS website. If you are interested in applying, go to the DHS website.

2023-2024 Legislative Session Convenes

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 22:01:19 GMT

On January 3, statewide constitutional officers – including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer – and newly-elected state legislators were sworn in. In addition, the 2023-2024 session of the Wisconsin State Legislature began. Republicans will continue to have majorities in both the Assembly and Senate.

In December, Assembly and Senate leadership announced the members of the various legislative committees. The following is a list of the legislators who are now members of the health-focused committees for the 2023-2024 legislative session:

Assembly Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee

Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie), Chair
Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield), Vice-Chair
Rep. Rob Brooks (R-Saukville)
Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc)
Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger)
Rep. Gae Magnafici (R-Dresser)
Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville)
Rep. Angie Sapik (R-Lake Nebagamon)
Rep. Ellen Schutt (R-Clinton)
Rep. Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer)
Rep. Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah)
Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison), Ranking Democratic Member
Rep. Daniel Riemer (D-Milwaukee)
Rep. Jimmy Anderson (D-Fitchburg)
Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa)
Rep. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee)

Senate Committee on Health

Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton), Chair
Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), Vice Chair
Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk)
Sen. André Jacque (R-DePere)
Sen. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), Ranking Democratic Member
Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee)

Political News and Notes

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 21:56:25 GMT

· Legislative Session

Both the State Senate and the State Assembly were on the floor this month, but only dealt with limited calendars. Both houses adopted an amendment to the constitution relating to bail imposed on defendants awaiting trial, as well as a resolution to create an advisory referendum to be held at the April non-partisan election on the issue of whether individuals receiving public assistance should be subject to a work requirement. The proposed constitutional amendment will also go before voters (to approve or deny) in April.

· Protasiewicz with Early Supreme Court Fundraising Lead

The first campaign finance reports for WI Supreme Court candidates were due earlier this month, and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz reported raising $756,000 in the last 6 months of last year, more than doubling her next closest competitors. Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dorow raised $306,000, former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly raised $312,000 and Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell raised $115,000. The four face off in a primary in February, with the top two vote getters moving on to the April General Election. While the Supreme Court is nonpartisan, its members do loosely line up along ideological lines, with Conservatives holding a 4-3 advantage. For Conservatives to maintain their majority, either Dorow or Kelly would need to win the April Election.

· Legislative Republicans circulate Tax Proposals

Legislative Republicans have proposed two bills early this session focusing on tax cuts, fulfilling campaign promises from last fall. Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu circulated a bill that would phase in a flat tax over the next four years. The State currently has four income tax brackets, and if this bill were to pass, everyone in Wisconsin would be paying a rate of 3.25%, down from 7.65%, which is what taxpayers in the upper bracket are currently paying. Governor Evers has said he does not support this proposal, although he is likely to introduce his own income tax relief proposal in his budget bill.

Republicans have also re-introduced legislation to eliminate the personal property tax in Wisconsin. While Evers vetoed a bill to repeal the personal property tax last session, Republicans hope a compromise on the issue can be reached this session.

Be an Effective Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 21:55:57 GMT

WiAHC Legislative Outreach Program

Again, WiAHC encourages all members to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program. If you’re interested in participating, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 21:55:04 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· Home Care Providers Keep Cautious Eye On Medicare Advantage: NAHC President

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | January 19, 2023

Home health providers should keep a close eye on the rise and popularity of managed care plans under Medicare Advantage in 2023. That was one of the many messages from Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), during Wednesday’s webinar with Netsmart. Read more…

· The Potentially Dire Long-Term Impact Of Home Health Agency Closures

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | January 17 2022

Back in October, Hospice and Home Care of Juneau closed after 20 years in business. A month earlier, Trinity Health At Home in Springfield, Illinois, shut its doors and laid off 60 employees. At the start of the new year, Oahu Home Healthcare announced it was shutting down, leaving just eight at-home care agencies on the most populated island in Hawaii. Read more…

· MedPAC Unanimously Recommends Home Health Payment Rate Cuts

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | January 12, 2023

In a unanimous vote Thursday, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended that the Medicare base payment rate for home health care be reduced by 7% for CY 2024.

This recommendation is in line with previous recommendations by the commission over the years. Read More…

· Top Home Health Trends For 2023

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Dolan | January 6, 2023

Home health care’s 2022 was dimmed by the dark cloud of Medicare rate cuts. That cloud still hangs overhead in 2023. To weather the storm, providers are scrambling to find answers to persistent problems, namely staffing shortages. At the same time, they’re renegotiating arrangements with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and pivoting from certain service lines to others. They’re attempting to become more efficient – in any way possible. Read more…

· FTC Proposes Rule that Would Ban Employee Noncompete Clauses

Associated Press – Alexandra Olson and Michelle Chapman| January 6, 2023

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule Thursday that would ban U.S. employers from imposing noncompete clauses on workers, a sweeping measure that could make it easier for people to switch jobs and deepen competition for labor across a wide range of industries. The proposed rule would prevent employers from imposing contract clauses that prohibit their employees from joining a competitor, typically for a period of time, after they leave the company. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Omnibus Budget Legislation

Account Administrator — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 14:34:14 GMT

Several important updates and policy changes are included in the 4,100 page Omnibus bill released at the end of 2022. National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has distilled those provisions that directly or indirectly affect home care and hospice. Those include both policy changes and funding actions through federal appropriations. NAHC will continue to keep the community aware of and understanding the implications of this end-of-the-year legislation. More information available on the NAHC website. Additional links:

· Bill Text

· Explanation of Senate Finance Committee

· Summary of LHHS Bills

· Explanatory Statement of Health-Related Bills

Be an Effective Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program; Legislative Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:13:37 GMT

WiAHC Legislative Outreach Program

On December 6, WiAHC Board Chair Jayne Thill is hosting State Representative Jesse James (R-Altoona) at the Compassus office in Marshfield, WI. Rep. James was elected to the state Senate on Nov. 8 and will be sworn in next year as the new senator from Wisconsin’s 23^rd Senate District, which covers Chippewa County, as well as portions of Eau Claire, Dunn, Clark, Wood, and Marathon Counties. The meeting will provide a great opportunity for Jayne and WiAHC to establish a strong working relationship with a newly elected senator. However, this meeting alone is not going to raise WiAHC’s profile in the State Capitol. We need numerous members from many communities across the state to host a legislative visit. It’s key to our advocacy success…

Again, WiAHC encourages all members to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program. If you’re interested in participating, please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

WiAHC Legislative Key Contact Program

If you were not yet aware, we would like to remined you about WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program, which can be a highly effective grassroots advocacy tool to help build and nurture strong on-going relationships between WiAHC members and lawmakers in Wisconsin. Ultimately, the program can help us help shape new policies important to our members.

The program is now live on the WiAHC website and members can easily and quickly sign-up as a Key Contact. With the campaign season winding down, and the 2023-24 legislative session right around the corner, it’s more important than ever for WiAHC to have a robust Key Contact Program. It is essential to raising our profile in the State Capitol and beyond.

As a Key Contact, you can help influence the legislative process by cultivating relationships with elected officials. By taking advantage of existing relationships and making new contact with members of the Wisconsin Legislature (as well as the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation), you can help us educate lawmakers on industry issues and influence legislation.

But the program will not succeed without strong member participation, so please take a few moments to read more about it – and learn how simple it is to “enlist” and participate as a Key Contact. The time commitment is minimal and your responsibility as a key contact depends on your level of comfort and willingness to engage.

Remember, lawmakers are often eager to hear input from their constituents, and as an expert in the home health care field, you can make a real difference in the policy process as a Key Contact. CLICK HERE to sign-up by filling out and submitting a brief online survey.

WiAHC in the News: Ballweg Receives Award

Account Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:11:58 GMT

WISCNEWS – Oct. 27, 2022

The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care presented Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) with the organization’s 2022 Champion of Home Health Care legislative award for her leadership on policies to advance home health care in Wisconsin and improve the delivery of patient care provided by home health professionals, according to an Oct. 25 press release. Read more…

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:10:19 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· 22 States Petition For CMS To Repeal Vaccine Mandate For Health Care Workers

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | November 18, 2022

A group of 22 states — led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen — have urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to lift the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers in the Medicare and Medicaid space. The 22 states include Montana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Arizona, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. Read More…

· Home Care Provider Leaders Get Candid About Survival Amid Rising Costs

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | November 18, 2022

While the tailwinds in the market remain, personal home care provider leaders have a lot more to consider about their futures than they did just five years ago. Their thought processes are still resetting. And as they do, their organizations’ strategies will reflect that. Read more…

· DOL Recovers $28 Million In Back Wages For Home Health Workers, Others

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | November 16, 2022

The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week that it has recovered more than $28 million in back wages and damages for nearly 25,000 workers in the home health, skilled nursing facility (SNF) and residential care settings. Specifically, the DOL reported that it had recovered $1.2 million in back wages for 600 home health care workers in Texas and Louisiana. Read more…

· Final home health rule gives industry a fright

McKnights Health Care – By Liza Berger | November 4, 2022

Just in time for Halloween, the federal government released a final home health rule. While it may not have risen to the level of horror, it still managed to spook the industry. In its final rule revealed Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services presented an expansion of Medicare payments for calendar year 2023 of 0.7%, or $125 million, compared to 2022. This figure reflects a 4% market-basket update, or $725 million; a behavioral adjustment of -3.925%, a $635 million decrease; and a small uptick of 0.2%, or $35 million increase. Read more…

· In Case You Missed It: CMS Backs Off Severe Cuts, Finalizes 0.7% Increase To 2023 Provider Payments

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Donlan | October 31, 2022

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its FY 2023 home health final payment rule late Monday. It comes with an estimated increase to 2023 home health payments of 0.7%, or $125 million, compared to 2022 aggregate payments. Although it sets up certain financial challenges moving forward, the final rule is better news for providers than what was previously expected. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

In Case You Missed It: WiAHC Finalizes 2023-24 Policy Agenda Outline

Account Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:07:01 GMT

A previous edition of the WiAHC Advocacy Newsletter reported the association’s 2023-24 Policy Agenda was pending final approval. We are now pleased to unveil the final document, which will be used to guide the association’s advocacy efforts over the next two years.

In addition to using member input to develop the association’s advocacy roadmap, the WiAHC Legislative Committee considered the following criteria when developing the Policy Agenda and individual issue priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiAHC members; 3.) The extent to which it will improve home health care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

The WiAHC Policy Agenda provides a broad policy vision for advancing home health care in Wisconsin and identifies the following specific legislative and regulatory goals for 2023-24:

Regulatory reform legislation to modernize DHS 133, including provisions to better align Wisconsin home care regulations with federal home care regulations.

Promote public awareness and increase policy influence of home health care, such as the creation of a Home Health Care Advisory Council at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Grow/strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce: Secure additional state funding to support increasing the supply of nurse educators in Wisconsin.
Expand home health telehealth flexibility to leverage the effective delivery of virtual care, which ultimately benefits patients and helps to alleviate industry-wide workforce challenges.

CLICK HERE to review the full 2023-24 WiAHC Policy Agenda.

WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert: Urge Your Members of Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022

Account Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:05:00 GMT

Although the home health care industry recently received a reprieve from drastic Medicare cuts, the financial threat to the industry is far from over.

In June 2022, CMS issued their proposed 2023 Home Health Payment Rule, which carried with it a proposed cut to Medicare payments of 4.2% , or $810 million. Fortunately, the final rule issued by CMS wasn’t quite as devastating, as it ultimately provided a Medicare payment increase of 0.7%, or $125 million, for 2023.

But as was mentioned above, we are still not out of the woods. The final rule also authorizes CMS to claw back, starting in 2024, $2.1 billion in what they say are overpayments from 2020 and 2021.

To maintain access to home health care services and prevent harm to the Medicare patients across Wisconsin that depend on essential health care provided in their homes, it’s critical to urge Congress to fix the potential chaos created by CMS by passing the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 (H.R. 8581 and S. 4605) before the end of the year.

The bipartisan bill would delay the 2023 payment cut and the $2 billion claw back efforts, allowing time for home health care to negotiate with CMS on a better outcome. With that in mind, WiAHC would urge you to contact your Members of Congress TODAY and ask them to support this highly important legislative proposal.

Simply CLICK HERE to contact your federal lawmakers on the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022. All you need to do is fill in your name and contact information and hit SEND.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 16:01:18 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

· November General Election Results – State Legislature

o State Assembly: In the 2023-2024 legislative session, Republicans will have 64 members and the Democrats will have 35 members. Republicans gained a net of four Assembly seats. One of these Assembly seats is located in the western Milwaukee suburbs, two are located in far northwest Wisconsin, and the other is a district that is between Milwaukee and Madison and also includes the southcentral Wisconsin city of Milton.

o State Senate: During the next legislative session, Republicans will have 22 members and the Democrats will have 11 members. Senate Republicans gained one Senate seat that was held by Democrats. This seat is located in far northwest Wisconsin and includes the community of Superior.

· Assembly and Senate Elect Leadership

On November 10, both the Senate and Assembly Republican caucuses met to elect their respective leadership teams for the 2023-2024 legislative session.

Senate Republicans re-elected their current senior leadership team:

o Senate President – Chris Kapenga (Delafield)

o Senate President Pro-Tempore – Patrick Testin (Stevens Point)

o Majority Leader – Devin LeMahieu (Oostburg)

o Assistant Majority Leader – Dan Feyen (Fond du Lac)

The Assembly Republican caucus elected several members to new senior leadership roles. The new senior leadership members are:

o Assembly Speaker – Robin Vos (Rochester)

o Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore – Kevin Petersen (Waupaca)

o Majority Leader – Tyler August (Lake Geneva)

o Assistant Majority Leader – Jon Plumer (Lodi)

During the week of November 14, both the Assembly and Senate Democratic caucuses elected their respective leadership teams for the 2023-2024 legislative session. Senate Democrats also elected new members to their leadership team. Their new senior leadership team is:

o Minority Leader – Melissa Agard (Madison)

o Assistant Minority Leader – Jeff Smith (Brunswick)

Assembly Democrats re-elected the following members to their current leadership roles:

o Minority Leader – Greta Neubauer (Racine)

o Assistant Minority Leader – Kalan Haywood (Milwaukee)

· Occupational License Study Committee Update

On Tuesday, November 15, the Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licenses held its November public meeting. Included in the agenda for this hearing was testimony from a number of individuals, including representatives from the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) – which processes most occupational credentials in the state – as well as discussion on several draft bills intended to improve the ongoing occupational credential processing backlog. Most of the testimony from the DSPS representatives focused on this backlog.

During the hearing, DSPS representatives repeatedly underscored their need for more staff – particularly call center staff and occupational credential processing staff. They also discussed the need to offer higher salaries in order to attract and retain employees. Committee chair/Senator Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) indicated that he is open to possibly providing more funding in the 2023-2024 state budget to DSPS to hire more staff. However, he underscored the committee’s prior request for more data on the processing backlog, which would help him justify that funding request. DSPS representatives stated a few times during the hearing that they would need to re-task credential processing employees to gather that data, which would likely increase the backlog. Chair Stafsholt stated that he realized that but obtaining that data would be critical to help to possibly secure additional staff funding for the agency. Committee Vice Chair/Representative Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers) also appeared to be open to providing funding for additional agency staff but also agreed that DSPS needed to provide them with more data on the backlog first.

DSPS representatives appeared to be supportive of committee draft legislation increasing credential renewal periods from two years to four years, as well as legislation that removes the requirement for the agency to review certain types of minor criminal offenses. However, they also noted that several of the committee’s other draft bills would require additional staffing to accomplish.

After hearing all of the testimony, the committee was scheduled to have a discussion among themselves regarding their various draft bills addressing this processing backlog. However, as the DSPS testimony and questioning ran much longer than anticipated, the committee agreed to adjourn and postpone discussion on these draft bills to their next public meeting, which is scheduled for December 13.

NOTE: If your hospice/palliative care agency has employees who are experiencing delays in receiving their occupational licenses, please contact WiHPCA’s government affairs professionals – either Nathan Butzlaff at (608) 310-8833 or nathan@hovenconsulting.com or Tim Hoven at (414) 305-2011 or tim@hovenconsulting.com.

· Uniform Death Reporting Standards Study Committee Update

The Legislative Council Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards held a meeting on October 17 in Madison. Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Representative Jesse James (R-Altoona) serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, and heard various presentations, which are summarized below.

Representatives from the state Department of Health Services (DHS) were the first to present at this hearing. They discussed the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS). In response to questions from committee members, DHS representatives noted: (1) DHS requests NVDRS data from all counties, and most participate, though such participation is not required and (2) a significant majority of physicians continue to use a “fax attestation form” when certifying the cause and manner of natural deaths, rather than submitting that information as an electronic user of the State Vital Records Information System (SVRIS).

The second presentation featured representatives from the state Department of Justice. Much of this presentation covered the types of death investigation training offered in Wisconsin. In particular, they discussed: (1) the death investigation training provided at police academies, (2) an annual 80-hour course for death investigators organized by DOJ and (3) an annual four-day death investigation symposium organized by the Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators.

Following the presentations, committee members discussed various issues. Committee members expressed interest/support for the following:

o Expanding the death record to include different data points, including noting whether substance abuse contributed to the death.

o Requiring physicians to receive training on how to properly certify cause and manner of death, including training how to address the types of death that must be reported to coroners or medical examiners.

o Requiring all those who certify deaths (e.g., physicians) to submit the medical certification electronically using the State Vital Records Information System (SVRIS).

o Creating a state statute governing fatality review teams in a manner codifying current practice (allowing counties to decide which types of teams, if any, are created).

· Hard Launch of Electronic Visit Verification for Personal Care Services and Supportive Home Care Services

In November, the DHS announced that as of May 1, 2023, the agency will begin imposing penalties when personal care and home health care agencies do not collect the required electronic visit verification (EVV) for Medicaid-covered personal care and supportive home care services. The included service codes are: T1019, T1020, S5125 and S5126.

For more information, please contact DHS at 1-833-931-2035 or VDXC.ContactEVV@wisconsin.gov.

· DHS Medicaid Home and Community-Based Service Grant Program

On November 3, DHS awarded $12 million to over 40 organizations that provide home and community-based services to senior citizens or disabled individuals. The intent is to support the direct care workforce in this field. These grant funds are sourced from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation of dollars to Wisconsin.

DHS intends to open a second round of grants in February 2023. According to the DHS website, applicants can be:

o A provider whose work supports HCBS participants

o An MCO active with HCBS programs in Wisconsin

o An IRIS consultant agency

o A university whose work supports HCBS providers or participants

o An advocacy agency whose work supports HCBS participants

o An association whose membership comprises HCBS providers

o A local government agency whose work supports HCBS providers or participants

Also, the DHS website states that grant funds must benefit at least one of the following:

o Individuals receiving HCBS

o Families of individuals receiving HCBS

o HCBS providers

o Direct care workers of HCBS providers

For more information, go to the HCBS grants page on the DHS website.

Federal Government Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Account Administrator — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 14:15:06 GMT

Last week, US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the renewal of the public health emergency (PHE) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The PHE was originally declared on January 31, 2020 and has been renewed continuously since then. Renewal of the PHE keeps a number of important waivers and flexibilities active. The current PHE declaration will last 90 days from its effective date of October 13, 2022.

Be an Effective Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program; Legislative Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:24:23 GMT

WiAHC Legislative Key Contact Program

WiAHC Legislative Outreach Program

WiAHC encourages all members to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program. Please click here for more information on the program. If you’re interested in participating in the program, contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:23:16 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· ‘Most Intense Advocacy Effort Of My Lifetime’: Home Health Industry Braces For Rate Cuts

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Donlan | October 24, 2022

Any day now, the home health final payment rule will officially be released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As providers await its arrival, many of them are gathered in St. Louis at the National Association for Home Care and Hospice’s (NAHC) annual conference. If the final rule is as bad – or close to as bad – as the proposed rule, it will be a dark day for the industry. Read more…

· Is CMS’ Proposed Home Health Rate Cut Legal? Other Court Decisions Suggest No

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Donlan | October 16, 2022

The entire home health industry is anxiously awaiting the release of the final payment rule for 2023, which should be released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at some point over the next two weeks. The anxiousness is due to the home health proposed payment rule, which included a 4.2% aggregate decrease in payments – or $810 million – and an avenue for future CMS clawbacks of perceived overpayments to providers. Read more…

· As Labor Competition Heats Up In Health Care, Home Health Sector Left Behind

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | October 21, 2022

Home health providers are dealing with a number of headwinds — inflation-induced financial challenges, labor shortages, pandemic pressures and more — that will only worsen if the proposed payment adjustments for 2023 become finalized. That’s the major takeaway from a recent labor cost study from the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH). The study was conducted by Dobson DaVanzo & Associates and examines the changes in the home health labor costs. The study is based on the survey responses of six PQHH member organizations, and interviews from five industry leaders. Read More…

· ‘Care Delayed Is Care Denied’: What Prior Authorization Changes Mean For Home Health Providers

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | October 10, 2022

Home health providers could potentially see a speedier prior authorization process thanks to legislation moving through Washington, D.C. While the changes in the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act are welcomed, many experts in the space feel like more work needs to be done in order to have a more efficient care delivery process. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Please Act TODAY! – Urge Your Members of Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:22:30 GMT

As WiAHC members know well, grassroots advocacy is critical in our efforts to influence lawmakers and policy decisions that impact home health care in Wisconsin and across the country. And there is no issue more important today than the devastating CMS-proposed home health payment cuts that if implemented would significantly reduce access for vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries and their families.

As you certainly know by now, the CMS’s CY2023 proposed payment rule would cut rates for Medicare home health services in 2023 by an unprecedented, permanent -7.69% ($1.33 billion in 2023 alone). The net result of this cut along with inflation updates is -4.2% in 2023, equaling an $810 million cut starting next year.

In addition, CMS seeks to impose an additional $2 billion in cuts as soon as 2024, which is an unjustified clawback of payments for critical healthcare delivered to seniors and people with disabilities during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. CMS also plans to add an additional $1 billion for alleged “overpayments” for 2022 services.

Fortunately, legislation was recently introduced in Congress – the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 – that would prevent proposed cuts to home health payment rates from taking effect prior to 2026. With that in mind, WiAHC would urge you to contact your Members of Congress TODAY and ask them to support this critical legislative proposal.

Of course, when advocating for home health with your Members of Congress, it is important to ensure your message is both compelling and clearly presented. Thankfully, our national partner, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), has made connecting with your elected representatives as easy as a few clicks on your computer or mobile device. Visit NAHC’s Legislative Action Center or simply CLICK HERE to contact your federal lawmakers on the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022. All you need to do is fill in your name and contact information and hit SEND.

Please act today to prevent CMS’s drastic cuts, which would carve billions of dollars out of the Medicare home health program, even as providers are facing numerous other challenges.

WiAHC Finalizes 2023-24 Policy Agenda Outline

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:21:25 GMT

Last month, the WiAHC Advocacy Newsletter reported the association’s 2023-24 Policy Agenda was pending final WiAHC Legislative Committee approval before being sent to the full board. This month, we are pleased to announce the Legislative Committee has completed its work.

The WiAHC Policy Agenda provides a broad policy vision for advancing home health care in Wisconsin and identifies the following specific legislative and regulatory goals for 2023-24:

· Regulatory reform legislation to modernize DHS 133, including provisions to better align Wisconsin home care regulations with federal home care regulations.

· Promote public awareness and increase policy influence of home health care, such as the creation of a Home Health Care Advisory Council at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

· Grow/strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce: Secure additional state funding to support increasing the supply of nurse educators in Wisconsin.
· Expand home health telehealth flexibility to leverage the effective delivery of virtual care, which ultimately benefits patients and helps to alleviate industry-wide workforce challenges.

CLICK HERE to review the full 2023-24 WiAHC Policy Agenda, which will be used to guide the association’s advocacy efforts over the next two years.

Sens. Mary Felzkowski and Joan Ballweg Presented with WiAHC’s Legislative Award

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:19:41 GMT

The WiAHC Government Affairs Team recently presented Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) and Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) with the organization’s 2022 Champion of Home Health Care legislative award for their leadership on policies to advance home health care in Wisconsin and improve the delivery of patient care provided by home health professionals.

“Both Sen. Felzkowski and Sen. Ballweg were fierce advocates for home health care during the 2021-22 legislative session, and their work was critical in efforts to strengthen the home health care workforce and increase patient access to skilled nursing provided in the comfort of their own homes,” said Jayne Thill, Chair of the WiAHC Board of Directors. “They both clearly understand the value of home health care for Wisconsin patients, and we are excited to thank them for their work on behalf of our members and the patients we serve every day.”

The Champion of Home Health Care award is presented at the end of each two-year legislative session to state lawmakers who exemplify WiAHC’s mission of promoting, protecting, and advancing the highest quality health care at home for Wisconsin patients. In 2022, WiAHC is presenting the award to only four legislators, including Felzkowski and Ballweg. These lawmakers exhibited an exceptional commitment to supporting home health care based on several factors, including voting record, sponsorship of legislation and responsiveness to critical home health issues during the 2021-22 session.

Ballweg and Felzkowsi earned the Champion of Home Health Care designation for their leadership on a successful legislative effort to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for skilled nursing provided in a home health setting, as well as their work on a bill to improve regulation of the home health care industry.

Ballweg, who was first elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 2020 after serving eight terms in the Assembly, represents the 14th Senate District, which includes numerous counties in central Wisconsin, stretching from Columbia County up to Waupaca County in the northern most part of the district. She is a member of the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee.

Felzkowski was first elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 2019, after serving four terms in the Assembly, and represents the 12th Senate District, which covers the northeast portion of the state. She also serves on the Joint Finance Committee.

Under WiAHC’s legislative awards program, state and/or federal legislators who demonstrate support for policies that advance home health care in Wisconsin and are aligned with WiAHC’s mission are eligible to receive one of WiAHC’s legislative awards: 1) Champion of Home Health Care or 2)Friend of Home Health Care. These awards are given out every two years, following the end of each legislative session.

Lawmakers who display exceptional support of WiAHC and home health care in Wisconsin are eligible for recognition as a Champion of Home Health Care. Lawmakers who display general support of WiAHC and home health care in Wisconsin are eligible for recognition as a Friend of Home Health Care.

The following state legislators were recognized as Champions of Home Health Care:

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (Clinton)
Rep. Donna Rozar (Marshfield)
Sen. Mary Felzkowski (Irma)
Sen. Joan Ballweg (Markesan)

WiAHC has recognized the following state lawmakers as Friends of Home Health Care:

Rep. Robin Vos (Rochester)
Rep. Mark Born (Beaver Dam)
Rep. Rick Gundrum (Slinger)
Sen. Devin LeMahieu (Oostburg)
Senator Howard Marklein (Spring Green)

WiAHC - WiHPCA Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:15:34 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiHPCA’s lobbying firm

· New Marquette Law School Poll Released on October 12

On October 12, Marquette Law School released a new statewide election poll, which was conducted between October 3-9. The following poll findings may be of interest:

Gubernatorial Race

This poll asked likely Wisconsin voters about their preferred candidate for this year’s governor’s race. The poll found the following:

· Governor Tony Evers (Democrat): 47%

· Tim Michels (Republicans): 46%

· Joan Beglinger (Independent): 4%

o NOTE: Joan Beglinger ended her gubernatorial campaign in early September and endorsed Republican candidate Tim Michels. However, her name will remain on the November general election ballot.

The October poll also asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of how Governor Evers is handling his job. The poll found the following:

Governor Tony Evers

· Job Approval: 46%

· Job Disapproval: 48%

· No Opinion: 5%

U.S. Senate Race

This poll asked likely Wisconsin voters about their preferred candidate for this year’s U.S. Senate race. The poll found the following:

· Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat): 46%

· U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Republican): 52%

The poll also asked respondents if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. The poll found the following:

Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat)

· Favorable: 39%

· Unfavorable: 40%

· Haven’t heard enough: 15%

· Don’t know: 6%

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Republican)

· Favorable: 41%

· Unfavorable: 45%

· Haven’t heard enough: 9%

· Don’t know: 4%

· Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licenses - Update

This study committee’s most recent meeting occurred on Wednesday, October 12. During the meeting, committee members expressed frustration with the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) for their ongoing occupational license processing delays, as well as the limited amount of information the agency has provided to the study committee. As such, there was discussion of potentially moving the responsibility of processing certain licenses to other state agencies (e.g., moving health care-related licenses to the state Department of Health Services).

Other committee members stated their support to provide authority to DSPS to use more of their fee revenue to hire additional employees to assist with processing delays. Interestingly, Committee Chair/Senator Rob Stafsholt noted that he does not oppose providing DSPS with the authority to hire more staff. However, he would like the agency to provide the legislature with data to justify that. Also, Chair Stafsholt and Vice Chair/Rep. Shae Sortwell noted their support for universal licensure recognition.

A list of committee members, the full meeting agenda, as well as written presentations may be viewed on the legislature’s website. This committee’s next public meeting will occur on Tuesday, November 15 in Madison.

Be an Effective Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program; Legislative Outreach Program

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:28:23 GMT

WiAHC Legislative Key Contact Program

WiAHC Legislative Outreach Program

Home Health Care News: Home Health Stakeholders Voice Their Concerns to CMS Over Medicare Advantage Program

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:27:54 GMT

By Joyce Famakinwa | September 2022

Home health stakeholders – and many others – recently had the opportunity to weigh in on the way Medicare Advantage (MA) is currently administered by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and Moving Health Home are among the two groups that answered CMS’ request for information.

In July, CMS released that request for information seeking public comment on the MA program. Comments were to be submitted by Aug. 31, 2022.

“The significance is that CMS is beginning to evaluate the plans more closely in terms of provider relations and approaches to health care delivery for enrollees and how the plans can improve health care services for these beneficiaries,” Mary Carr, vice president of regulatory affairs at NAHC, told Home Health Care News in an email.

Broadly, the comment period gave home health stakeholders the opportunity to affect potential future rulemaking on various aspects of the MA program. This is notable because Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to grow — having more than doubled over the last decade.

In fact, Medicare Advantage has 28.4 million beneficiaries, or 45% of the Medicare population. By 2030, Medicare Advantage is expected to have over 52% of total Medicare enrollment, according to data from the research and advocacy organization Better Medicare Alliance.

With enrollment on the rise, it’s likely that providers will become even more entangled with health plans offering Medicare Advantage. And as this happens, it’s the responsibility of providers and plans to work together, NAHC President William A. Dombi wrote in the organization’s comments to CMS.

“It is imperative that the [MA] plans and the provider community work together to ensure patient-centered, high quality health care is provided to all beneficiaries,” he said.

This comment period is also significant because it gives home health stakeholders the floor to share their point of view. In the past, providers have been vocal about the challenges surrounding MA.

Specifically, providers have struggled with receiving fair rates for the services they deliver. NAHC took the time to directly address this in their comments.

“[Providers] continue to struggle with the payment structures and payment rates for care

by the MA plan,” NAHC wrote. “MA plan reimbursement for home health services is below the cost of care in many plans. With the growing proportion of home health patients enrolled in MA, that level of reimbursement jeopardizes the ability of the HHA to continue to operate.”

Overall, NAHC addresses the questions that CMS lays out while offering recommendations. In order to make sure that all enrollees receive the care they need, NAHC suggests that CMS focus on language.

“All communications with enrollees, including service/claims determinations, should be in plain language using the medium of language best understood by the specific enrollee,” NAHC wrote.

In its comments, NAHC also criticized the misinformation surrounding MA.

“Much of the information provided to the public regarding MA plans is misleading in terms of the limitations of MA plans and benefits of choosing traditional Medicare,” the organization wrote. “Plans should be required to use uniform content and display format in describing benefits and cost within each plan. For example, CMS should require the plans to use side-by-side comparisons for cost sharing, utilization data and how provider networks differ from traditional Medicare.”

NAHC also noted that there is confusion among beneficiaries when it comes to what the individual MA plans offer.

“Enrollees may believe they are required to choose an MA plan for their Medicare benefits,” NAHC wrote. “All MA plan marketing should be subject to CMS approval for accuracy and comprehensiveness and celebrity endorsement or promotions should be prohibited. All MA plan marketing should include a reference regarding an option to enroll in traditional Medicare and include information as stated in the previous response.”

On its end, the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy coalition Moving Health Home believes that CMS should urge MA plans to provide access to in-home care through the network adequacy standards.

“The scope could focus on certain specialties where in-home care is appropriate or on specific patient populations who may benefit the most from in-home care such as high-cost, high-need patients,” the organization wrote. “The existing process for requesting an exception to network adequacy requirements should remain for those plans who are unable to offer in-home care, or who believe it is inappropriate for their patient populations.”

Moving Health Home also suggests that CMS replicate the MA telehealth bonus.

“CMS now provides a 10-percentage point credit towards meeting time and distance standards for affected providers in states that have certificate of need laws,” Moving Health Home wrote. “The telehealth and the CON credits can be combined together to reduce the percentage of beneficiaries that are within the maximum time and distance requirements. Under this option, CMS could replicate one or a combination of these policies to encourage MA plans to cover in-home services.”

In addition to this, NAHC pointed out the important role telehealth played in home health care during the public health emergency.

“The value of telehealth will continue even after the PHE ends and will likely remain an essential tool for HHAs that provide care in the home to vulnerable populations,” the organization wrote. “Telehealth should be equally available as a benefit under MA Plans and traditional Medicare as it brings value to enrollees and improves access, especially for the homebound.”

Ultimately, NAHC hopes that CMS will ensure there is uniformity of coverage for home health services among Medicare Advantage plans and traditional Medicare.

“We also hope that beneficiaries are fully informed of the differences in the offerings between the plans and traditional Medicare,” Carr said. “Further, we hope that the plans recognize home health care as an important, if not necessary, step along the care continuum in ensuring that beneficiaries obtain their maximum level of health and avoid unnecessary health care costs.”

Be An Advocate for Home Health Care in Congress – Without even Leaving Your Couch

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:26:30 GMT

As WiAHC members know well, grassroots advocacy is critical in our efforts to influence Congress and its actions that impact home health care in Wisconsin and across the country. Being a strong advocate can have far-reaching positive impacts on the home health care profession and the patients you serve. And with Congress currently considering several proposals to strengthen home health care, it is a great time to engage your Members of Congress and urge their support for these important initiatives.

Of course, when advocating for home health with your Members of Congress, it is important to ensure your message is both compelling and clearly presented. Thankfully, our national partner, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), has made connecting with your elected representatives as easy as a few clicks on your computer or mobile device. Simply CLICK HERE to visit NAHC’s Legislative Action Center, choose the issue or issues that matter most to you, fill in your name and contact information, and hit SEND.

Please find below just a few of the legislative proposals you can advocate for through the NAHC Legislative Action Center:

· The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 – Tell Congress to pass critical legislation pausing devastating home health payment cuts that will impact access for vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries and their families.

· The Choose Home Care Act of 2021 – The Choose Home Act would create an enhanced home health benefit providing additional services and supports, including personal care services, non-emergent transportation, meal delivery, and respite care among others that serve to support a patient in their home as they recover post hospital discharge. It is a step towards providing individual choice in where a patient decides to receive care and an important modernization in the Medicare program.

WiAHC Unveils 2023-24 Policy Agenda Outline

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:26:02 GMT

Earlier this year, you had an opportunity to respond to WiAHC’s Legislative and Regulatory Priorities survey, allowing you to provide your input on what policy issues are most important to you, your organization, and the Wisconsin home health care industry. The purpose of surveying the membership was to collect valuable data to help association leadership develop the WiAHC Policy Agenda and determine what legislative and regulatory issues the organization should make a priority in 2023-2024.

As such, the WiAHC Legislative Committee is pleased to present an outline of the association’s 2023-24 Policy Agenda. The Agenda, which will be used to guide the association’s advocacy efforts over the next two years, is pending final WiAHC Legislative Committee approval before it is sent to the full board for review

In addition to using your feedback to develop the association’s advocacy roadmap, the WiAHC Legislative Committee considered the following criteria when developing the Policy Agenda and issue priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiAHC members; 3.) The extent to which it will improve home health care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

The WiAHC Policy Agenda provides a broad policy vision for advancing home health care in Wisconsin and identifies the following specific legislative and regulatory goals for 2023-24:

· Regulatory reform legislation to modernize DHS 133, including provisions to better align Wisconsin home care regulations with federal home care regulations.

· Promote public awareness and increase policy influence of home health care, such as the creation of a Home Health Care Advisory Council at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

· Grow/strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce: Secure additional state funding to support increasing the supply of nurse educators in Wisconsin.

Thank you to all WiAHC members who responded to the Legislative and Regulatory Priorities survey. Your feedback is invaluable to the policy agenda development process.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:25:27 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

New Marquette Law School Poll Released on September 14

On September 14, Marquette Law School released a new statewide political poll. Please fond below an overview of the poll’s key findings:

Gubernatorial Race – The poll, which was conducted from September 6-11 asked Wisconsin voters their preference for governor:

Governor Tony Evers (Democrat): 47%
Tim Michels (Republicans): 44%
Joan Beglinger (Independent): 5%

NOTE: Joan Beglinger ended her gubernatorial campaign on September 6, 2022 and endorsed Republican candidate Tim Michels. However, her name will remain on the November general election ballot.

The September poll also asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of how Governor Evers is handling his job. The poll found the following:

Approval: 44%
Disapproval: 47%
No opinion: 8%

U.S. Senate Race – The poll asked Wisconsin voters about their preferred candidate for this year’s U.S. Senate race. The poll found the following:
- Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat): 48%
- U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Republican): 49%

The poll also asked respondents if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. The poll found the following:

Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat):
- Favorable: 33%
- Unfavorable: 32%
- Haven’t heard enough: 25%
- Don’t know: 9%

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Republican):
- Favorable: 39%
- Unfavorable: 47%
- Haven’t heard enough: 11%
- Don’t know: 3%

Legislative Council Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards - Update

The Legislative Council Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards held its second meeting on Wednesday, August 17 at the Capitol building in Madison. Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Representative Jesse James (R-Altoona) serve as Senate and Assembly co-chairs, respectively, and heard from various presenters, which are summarized below.

The committee heard from the Dane County chief medical examiner, who discussed staffing concerns, particularly the shortage of coroners and medical examiners in Wisconsin. She also mentioned the challenge of having high caseloads.

Then, representatives from the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association and the Funeral Service & Cremation Alliance of Wisconsin made a joint presentation to the committee. Both presenters discussed their involvement in completing death records. In particular, they described that they receive information about the cause of death from physicians or – in certain cases – medical examiners or coroners. They noted several problems: (1) experiencing delays in receiving cause of death information from physicians, even though they are required to provide this information within five days and (2) difficulty in reading the information provided by physicians, as this is often sent via fax.

Representatives from the National Center for Fatality Review & Prevention showed committee members their case reporting system, a web-based standardized case report tool that is available to all states. It allows local and state government users to enter data and create standardized reports with respect to fetal, infant and child death data. Some committee members expressed concern that people outside of local and state government who are working on these issues are not able to access this website (or “dashboard”). National Center staff responded that this dashboard is new, as it was rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-Chair Ballweg asked if they could provide dashboard access to local/non-profit partners who work on these issues.

The presenter from the Colorado Department of Public Health discussed her agency’s work on developing a child suicide death reporting form. In particular, she discussed how they offered “mini-grants” to coroner/medical examiner offices in the state to assist them with the processing of these forms.

Michael Staley, of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, discussed how collecting suicide data is easier in Utah since they have a very centralized system. Specifically, any death in Utah under the purview of a medical examiner gets reported to a central office in Salt Lake City. In Utah, his agency also has the authority to request nearly any kind of state and local record related to death. In addition, he discussed the interview his agency performs with the next of kin in the case of suicide deaths – he referred to such an interview as a “psychological autopsy.” Generally, they try to perform such interviews about two weeks after a death but definitely no longer than 12 months after a death.

After the presenters were finished, committee members discussed several issues. The discussion focused on fatality-related data – standardization of data, the confidentiality of data and format of data submitted to government agencies. In particular, it was mentioned that in the case of other states, counties share fatality data when states have laws in place that explicitly allow for that. There have been unsuccessful attempts to move such legislation in Wisconsin in previous years. The data format discussion focused on how smaller entities – including hospices, funeral homes, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies – still fill out forms by hand and fax forms, instead of sending such data to county public health departments in an electronic format. It was noted that this is a big problem.

A list of committee members, the full meeting agenda, as well as written presentations may be viewed on the legislature’s website.

This study committee’s next meeting was initially scheduled to occur on October 4. However, Co-Chair Ballweg mentioned during the meeting that she is going to try to reschedule that meeting date. Once it is scheduled, the next meeting date will be posted on the committee’s page on the legislature’s website. Once again, the full meeting will likely be streamed live on www.wiseye.org.

Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee Approves Modified Spending Plan for Opioid Settlement Funds

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) on Thursday voted 16-0 to modify a plan to spend $31 million in funds from an opioid lawsuit settlement. DHS initially submitted a spending proposal to JFC in July 2022, but an anonymous JFC member objected, resulting in the September 8 committee meeting and vote.

The committee’s changes to the DHS plan include:

Providing $3 million for law enforcement agencies, with $1 million reserved for those in counties or municipalities with 70,000 or fewer people.
Adding $1 million more to the plan for medication-assisted treatment, bring the total to $2 million.
Providing $1 million to expand the state's “hub and spoke” pilot model for Medicaid recipients with substance use disorders and other medical conditions that pose barriers to their recovery.
Providing $750,000 for prevention efforts by the Boys & Girls Club of Wisconsin.
Reducing the plan’s $11 million for capital projects to $10 million, requiring DHS to support a capital project expanding beds for inpatient treatment of pregnant and postpartum women like the expansion of Meta House in Milwaukee, and mandating the state agency to distribute at least 30 percent of the remaining funds for projects in counties with fewer than 500,000 residents.
Cutting $2 million from the plan to pilot family support centers that would have helped family members and friends of people who are actively using drugs, have experienced an overdose or died from an overdose.
Reducing the plan’s amount for school-based substance use prevention curriculums and programs from $2 million to $250,000.
Cutting $1 million from the plan for local public health departments and community organizations to address the root causes behind substance use.
Requiring DHS to report to the committee by the end of the year and on a quarterly basis on their progress in awarding funds and how much recipients have spent.

Understanding Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Webinars

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:17:02 GMT

Understanding Home and Community Based Services (HCBS)

VA CCN HCBS Overview
Network Requirements
Provider Portal
Standardized Episode of Care (SEOC) and Referrals
Claims and Billing Guidelines
Demographic Updates
Online Resources.

Webinars are offered by vacommunitycare.com

Be a Strong Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:41:49 GMT

Home Health Care News Reel

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:40:14 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· Home Health Job Growth Improving, But Outpaced By Other Health Care Settings

Home Health Care News - By Robert Holly | August 19, 2022

Workers are steadily rejoining the home health care field, new data confirms. Their return comes after many retired or switched to other jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the latest labor brief from health care research and consulting firm Altarum, upwards of 1.57 million workers were employed in home health care in July 2022. Altarum’s analysis is based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Read more…

· Medicare Beneficiaries Overwhelmingly Against Proposed Home Health Payment Cuts

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Donlan | August 18, 2022

It has been well documented how home health providers and advocacy organizations feel about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) home health proposed payment rule for CY 2023. What has not been, up to this point, is how Medicare beneficiaries feel about it. That changed Wednesday, as a poll conducted by Morning Consult – on behalf of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH) – was released. Read more…

· Congress Isn’t Done with Messy Health Care Fights

Axios – By Victoria Knight | August 17, 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act is law. But that doesn't mean major health care interests are done testing their lobbying clout. Many are already lining up for year-end relief from Medicare payment cuts, regulatory changes and inflation woes. The big picture: Year-end spending bills often contain health care "extenders" that delay cuts to hospitals that treat the poorest patients or keep money flowing to community health centers. But lawmakers may be hard-pressed to justify the price tag this time, and are seeing an unusual assortment of appeals for help. Read more…

· Hundreds Of Stakeholders Voice Concerns As Home Health Proposed Rule Commenting Period Ends

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | August 16, 2022

The public comment window for the home health proposed payment rule closed on Tuesday. Overall, industry stakeholders had submitted 691 comments to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as of Tuesday morning. From the start, home health stakeholders took issue with CMS’ methodology for determining whether the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) led to budget-neutral spending in 2020. Read More…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

In Case You Missed It: Wisconsin DHS Announces Wisconsin Medicaid HCBS Grants Supporting Quality and Innovation

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:39:40 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is investing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to create a statewide home and community-based services (HCBS) grant program. The ARPA HCBS Grants offer an exciting opportunity for entities active in the state's Medicaid HCBS system to apply for $25,000 to $2 million in grant funds.

The program goal is to disburse grants across all Medicaid HCBS programs, distribute funds geographically across the state in both rural and urban areas, and support diverse organizations and populations served. Grant funding will strengthen the HCBS system and support quality and innovation in the delivery of HCBS in Wisconsin.

For example, grants may be used to:

Support organizations and providers as they recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Develop and implement specialized training for direct care workers and managers.
Help individuals with intellectual, developmental, and other significant disabilities find and retain work.
Improve person-centered planning and implementation.
Increase specialized care, services, and engagement for individuals with dementia, autism, children’s long-term care needs, or persons with other disabilities.
Expand the use of technology and telehealth by assisting HCBS providers with supplies and equipment.
Reduce disparities and improve access to a diverse and culturally competent pool of HCBS providers.
Develop other innovative ideas to improve HCBS services.
Prepare information, including public health and educational materials, in accessible formats for people getting HCBS.
Promote access to technology to facilitate human connection for people getting HCBS and their caregivers.
Support quality initiatives that improve services and supports, and increase community engagement.
Fund recruitment and retention activities for direct services workers of Medicaid HCBS providers.
Purchase personal protective equipment and routine COVID-19 tests for direct services workers.

Roadmap for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:37:53 GMT

By the National Association for Home Care and Hospice

On August 18, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued extensive materials providing guidance related to the planned phase-out of various waivers, regulations, enforcement discretion, and sub-regulatory guidance that were utilized to ensure access to care and give health care providers the flexibilities needed to respond to COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). According to the documents — issued under the rubric “Creating a Roadmap for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency” (Roadmap) — most of these waivers and broad flexibilities will terminate at the eventual end of the PHE, as they were intended to address the acute and extraordinary circumstances of a rapidly evolving pandemic and not replace existing requirements.

As previously indicated by Administration officials, to minimize any disruptions including potential coverage losses following the end of the PHE, the materials state that HHS Secretary Becerra will give states and the health care community writ large 60 days’ notice before ending the PHE. In the meantime, CMS is encouraging health care providers to prepare for the end of these flexibilities as soon as possible and to begin moving forward to reestablishing previous health and safety standards and billing practices. Even though providers will receive 60 days’ notice before the ending of the PHE, they should begin preparing for the end of the waivers now. In order to come into compliance with the conditions of participation at the end of the PHE, it may take some providers a significant amount of time. Therefore, NAHC recommends that providers utilizing any of the PHE waivers assess the need for continued use of the waiver(s) and begin transitioning away from utilization, as possible. If it is not possible to stop utilizing the waivers, providers should develop a plan for tapering use, if possible.

While the COVID-19 PHE remains in effect CMS will use its Pandemic Plan as a guidebook for evaluating all existing flexibilities, while developing a comprehensive long-term approach for the health care system based on recovery and resiliency. Given the importance of this effort, CMS’ strategic plan includes a cross-cutting initiative to address the current PHE and ensure that CMS has a roadmap to support a health care system that is more resilient and better prepared to adapt to future disasters and emergencies. This work complements the work already underway to ensure as many eligible individuals as possible maintain a source of coverage, whether through Medicaid/CHIP, Marketplace, employer coverage, or Medicare.

As part of its Roadmap CMS has issued provider-specific guidance that details plans for the phase out of various waivers and flexibilities. NAHC previously posed questions to CMS regarding some of the waivers and flexibilities and had hoped answers to those questions would be found in this most recent Roadmap. However, NAHC has continuing questions and concerns. Below are links to two documents that address home health and hospice waivers and flexibilities:

COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers & Flexibilities for Health Care Providers (Updated 8/18/2022)

Fact Sheet: Home Health

NAHC Comments on the CY 2023 Medicare Home Health Services Proposed Rule

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:33:58 GMT

WiAHC Signs on as Supporting Organization

Earlier this month, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) submitted its formal comments on the CY 2023 Medicare home health services Proposed Rule, which includes 2023 payment rates, along with a variety of other changes affecting the value-based purchasing demonstration program and the collection of quality-of-care data. It’s estimated the proposal would slash aggregate home health payments by 4.2%, or $810 million, next year. The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) officially signed-on to the comments as a supporting organization.

“The proposed rule is the most impacting of policy actions by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) in years,” said William A. Dombi, President of NAHC. “The proposed payment rate cut of 7.69 percent would send 51.5 percent of all home health agencies into financial deficit in 2023. That would place over three million of the most vulnerable Medicare patients and the five million of Medicaid, VA, and Medicare Advantage patients they serve in real jeopardy of losing care. Medicare would also lose the value that home health services brings to health care overall, likely increasing care costs through extended hospitalizations and higher use of institutional care to fill in the gaps,” added Dombi.

The comments submitted by NAHC argue that:

More than 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries have lost access to home health services in recent years, with over 1000 HHAs have closing, and Medicare spending in 2020-2021 at its lowest point since 2010.
Congress required that CMS institute a budget neutral payment model in 2020. That model underpaid home health agencies by 2.5-3.2% in contrast to the 6.9% overpayment alleged by CMS.
CMS’s evaluation as to whether the new payment model was “budget neutral” is fatally flawed in its methodological approach and is inconsistent with comparable evaluations CMS applied in other sectors.
CMS’s evaluation methodology is at odds with the clear mandates established by Congress in 2018 in all respects.
CMS compounds the risks to patient care by adding new, unnecessary costs while failing to adequately recognize the significant labor and transportation cost inflation that has hit home health services.
CMS is pulling resources from home health care at a time it is depending on that care to reduce Medicare spending on hospitalizations and other care.

CLICK HERE to review the full text of NAHC’s comments on the proposed rule.

Bipartisan legislation, the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 (S. 4605/H.R. 8581), is currently pending in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, would suspend any payment rate reductions, thereby allowing CMS additional time to reconsider its proposed actions. GO HERE to tell your members of Congress to support this critical legislation!

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:28:00 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licenses - Update

The Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licenses held its first hearing on August 2, 2022, at the Capitol building in Madison. The committee first received an overview from the Legislative Council Staff, then a briefing from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, a briefing from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and finally by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

Many of the questions for NCSL centered on the licensing process, interstate compacts, universal licensing, and reciprocal licensing. Questions for DSPS centered on staffing, the time required for licensure, issues with applications, legal reviews (crimes and ordinance violations) and additional barriers to timely and efficient license.

Following the testimony, study committee members discussed the following items:

Duplication of background checks on applicants (credentials and hiring company)
Insurance requirements for practice
Number of applications being processed and approved (DSPS Stats)
Reciprocal license, universal license and compacts

This committee’s next meeting will occur on September 27, 2022, in Madison. For more information about this committee, please visit the committee’s website.

August 9 Primary Election Update

The following is a summary of the results of the August 9 primary election:

As expected, Democratic Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes won his primary and will face incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson in November.
In the most contested race for the U.S. House of Representatives in Wisconsin, incumbent Democratic State Senator Brad Pfaff won the Democratic primary and will face Republican Derrick Van Orden in western Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. Retiring U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D) currently represents this district.

By a margin of 5 percent, Tim Michels prevailed in the Republican gubernatorial primary over former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and will face incumbent Democratic Governor Tony Evers in November.

In the race for Lieutenant Governor, State Rep. Sarah Rodriguez of Brookfield won the Democratic primary and State Senator Roger Roth of Appleton prevailed in a crowded Republican primary.
In the State Assembly, all incumbent Republicans facing primary challengers won their respective races, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester, who faced Adam Steen. Adam had received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump in the closing weeks of the primary campaign over concerns related to the 2020 election.
In the State Senate, incumbent Republican Senator – and Senate Majority Leader – Devin LeMahieu of the Sheboygan area prevailed against two opponents. Also, incumbent Republican Senator Van Wanggaard of Racine won his race against a primary opponent.

· New Marquette Law School Poll Released on August 17

On August 17, Marquette Law School released a new statewide political poll. The following poll findings may be of interest.

Gubernatorial Race

This poll, which was conducted from August 10-15 – after the August 9 primary election – asked Wisconsin voters their preference for governor:

Governor Tony Evers (Democrat): 45%
Tim Michels (Republicans): 43%
Joan Beglinger (Independent): 7%

The August poll also asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of how Governor Evers is handling his job. His approval rating was 47%, his disapproval rating is 45%, and 8% did not have an opinion.

U.S. Senate Race

This poll asked Wisconsin voters about their preferred candidate for this year’s U.S. Senate race. The poll found the following:

Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat): 51%
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Republican): 44%

The poll also asked respondents if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. The poll found the following:

Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (Democrat)
- Favorable: 37%
- Unfavorable: 22%
- Haven’t heard enough: 30%
- Don’t know: 11%

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (Republican)
- Favorable: 38%
- Unfavorable: 47%
- Haven’t heard enough: 9%
- Don’t know: 6%

Issue Polling

The August poll also asked questions regarding various issues. One of the questions asked whether the state is headed in the right direction or not. The poll found the following:

Right direction: 35%
Wrong track: 56%
Don’t know: 9%

This poll also asked how Wisconsinites felt about certain topics. Allowed responses: very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned, and don’t know.

Inflation: 94% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Crime: 88% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Public Schools: 88% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Gun Violence: 87% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Taxes: 85% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Abortion Policy: 80% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Climate Change: 69% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Illegal Immigration: 68% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned
Coronavirus: 55% were either very concerned or somewhat concerned

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:52:47 GMT

Rep. Donna Rozar Receives WiAHC’s Champion of Home Health Care Legislative Award

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:47:21 GMT

Jayne Thill (left), WiAHC Board of Directors and Legislative Committee member, presents WiAHC Champion of Home Health care Award to Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield).

The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) was thrilled to present Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) with the organization’s 2022 Champion of Home Health Care legislative award for her leadership on policies to advance home health care in Wisconsin and strengthen the delivery of patient care provided by home health professionals. The award was recently presented to Rozar by WiACH member Jayne Thill at the COMPASSUS office in Marshfield, WI,

“Representative Rozar was an extraordinary advocate for home health care during the 2021-22 legislative session. As a nurse practitioner, she understands the value of home health care for patients who often recover faster and with fewer complications at home than in a hospital,“ said Thill, who serves on the WiAHC Board of Directors. “Her responsiveness to initiatives important to the home health care industry and her leadership on policies to strengthen Wisconsin’s health care workforce is highly commendable, and we were happy to present her with this award to thank her for her efforts.”

The Champion of Home Health Care award is presented at the end of each two-year legislative session to state lawmakers who exemplify WiAHC’s mission of promoting, protecting, and advancing the highest quality health care at home for Wisconsin patients. In 2022, WiAHC is presenting the award to only four legislators, including Rozar. These lawmakers exhibited an exceptional commitment to supporting home health care based on several factors, including voting record, sponsorship of legislation and responsiveness to critical home health issues during the 2021-22 session.

Rozar, who was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2020, represents the 69th Assembly District, which includes portions of Clark, Marathon, and Wood Counties, including the City of Marshfield. She serves as the Vice-Chair of the Assembly Small Business Development Committee and sits on the Health Committee and the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee.

Please find below the full list of state lawmakers who received recognition from WiAHC for their support of key initiatives during the 2021-22 legislative session to advance the state’s home health care industry. Legislators who displayed exceptional support of WiAHC were recognized as a Champion of Home Health Care. Legislators who displayed general support were recognized as a Friend of Home Health Care.

Champion of Home Health Care:

Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)
Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma)
Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton)
Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield)

Friend of Home Health Care:

Senator Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg)
Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green)
Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam)
Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)

Home Health Care News Reel

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:44:01 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News and other publications:

· ‘We’re in the Fight’: The Preserving Access to Home Health Act Is Introduced in the Senate

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Nolan | July 25, 2022

A new bill that would prevent the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from reducing home health payments this year – and until 2026 – was introduced in the Senate Monday afternoon. Dubbed The Preserving Access to Home Health Act, the bill was introduced by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), both of which have been longtime advocates of at-home care. Read more…

· CMS Announces Unprecedented Quality Measure Set for Home- and Community-Based Services

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Nolan | July 21, 2022

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first ever home- and community-based services (HCBS) quality measures Thursday. The agency said the measures will promote “consistent quality measurement within and across state Medicaid HCBS programs” and are a “critical step to promoting health equity among the millions of older adults and people with disabilities who need LTSS.” Read more…

· Home Health Care Gained a Greater Share of Post-Acute Admissions Post-COVID

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Nolan | July 19, 2022

The home health industry gained a more significant share of post-acute care admissions after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data shows. There was certainly a feeling at the time that home health agencies were gaining more patient admissions that may have previously gone to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). And while some data has reflected that already, if there was any remaining doubt, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) July 2022 data book should cast that aside. Read more…

· Home Health Providers, Staff In For ‘Rude Awakening’ Following Public Health Emergency Expiration

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | July 15, 2022

Though it sometimes may not feel like it, the expiration of the public health emergency (PHE) will, one day, come. And when it does, that will have ramifications on home health providers specifically, and home-based care more generally. With the declaration came a handful of waivers and flexibilities meant to alleviate the harsh impacts of the pandemic for home health providers. Read More…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry.

Wisconsin DHS Announces Wisconsin Medicaid HCBS Grants Supporting Quality and Innovation

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:41:46 GMT

Join an informational webinar August 2 or 4

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is investing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to create a statewide home and community-based services (HCBS) grant program. The ARPA HCBS Grants offer an exciting opportunity for entities active in the state's Medicaid HCBS system to apply for $25,000 to $2 million in grant funds.

For example, grants may be used to:

Support organizations and providers as they recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Develop and implement specialized training for direct care workers and managers.
Help individuals with intellectual, developmental, and other significant disabilities find and retain work.
Improve person-centered planning and implementation.
Increase specialized care, services, and engagement for individuals with dementia, autism, children’s long-term care needs, or persons with other disabilities.
Expand the use of technology and telehealth by assisting HCBS providers with supplies and equipment.
Reduce disparities and improve access to a diverse and culturally competent pool of HCBS providers.
Develop other innovative ideas to improve HCBS services.
Prepare information, including public health and educational materials, in accessible formats for people getting HCBS.
Promote access to technology to facilitate human connection for people getting HCBS and their caregivers.
Support quality initiatives that improve services and supports, and increase community engagement.
Fund recruitment and retention activities for direct services workers of Medicaid HCBS providers.
Purchase personal protective equipment and routine COVID-19 tests for direct services workers.

Applications will open August 11, 2022.

Visit the ARPA HCBS Grants webpage for details about the grant opportunity. You’ll find information about funding amounts, eligibility, timelines, and more. Please keep an eye on the grants webpage for more information as we draw closer to the release date.

In addition, DHS is hosting informational webinars to provide detailed information on the grant opportunity and application process. Use the links below to register for an upcoming session.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022
10-11 a.m. Central time
Register Here

Thursday, August 4, 2022
1-2 p.m. Central time
Register Here

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:40:02 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Uniform Death Reporting Standards Study Committee – First Meeting

The Legislative Council’s Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards held its first public hearing in Madison on Monday, July 18 at 10:00AM. The meeting featured presentations by the state Department of Health Services, including from the State Registrar at the State Vital Records Office, a representative from a mental health organization and a children’s health organization, as well as the Chief Medical Examiner of Fond du Lac County. A list of committee members, the full meeting agenda, as well as written presentations may be viewed on the legislature’s website.

DHS Announces Annual Adjustment of Health Care Provider Fees for Patient Health Care Records

Effective on the first day of each July, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services publishes an updated schedule of the maximum fees that health care providers may charge for producing patient medical records. These fees are based on the consumer price indices for the prior two calendar years. The fees vary based on the number of pages and the type of file provided (e.g., paper documents, microfiche, x-rays, etc.). This fee schedule may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

DSPS Secretary Dawn Crim Leaving Evers Administration

Earlier in July, Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary Dawn Crim announced that she will be leaving the Evers Administration on August 1, 2022. The State Medical Examining Board and the State Board of Nursing are housed within DSPS, which also processes nearly all occupational license applications in Wisconsin, including licenses for physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. Earlier this year, DSPS implemented an online platform for health care occupational license applications. The agency will transition the remaining occupational licenses that they handle to their online platform in the future.

Governor Evers has announced that DSPS Assistant Deputy Secretary Dan Hereth will be the DSPS Secretary-designee upon Secretary Crim’s departure.

State Supreme Court Decision on Local Health Officer Authority

On July 8, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that local health officials have the statutory power to issue public health orders without first getting permission from elected officials in their respective jurisdictions. This case started out as a challenge from Dane County businesses against the authority of Public Health of Madison and Dane County (PHM&DC) related to COVID-19 emergency orders that PHM&DC Director Janel Heinrich issued. These plaintiffs contended that the only way that these emergency orders could be enforced would be for the Dane County board to vote to approve them. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled – with a 4-3 vote – that existing state statute includes the authority for local health officers to issue such emergency orders without the approval of elected officials in their respective jurisdiction. The full decision may be viewed here.

Governor Announces Over $5 Million in Healthcare Workforce Grants

On June 23, Governor Evers announced the award of more than $5 million in Workforce Innovation Grant Program funds to assist with healthcare workforce challenges in Wisconsin. Specifically, up to $4.9 million will be awarded to the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP), which is the statewide organization that represents 16 community action non-profit organizations throughout our state. These organizations focus on assisting low-income households. With these funds, WISCAP will assist in paying for low-income individuals to receive training and education to become healthcare workers. Up to $376,000 will go to the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay to assist in expanding the nursing faculty in order to train up to 152 nursing students.

Urge Your Members of Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:35:08 GMT

As was reported in last month’s Advocacy Newsletter, the CMS recently proposed to cut Medicare rates for home health services in 2023 by an unprecedented, permanent -7.69%. The net result of this cut along with inflation updates is -4.2% in 2023, equaling an $810 million cut starting next year. These devastating cuts would be disastrous for the industry.

Fortunately, the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 was recently introduced in Congress to prevent these proposed cuts to home health payment rates from taking effect prior to 2026. Any adjustment needed to ensure budget neutrality under the new home health payment system would still be made within the budget window. If CMS determined that payment increases were needed to achieve budget neutrality, prior to 2028, upward adjustments would be made to support access to care.

Please utilize the extremely user-friendly NAHC Legislative Action Center, and with just ONE CLICK you can advocate for this important legislation with your Members of Congress!

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:20:04 GMT

Latest Marquette University Law Poll Shows Tight Races at the Top of the Ticket

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:19:17 GMT

The latest Marquette University Law Poll, which was released on June 22, shows that Wisconsin’s top political races – for governor and the U.S. Senate – are extremely close less than a month and a half from the primary and a little more than four months from the November general election.

In the Republican primary for governor, which will be held on Aug. 9, former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch is in a dead heat with construction magnate Tim Michels. The poll results showed 27 percent of Republican respondents favored Michels, while 26 percent backed Kleefisch. Other GOP candidates did not break the 10 percent mark.

GOP Governor Primary:

Michels – 27%
Kleefisch – 26%
Businessman Kevin Nicholson – 10%
State. Rep Tim Ramthun – 3%
Other or Undecided – 34%

The poll also showed that all GOP candidates trailed incumbent Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) in projected head-to-head general election matchups:

Evers: 47% — Kleefisch: 43%
Evers: 48% — Michels: 41%
Evers: 48% — Nicholson: 40%
Evers: 51% — Ramthun: 34%

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, the winner of which will face incumbent U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R), current Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes led the pack with 25 percent support from Democratic poll respondents. Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry came in at 21percent, while Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski received 9 percent support.

DEM U.S. Senate Primary:

Barnes – 25%
Lasry – 21%
Godlewski – 9%
Outagamie County Exec Tom Nelson – 7%
Other or Undecided – 38%

In addition, the poll also showed Barnes, Godlewski, and Nelson all leading Sen. Johnson in potential general election matchups:

Barnes: 46% — Johnson: 44%
Godlewski: 45% — Johnson: 43%
Nelson: 44% — Johnson: 43%
Johnson: 45% — Lasry: 42%

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:17:54 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information on the home health care industry from Home Health Care News, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, and other publications:

· Former CMS Administrator Predicts Dire Near-Term Outlook for Home Health Industry

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Nolan | June 23, 2022

The former U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Seema Verma, did not paint a rosy outlook for the home health industry this week in Chicago. In fact, hardly any of what she said evoked optimism among operators in the crowd. Read more…

· Home Health Stakeholders Weigh in On Industry ‘Tailspin’ Following Proposed Payment Rule

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | June 22, 2022

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a fairly negative proposed payment rule for the home health industry on Friday. Specifically, the proposal includes a 4.2% decrease to payment rates that, if finalized, dumps cold water on an industry that’s just starting to heat up again. Read More…

· ‘The Stability of Home Health Care Is at Risk’: CMS Proposes 4.2% Decrease to Provider Payments in 2023

Home Health Care News - By Andrew Nolan | June 17, 2022

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its FY 2023 home health proposed payment rule late Friday. It comes with a decrease to payment rates by 4.2%, or $810 million less compared to 2022 rates. Overall, the proposed rule looks to be one that will be disappointing to providers, and one they will refute heavily in the public comment period. Read more…

· Home Health Providers in HHVBP Demo States Struggled to Achieve Financial Upside

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Nolan| June 14, 2022

Despite being a significant regulatory change to the home health care industry, some providers aren’t so sure whether the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model will have that significant of a bottom-line impact. The proposed model is constructed in such a way where the very best performers receive the largest payment boost, with a maximum adjustment of 5%. The worst-performing providers, in contrast, are exposed to a 5% payment penalty. Read more…

· CMS proposes payment decrease of $810M for home health in 2023

McKnights Home Care – By Diane Eastabrook | June 17, 2022

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is proposing a 2.9% home health payment update ($560 million) for calendar year 2023. This update is expected to lead to a 4.2% decrease ($810 million) in Medicare payments, the agency said Friday. The update equates to an estimated 6.9% decrease that reflects the “effects of the proposed prospective, permanent behavioral assumption adjustment of -7.69% ($1.33 billion decrease), and an estimated 0.2% decrease that reflects the effects of a proposed update to the fixed-dollar loss ratio (FDL) used in determining outlier payments ($40 million decrease),” CMS said. Read more…

· Higher IRS gas mileage rates no quick fix to caregiver crisis, NAHC says

McKnights Home Care – By Diane Eastabrook | June 14, 2022

The Internal Revenue Service is giving some relief to home care workers struggling to pay higher prices at the pump. Starting July 1, it is increasing the standard mileage rate for business travel by 4 cents to 62.5 cents. Although National Association for Home Care & Hospice President William Dombi applauded the move, he told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse in an email the higher rate is not an antidote to the caregiver crisis. Read more…

· NAHC is pleased to share the results of the National Healthcare at Home Best Practices and Future Insights Study

NAHC | June 6, 2022

he National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is pleased to sponsor the National Healthcare at Home Best Practices and Future Insights Study and we encourage all relevant stakeholders to read the report carefully. over 1,000 agency sites represented, and we had the largest and most comprehensive study in the history of home care and hospice to date. And now NAHC members can access the complimentary study report. Read more…

Home Health Care News, which is part of the Aging Media Network, is a leading source for news and information covering the home health industry. National Association for Home Care and Hospice is the largest professional association representing the interests of chronically ill, disabled, and dying Americans of all ages and the caregivers who provide them with in-home health and hospice services.

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck Receives WiAHC’s Champion of Home Health Care Legislative Award

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:11:05 GMT

The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) was thrilled to present Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) with the organization’s 2022 Champion of Home Health Care legislative award for her leadership on policies to advance home health care in Wisconsin and strengthen the delivery of patient care provided by home health professionals. The award was presented to Loudenbeck at the WiACH 2022 Spring Conference held on June 2-3 in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Loudenbeck successfully lead the charge to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health services as part of the 2021-23 state budget bill. The long-overdue increase will help address the workforce challenges faced by home health care agencies as well as allow them the better serve Wisconsin’s home health care patients.

“Representative Loudenbeck was a strong voice for home health care during the 2021-22 legislative session, and she was instrumental in the successful effort to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for skilled nursing provided in a home health setting,“ said WiAHC Board member Tyler Baures, who presented the award to Loudenbeck. “Her leadership on this critical initiative cannot be understated and will help strengthen the state’s home health care workforce and expand access to home health services for the state’s Medicaid population.”

The Champion of Home Health Care award is presented at the end of each two-year legislative session to state lawmakers who exemplify WiAHC’s mission of promoting, protecting, and advancing the highest quality health care at home for Wisconsin patients. In 2022, WiAHC is presenting the award to only four legislators, including Loudenbeck. These lawmakers exhibited an exceptional commitment to supporting home health care based on several factors, including voting record, sponsorship of legislation, and responsiveness to critical home health issues during the 2021-22 session.

Loudenbeck, who was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2010, represents the 31st Assembly District, which includes portions of Rock and Walworth Counties and serves as the Vice-Chair of the state Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. She is currently running for Wisconsin Secretary of State.

“Home health professionals provide quality care and peace of mind to individuals and families across Wisconsin. I am happy to support their important work,” said Loudenbeck.

· Champion of Home Health Care:
o Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)
o Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma)
o Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton)
o Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield)

· Friend of Home Health Care:
o Senator Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg)
o Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green)
o Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam)
o Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger)
o Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 16:03:47 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

WiAHC Legislative and Regulatory Priorities Survey – Summary of Results

To prepare for the 2023-2024 state legislative session, WiAHC conducted a membership-wide survey in May to seek member feedback on potential WiAHC legislative and regulatory priorities. Based on the survey, the following topics were identified as the top three policy issues:

Regulatory reform legislation to modernize the state’s home health regulations (DHS 133), including provisions to better align Wisconsin home care regulations with federal home care regulations and permanently authorize home care telehealth flexibility. (50% of all survey respondents selected this as a priority)

Grow/strengthen Wisconsin’s home health care workforce, such as workforce training grants; scholarship funding; funding to expanding nursing slots at Wisconsin schools of nursing; etc. (50% of all survey respondents selected this as a priority)

Promote public awareness and increase policy influence of home health care, such as the creation of a Home Health Care Advisory Council at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. (43% of all survey respondents selected this as a priority)

The WiAHC Legislative Committee and leadership will continue to work to finalize the policy agenda. Once that is completed, it will be shared with the full membership in a future newsletter.

Legislative Council Study Committee Members Announced

As mentioned in a prior WiAHC monthly newsletter, the legislature organizes study committees in even-numbered years to hold public hearings and perform in-depth reviews of various state policy matters facing Wisconsin. Legislators and members of the public are members of these committees. Once these committees complete their series of public hearings in late 2022 or early 2023, they will draft legislation to address these policy areas and submit them to the legislature for possible consideration.

Two of these committees will likely be of interest to WiAHC members: the Study Committee on Occupational Licenses and the Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards. In early June, the legislature selected members of both committees. The Occupational Licenses committee includes two members from the health care field – a senior vice president from the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the director of business development from a rural community clinic. The Uniform Death Reporting Standards committee includes two medical examiners and a public health nurse.

These committees will likely hold their first meeting later this summer. The committees will hold public, in-person meetings in Madison once per month until they have completed their work. It is likely that these committee meetings will be streamed live on Wisconsin Eye. Of course, the WiAHC government affairs team will monitor the work of these committees.

DHS Announces Grant Program Promoting Health Equity in COVID-19 Vaccinations

In May, the state Department of Health Services announced their “Moving Forward Together Grant Program”. This program is intended to improve equity with respect to COVID-19 vaccination in Wisconsin. Various community organizations are eligible to apply for grant awards, which are capped at $400,000 per grant, to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates in Wisconsin, particularly in underserved communities. DHS will accept grant applications on a rolling basis until funding is no longer available. However, it is important to note that grant expense reimbursement will occur through November 30, 2022. More information is available at: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/moving-forward-together-grant.htm

DSPS Eliminates Fees to Increase Participation in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

In early June, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced that the agency is no longer charging fees to integrate the Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP) into electronic health record systems managed by health systems and other health care entities. The intent is to simplify access for health care organizations, as well as increase wider participation within the health care community. To apply for a no-monthly fee ePDMP integration or for more information, go to the ePDMP website.

WiAHC Spring Conference Recap

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:57:26 GMT

The WiAHC Spring Conference took place June 2-3 at The Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells. It was a great success! There were 70+ participants. National speakers included William A. Dombi, Esq. President, National Association for Home Care & Hospice; Teresa Northcutt, BSN, RN, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-H, Consultant, Teresa Northcutt LLC; Aparna Gupta, Vice President of Quality, National Hospice and Palliative Care Association; and Michelle Horner, Manager Post-Acute Education, Netsmart/McBee.

Here is what the attendees shared about their experiences.

I enjoyed the conference very much!! Great Venue-polite, helpful staff, comfortable accommodations. The content was helpful. Speakers were knowledgeable and delivered the content proficiently and kept me engaged. Thank you!
~ Michelle Esser, Upland Hills Health Home Care & Hospice

The WiAHC conference always brings in quality speakers!
~ Anonymous

Thank you to the Spring Conference exhibitors!

CareVoyant, Inc.
CasheSoftware
HealthPROHeritage LLC
Herzing University
Homestyle Direct
McKesson Medical-Surgical
Medline Industries, LP
Sandata
Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library

IRS Increases Mileage Rate for Remainder of 2022

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:37:33 GMT

NAHC

The Internal Revenue Service announced yesterday an increase in the optional standard mileage rate for the final six months of 2022. Taxpayers may use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and certain other purposes.

For the final six months of 2022, the standard mileage rate for business travel will be 62.5 cents per mile, up four cents from the rate effective at the start of the year. The new rate for deductible medical or moving expenses (available for active-duty members of the military) will be 22 cents for the remainder of 2022, up 4 cents from the rate effective at the start of 2022. These new rates become effective July 1, 2022. The IRS provided legal guidance on the new rates in Announcement 2022-13, issued yesterday

Participate in the Home Care or Hospice Salary & Benefits Studies

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:32:24 GMT

NAHC

Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS) announced the 2022‑2023 Home Care and Hospice Salary & Benefits studies are now underway. The studies are published by HCS in cooperation with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).

The Reports are recognized as the authoritative source for comprehensive marketplace data for home health + hospice agencies. Last year’s Home Care Report contained data from 1,011 home health agencies. The Hospice Report had data from 734 hospice agencies.

New to both studies–Questions on staffing issues, nursing vacancy + turnover rates, and how sign-on bonuses are being used by agencies to attract new employees. The results cover job data by salary, hourly, and per visit rates with job data breakouts by auspice, revenue size, region, state, and CBSA. Regional data for 21 fringe benefits, planned salary increases, productivity, caseload, and shift differential data are also covered.

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck Receives WiAHC’s Champion of Home Health Care Legislative Award

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 17:40:51 GMT

“Home health professionals provide quality care and peace of mind to individuals and families across Wisconsin. I am happy to support their important work,” said Loudenbeck.

The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) is a statewide membership-based organization that represents the interests of home health care agencies and their employees. Through education, best practices, and advocacy, WiAHC advances the common interests of its members and their patients, and promotes home health care as a high-quality, cost-effective health care option.

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2022 18:16:16 GMT

Grassroots advocacy is the most powerful tool WiAHC has at its disposal to shape public policy, and building relationships with lawmakers is the most important aspect of grassroots advocacy. In effort to capitalize on our greatest advocacy resource – our membership – WiAHC has established our Coffee Conversations with Legislators advocacy program.

Obviously, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can make it difficult for some in-person meetings, but depending on your comfort level with meeting face-to-face, WiAHC would encourage you to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program.

Please click here for more information on the program. Please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co if you’re interested in participating.

Home Health Care News Reel

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2022 18:15:43 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information from Home Health Care News , the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, and other publications:

· Home Health Providers’ Referral Acceptance Rate Has Decreased by 15%

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | May 19, 2022

Patients being discharged from hospitals and into the post-acute space, including to home health providers, tend to be higher acuity and more complex than in the past. The findings are part of a new report from CarePort, a WellSky company. The report examines data from over 1,000 hospitals and 130,000 post-acute care providers and focuses on how the COVID-19 emergency has impacted care delivery. Read more…

· Home Health Providers Believe Value-Based Contracts Will Represent Over Half of Business Soon

Home Health Care News – By Andrew Nolan| May 19, 2022

Value-based care remains a loaded term in the home health care industry. But nonetheless, its prevalence is growing by the day. Industry insiders have recently told Home Health Care News that likely less than 5% of industry business is conducted through value-based contracts. Contrasted with that is what 42% of providers say, which is that such contracts will account for over 50% of their business in the next three to five years. Read more…

· Inflation Forcing Caregivers to Choose Wages Over Mission, Home-Based Care Providers Say

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | May 12, 2022

Strong reimbursement rates for Aveanna’s services in nearly half the states the company operates in have been a welcome change so far this year for the company. Its turnover and retention rates have also been in line with company projections, despite ongoing labor issues. Read more…

· Home Care Action Alliance calls for collaboration to solve caregiver crisis

McKnights Home Care – By Diane Eastabrook | May 19, 2022

In a call to action Wednesday, home care industry leaders launched the Home Care Workforce Action Alliance to tackle the growing caregiver shortage. The National Association of Home Care and Hospice, the Home Care Association of America and Bayada Home Health Care kicked off their new alliance during a virtual press conference. The organizations called for a collaborative, multidimensional approach to attracting more workers to the home care industry. Read more…

· NAHC: Congressional action on caregiver crisis looks bleak this year

McKnights Home Care – By Diane Eastabrook | May 20, 2022

A key leader of the newly unveiled Home Care Workforce Action Alliance doubts Congress will pass legislation this year that would funnel billions of dollars to home- and community-based services, and expand the direct caregiver workforce and improve the worker crisis. Read more…

WiAHC Announces 2022 Legislative Award Recipients

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2022 18:13:52 GMT

WiAHC recently established an exciting new legislative awards program to recognize and thank state lawmakers who showed support for policies that advance home health care in Wisconsin and are aligned with WiAHC’s mission.

Going forward, WiAHC legislative awards will be given out every two years, following the end of each legislative session and will be broken down into two different award categories: 1) Champion of Home Health Care and 2) Friend of Home Health Care

The selection process for lawmakers receiving a WiAHC legislative awards is based on several factors, including bills authored and co-sponsored, responsiveness to WiAHC issues, voting record on legislation important to WiAHC, and legislative leadership and key committee positions.

Furthermore, legislators who who display exceptional support of WiAHC and home health care in Wisconsin are eligible for recognition as a Champion of Home Health Care. Legislators who display general support of WiAHC and home health care in Wisconsin are eligible for recognition as a

Friend of Home Health Care.

With that in mind, WiAHC is pleased to announce the following legislative award recipients for 2022:

Champion of Home Health Care:

Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)
Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma)
Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton)
Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield)

Friend of Home Health Care:

Senator Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg)
Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green)
Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam)
Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)

Tell Us What You Think: WiAHC Sends Out State and Federal Policy Priorities Survey

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2022 16:02:13 GMT

Check your inbox… You recently revied an email from WiAHC with a link to our Legislative and Regulatory Priorities Survey that provides you – and every WiAHC member across the state –a great opportunity to provide your input on what policy issues are most important to you, your organization, and the Wisconsin home health care industry. The purpose of surveying the membership is to help association leadership develop the WiAHC policy agenda and determine what legislative and regulatory issues the organization should make a priority in 2023-2024.

The survey, which will be left open through Monday, June 6, only takes a few minutes to complete and will collect valuable information used to help shape WiAHC’s advocacy priorities moving forward.

The survey results will be presented to the WiAHC Legislative Committee and Board for further consideration. In addition to the member survey data, WiAHC leadership will consider the following criteria when finalizing the association’s policy agenda and issue priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiAHC members; 3.) The extent to which it will improve home health care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

Once the WiAHC Board finalizes the policy agenda and issue priorities for 2023-2024, it will be presented to the full membership and used by the WiAHC Government Affairs team to guide our advocacy efforts over the next two years.

We value your input and encourage you to complete and submit the brief survey as soon possible.

TAKE SURVEY

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Account Administrator — Thu, 26 May 2022 16:00:10 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

DHS Now Processing Higher Medicaid Reimbursement Rates

WiAHC members are now reporting that they are finally receiving the following long-awaited payment increases from the state Department of Health Services (DHS): (1) the skilled nursing services payment increase included in the 2021-2023 state budget and (2) the additional five percent Medicaid reimbursement rate for home and community-based services, which was funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). In particular, DHS informed WiAHC on May 16 that they implemented these rate increases on April 29, 2022, for claims submitted on or after that date with a date of service of January 1, 2022, or after. The agency is now processing adjustments for claims they received before April 29, 2022. The processing of these delayed payments is a result of the WiAHC government affairs team’s advocacy before the state Department of Health Services (DHS).

If your home health agency has submitted such claims to DHS and has not received payment increases, please contact WiAHC Madison lobbyist Tim Hoven at tim@hovenconsulting.com or (414) 305-2011.

Real-Time Prior Medicaid Authorization Available for More Services

As of April 5, 2022, the Department of Health Services implemented a real-time prior Medicaid authorization review and approval process for personal care services for Medicaid recipients who are 21 and older, as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language pathology for Medicare recipients who are younger than six. Once such a request is submitted to DHS, one of two things will occur: (1) it will be approved automatically or (2) it will be reviewed manually. While such a request could be denied after a manual review, a request will not be denied during the real-time review.

According to media reports, DHS is considering expanding real-time prior Medicaid authorization to other areas where prior authorization is needed.

New Occupational Credentialing Application Website Unveiled

On Monday, May 16, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) unveiled its new online occupational credentialing portal – which is called “LicensE”. This will replace their paper-based occupational credentialing application process. At this time, most initial occupational credential applications in the health care field – including physicians, physician assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses – will now need to be submitted via this portal. The list of initial license applications that transitioned to LicensE on May 16 may be viewed here. License renewals and other initial credential applications will move to the LicensE portal at a later time.

New Marquette Law School Poll Released

On April 27, Marquette Law School released a new poll that surveyed Wisconsinites on their opinions of various national and statewide elected officials, as well as candidates for statewide office.

o U.S. Senate Election – Democratic Primary

With respect to those voters who intend to vote in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s seat, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes was the leading candidate with 19 percent, Alex Lasry followed with 16 percent, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski polled at seven percent, while Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson followed with five percent. The other candidates received one percent or less, while 48 percent of Democratic primary voters have not decided whom they will support.

o Gubernatorial Election – Republican Primary

In this poll, former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch led her primary rivals with 32 percent of Republicans selecting her, former U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson polled at 10 percent and four percent selected State Representative Tim Ramthun. However, 46 percent of these voters responded that they did not know whom they will support in the Republican primary. This poll did not ask about recently announced Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, as this poll was conducted between April 19-24 – before he entered the race.

o Current Elected Officials – Approval/Favorability Ratings

At this time, Governor Tony Evers leads in popularity among elected statewide officials with 49 percent approving and 43 disapproving. President Biden has a 43 percent approval rating and a 53 percent disapproval rating. With respect to Wisconsin’s two U.S. Senators, 43 percent of poll respondents have a favorable view of Senator Tammy Baldwin and 36 percent have an unfavorable view, while 36 percent of poll respondents have a favorable view of Senator Ron Johnson and 46 have an unfavorable view of him.

o State Legislature Approval Rating

In addition, the poll asked about views of the state legislature. Poll respondents gave the state legislature a 38 percent approval rating and a 47 percent disapproval rating.

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:02:28 GMT

Grassroots advocacy is the most powerful tool WiAHC has at its disposal to shape public policy and building relationships with lawmakers is the most important aspect of advocacy. In effort to capitalize on our greatest advocacy resource – our membership – WiAHC has unveiled our Coffee Conversations with Legislators advocacy program.

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility, or a local coffee shop provides a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Obviously, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can make it difficult for some in-person meetings, but as cases decline and depending on your comfort level with meeting face-to-face, WiAHC would encourage you to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program.

Please click here for more information on the program. Please contact the WiAHC office at wiahc@badgerbay.co if you’re interested in participating.

Home Health Care News Reel

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:00:16 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information from Home Health Care News and the National Association for Home Care and Hospice:

· Home Care Providers Take Note as Medicare Advantage Grows, Creates Savings for Seniors

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | April 23, 2022

Compared to fee-for-service Medicare, seniors save close to $2,000 on average in total annual health care spending with Medicare Advantage (MA). That’s according to a new study — based on 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data — from Better Medicare Alliance. The study features an analysis conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based research and consulting firm ATI Advisory. Read more…

· Home-Based Care Stakeholders Break Down ‘Uncertain’ Legislative, Regulatory Landscapes

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | April 23, 2022

With more eyes than ever on home-based care, there are a number of legislative and regulatory developments that will be critical for providers to stay on top of. For providers like Help at Home, which is working in the Medicaid space along with private pay, the short-term gains have been apparent. Read more…

· What Innovative States Are Doing to Recruit, Retain Workers in Home-Based Care

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | April 12, 2022

Several states around the country are taking unique measures to combat the direct care workforce crisis in home-based care. And it would benefit other states and agencies to follow suit, according to a new report from PHI. Read more…

· Bipartisan Push in Congress to Make Medicare Enrollment Easier

National Association for Home Care and Hospice | April 25, 2022

Legislation has recently been introduced that would work to improve the Medicare enrollment process for individuals nearing Medicare eligibility, aged 60-64. Longtime home care champions Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Todd Young (R-IN) are leading the charge for the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification 2.0 (BENES 2.0) Act, (S. 2675). BENES 2.0 continues the theme of the original BENES Act, many provisions of which became law in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, in supporting individuals in their Medicare enrollment process. Read more…

· HHS to Provide $110 Million in HCBS for Seniors & Disabled

National Association for Home Care and Hospice | April 20, 2022

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will offer more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. Read more…

Political Quick Notes

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:59:10 GMT

2021-22 Legislative Session Recap: During the session that ended last month, 2,305 bills were introduced, 393 were passed by the Legislature, and 267 were signed into law by Gov. Evers. The governor also issued 126 vetoes, which sets the new record for most vetoes by a Wisconsin governor in a single session.

Wisconsin businessman Tim Michels recently announced his candidacy for Wisconsin governor, joining a crowded Republican primary for the state’s top elected position. Michels, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2004, will face former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, businessman Kevin Nicholson, and current state Rep. Timothy Ramthun in the Aug. 9 primary.

Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted state legislative maps proposed by Republican legislative leaders, which was a reversal of the court’s earlier decision to accept maps submitted by Gov. Tony Evers. The reversal, which is likely to be the final decision on the state’s legislative maps for the next decade, came after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Wisconsin’s high court to reconsider their earlier ruling.

The exodus of current state lawmakers from the WI Legislature continues, as Sen. Dale Kooyenga announced this week he will not seek reelection. Please find below a list of state legislators who won’t be seeking reelection this fall:

Wisconsin Senate:
- Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) – Retiring
- Janet Bewley (D-Mason) – Retiring
- Sen. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield)
- Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) – Retiring
- Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) – Retiring
- Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) – Retiring
- Roger Roth (R-Appleton) – Running for Lt. Governor

Wisconsin Assembly:
- David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) – Running for Lt. Governor
- Rachel Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) – Running for state Senate
- Gary Hebl (D-Sun Prairie) – Retiring
- Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) – Running for state Senate
- Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) – Retiring
- Cody Horlacher (R-Mukwonago) – Running for Circuit Court Judge
- Jesse James (R-Altoona) – Running for state Senate
- Samantha Kerkman (R-Salem Lakes) – Elected as Kenosha County Executive
- Mike Kuglitsch(R-New Berlin) – Retiring
- Amy Loudenbeck(R-Clinton) – Running for WI Secretary of State
- Beth Meyers (D-Bayfield) – Retiring
- Nick Milroy (D-South Range) – Retiring
- Sondy Pope (D-Mt. Horeb) – Retiring
- Tim Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) – Running for Governor
- Sara Rodriguez (D-Brookfield) – Running for Lt. Governor
- Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin) – Retiring
- Ken Skowronski (R-Franklin) – Retiring
- Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) – Running for state Senate
- Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) – Retiring
- Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel) – Retiring
- Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac) – Retiring
- Tyler Vorpagel (R-Pymouth) – Retiring

WiAHC Final Legislative Tracker Update

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:42:45 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

The Wisconsin Legislature has adjourned for the 2021-21 and does not plan to reconvene until next year. Although the session is over, WiAHC members can review the WiAHC Legislative Bill Tracker to look back at what happened in the halls of the State Capitol. The bill tracker lists and allows members to follow and learn more about the bills WiAHC lobbied on and monitored during the 2021-22 legislative session. The Bill Tracker, which you can find below, includes the bill number, a brief description of the bill, its final status, and WiAHC’s position on the proposal.

· Bill: Assembly Bill 215 / Senate Bill 230

· Description: Relating to visitation of a long-term care facility resident or hospital patient by an essential visitor or member of the clergy.

· Status: Failed to pass this session.

· WiAHC Position: Support

· Bill: Assembly Bill 679 / Senate Bill 687

· Description: Relating to hospital services provided in a home setting.

· Status: AB 679 was passed by the full Assembly and Senate. The governor has signed the bill into law as 2021 WI Act 208.

· WiAHC Position: Currently Neutral/Actively Monitoring

· Bill: Assembly Bill 718 / Senate Bill 753

· Description: Relating to prohibiting certain practices relating to insurance coverage of clinician-administered drugs (“white bagging” legislation).

· Status: Failed to pass this session.

· WiAHC Position: Support

· Bill: Assembly Bill 729 / Senate Bill 700

· Description: Relating to modifying administrative rules related to home health agencies.

· Status: AB 729 was passed by the full Assembly on 02/23/22. It was not considered by the full Senate. Failed to pass this session.

· WiAHC Position: Support

· Bill: Assembly Bill 960/ Senate Bill 970

· Description: Increases criminal penalties for battery or threat to a health care provider or staff member of a health care facility.

· Status: AB 960 was passed by the full Assembly and Senate. The governor has signed the bill into law as 2021 WI Act 209.

· WiAHC Position:Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 1030/ Senate Bill 999
Description: Medical Assistance program coverage of home health services or products provided outside the home.

· Status: AB 1030 was passed by the full Assembly and Senate. The governor has signed the bill into law as 2021 WI Act 208.

WiAHC Position: Support

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:29:13 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

Governor Signs Several Health Care Bills of Interest to WiAHC

In April, Governor Evers signed a number of bills that passed both chambers of the legislature earlier this year. The following is a list of these bills of interest to WiAHC:

SIGNED - Assembly Bill 960 – This bill makes it a felony to threaten or physically attack a health care provider, a staff member of a health care facility or a family member of either, if the threat or attack is related to an official act of the provider or is related to an incident at the health care facility. WiAHC supports this bill. As such, it joined various health care organizations and sent a joint memo to the Legislature supporting this bill earlier this year.
SIGNED - Assembly Bill 1030 – This bill eliminates the requirement that home health services and products be provided in a patient’s home to be reimbursable under the Medical Assistance program. This legislation was introduced at the request of the Department of Health Services. WiAHC supports this bill.

Next Steps on Home Health Rules Legislation

Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) introduced Assembly Bill 729 and Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) introduced the Senate companion bill (Senate Bill 700) at the request of WiAHC. This legislation brings Wisconsin’s home health regulations in line with federal regulations by eliminating home health care professional advisory bodies but maintaining governing bodies. Assembly Bill 729 passed the Assembly in late February. The Senate Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 700 in January. Unfortunately, however, it did not pass the full Senate before the end of the 2021-2022 legislative session. In the meantime, the WiAHC Legislative Committee is exploring alternative options to make this change through the regulatory process at the state Department of Health Services (DHS) and has requested an initial meeting with the appropriate DHS staff. We will provide updates regarding these efforts in future WiAHC monthly newsletters.

DHS Payment Increase Delays – Update

As of mid-April, WiAHC members have reported that they have not received either the skilled nursing services payment increase included in the 2021-2023 state budget or the additional five percent Medicaid reimbursement rate for home and community-based services, which was funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). As such, WiAHC followed up with the state Department of Health Services (DHS) to request a specific timeline for the issuance of these increased payments. DHS informed WiAHC that any claims that home health agencies submit to DHS after April 29, 2022, will be paid out at the higher amounts. If a home health agency submitted such a claim before the end of April 2022, DHS will make appropriate adjustments internally to increase such payments – DHS anticipates that they will send out such payments during the week of May 9, 2022.

In addition, please let WiAHC know if there are any specific home health care providers that are at risk of closure due to these delayed payments. If so, WiAHC will make DHS aware of this and they will attempt to expedite processing.

Proposed Legislative Council Study Committees

After the legislative session concludes in even-numbered years, the Legislative Council - the legislature's in-house, non-partisan group of attorney advisors - organizes study committees that perform in-depth reviews of various state policy matters facing Wisconsin. Committees are comprised of both legislators and citizen members.

Study committees hold hearings, during which they hear public testimony – including from subject-matter experts – on state policies that may need to be fixed or updated. Once a committee has completed receiving public testimony, it generally drafts legislation for possible introduction and consideration by the legislature. In mid-April, the list of study committees was finalized. The following proposed study committees may be of interest to WiAHC:

Study Committee on Occupational Licenses

o Sen. Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) will be the Chair and Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers) will be the Vice Chair.

Study Committee on Uniform Death Reporting Standards

o Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) will be the Chair and Rep. Jesse James (R-Altoona) will be the Vice Chair.

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Update

The state Department of Health Services (DHS) is thinking ahead to addressing electronic visit verification (EVV) with respect to home health services. At this time, DHS's goal is to have a "soft launch" of home health EVV in January 2023. As such, DHS has organized a group of external stakeholders to provide input. Their intent is that this group of stakeholders would ultimately turn into their EVV Advisory Workgroup for Home Health. At the request of DHS, several WiAHC representatives have attended a few initial meetings of this group. We will provide updates about the work of this group in future WiAHC monthly newsletters.

Upcoming Blackout Period for Initial Occupational Credential Applications

The state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) will temporarily stop accepting initial applications for 72 types of occupational credentials starting at 12:00PM on Friday, April 29, and ending at 11:59PM on Sunday, May 15. The list of such credentials may be viewed on the DSPS website and mostly includes professionals in the health care field, including physicians, physician assistants, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.

This temporary blackout period will be put in place to allow DSPS to implement its new online occupational credentialing portal, which will replace its current paper application process. This new portal will be unveiled on Monday, May 16.

Improving Health Care Access and Combatting the Opioid Crisis

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:21:59 GMT

By State Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)

As chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I’ve had the opportunity to work with my colleagues and stakeholders to advance several bills that improve access to quality health care in Wisconsin. One way to increase access is to address workforce needs; that’s why Rep. Rachel Cabral-Guevara (Appleton) and I authored legislation that eliminates barriers limiting the practice of Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). By empowering professionals to utilize the full extent of their skillset and training, we free them to provide additional help to more people. We advanced this bill through the committee, it passed both houses of the legislature, and now needs only the Governor’s signature to become law.

The committee also advanced legislation that I authored with Rep. Todd Novak (Dodgeville) that improves access by investing in community health centers. There are seventeen community health centers with nearly 200 satellite sites operating in every corner of the state and serving over 300,000 Wisconsinites. The legislation we passed through the committee served as a catalyst to help secure increased funding for these centers in the 2021-23 state budget.

The pandemic revealed obstacles standing between patients and care that we needed to remove. Last session, the legislature allowed hospitals to seek Medicare reimbursement for numerous medical services provided in a home setting. This session, the committee moved forward legislation authored by Sen. Dale Kooyenga (Brookfield) and Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (Clinton) to make that change permanent. The bill was enacted this week.

In addition to improving access to quality care, the Senate Committee on Health also continued to combat the state’s opioid crisis. Until now, Wisconsin has had several state agencies collecting data on opioid and methamphetamine use, but no central location where it can be stored and analyzed. I authored a bill with Rep. Jon Plumer (Lodi) that will ensure this data will be gathered in a central location so that the state can get a more comprehensive picture of the problem and new ways to fight it. Rep. Plumer and I also wrote legislation that determines how money from the settlement of the multi-district opioid litigation is distributed throughout the state, ensuring that the majority of the settlement go to local governments to bolster their efforts to battle against these drugs. Both of these bills started the legislative process in the Senate Health Committee and have now become law.

We’ve made progress, but the work is not done yet. I enjoy working with health care leaders across the state to enhance health outcomes in Wisconsin.

Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) serves as Chairman of the Senate Health Committee. He represents the 24^th Senate District, which includes Portage County and portions of Wood, Monroe, and Jackson counties. The district also includes the cites of Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Tomah, and Sparta. He is currently running for Wisconsin Lt. Governor.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this organization.

Help Advocate for Home Health Care

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:19:22 GMT

Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility, or a local coffee shop provides a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Please click here for more information on the program.

Home Health Care News Reel

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:18:58 GMT

WiAHC is happy to remind members about and provide links to the latest articles and information from Home Health Care News and the National Association for Home Care and Hospice:

$1.5 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill Leaves Out Home Health Telehealth Reimbursement

Home Health Care News - By Joyce Famakinwa | March 10, 2022

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package on Wednesday. The legislation, among other things, extends the temporary virtual care flexibilities that were put in place during the public health emergency. Read more…

New Legislation Would Extend the Hospital at Home Program

National Association for Home Care and Hospice | March 22, 2022

The bipartisan Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act is new legislation introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives that would extend the acute care hospital at home waiver program. Initially introduced in November of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the program provides an alternative setting of care for certain conditions, such as asthma, pneumonia, and COPD. Read more…

How the PE Nursing Home Crackdown Could Affect the Home Health Industry

Home Health Care News - By Patrick Filbin | March 13, 2022

Pushed by the White House, federal watchdogs have a new directive – cracking down on private equity in health care. While they’ll largely be targeting nursing homes and PE investment as part of a recently unveiled senior care initiative from the Biden administration, there will likely be ripple effects in the home-based care space. Read more…

NAHC Shares Tech Recommendations with Congress

National Association for Home Care and Hospice | March 21, 2022

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice and a coalition of long-term & post-acute care (LTPAC) and health information technology (HIT) groups have submitted comments to an important congressional task force exploring ways to accelerate innovation in the health care system. Read more…

Positioning WiAHC for Future Legislative Success

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:18:18 GMT

Help WiAHC Develop a Legislative & Regulatory Agenda for 2023-24

The 2021-22 legislative session, which came to an end earlier this month, gave WiAHC plenty of opportunities to engage in the legislative process, build relationships with lawmakers, and ultimately pass legislation important to our members.

While the Legislature has adjourned for the year and lawmakers have returned to their districts to run for reelection, there is plenty of advocacy work to do behind the scenes. In fact, it is a perfect time for WiAHC to begin planning for the 2023-24 legislative session, which includes the development of a legislative agenda.

Crafting a legislative agenda serves two specific purposes:

1.) Inform WiAHC membership on the foremost state legislative and regulatory issues that impact home health care in Wisconsin and provide direction on which issues to actively advocate for before the legislature and executive branch.

2.) Provide state lawmakers, the governor’s office, and state agency officials with WiAHC’s position on key legislative and regulatory topics that will be relevant during the two-year session.

Identifying and prioritizing issues critical to home health care is the initial – and the most important – step in developing a legislative agenda. By deciding what the most important issues are before the start of 2023-24 legislative session, WiAHC can determine what resources will be necessary to meet the legislative and regulatory goals of our members.

To best determine WiAHC’s legislative and regulatory priorities, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will be sending out a legislative priorities survey within the next month to give all our members an opportunity to provide their input on what issues are most important to them. The information gathered via the survey will be presented to the WiAHC Legislative Committee and Board and used to identify the association’s top priorities that will make-up association’s 2023-24 legislative agenda.

In addition to the member survey data, WiAHC leadership will consider the following criteria when finalizing legislative and regulatory priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiAHC members; 3.) The extent to which it improves home health care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

WiAHC values its members’ input and encourages everyone to participate in the legislative priorities survey when they receive it in their email inbox.

WiAHC Legislative Tracker: End of Session Edition

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:17:53 GMT

The WiAHC Legislative Bill Tracker lists and allows members to follow and learn more about the bills WiAHC lobbied on and monitored during the 2021-22 legislative session, which came to an end earlier this month. The Bill Tracker, which you can find below, includes the bill number, a brief description of the bill, its status, and WiAHC’s position on the proposal.

Bill: Assembly Bill 215 / Senate Bill 230
Description: Relating to visitation of a long-term care facility resident or hospital patient by an essential visitor or member of the clergy.
Status: AB 215 was introduced and referred to the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee. SB 230 was introduced and referred to the Senate Human Services, Children, and Families Committee. Failed to pass this session.
WiAHC Position: Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 679 / Senate Bill 687
Description: Relating to hospital services provided in a home setting.
Status: AB 679 was passed by the full Assembly and Senate. The governor has signed the bill into law as 2021 WI Act 208.
WiAHC Position: Currently Neutral/Actively Monitoring
Bill: Assembly Bill 718 / Senate Bill 753
Description: Relating to prohibiting certain practices relating to insurance coverage of clinician-administered drugs (“white bagging” legislation).
Status: AB 718 was referred to the Assembly Health Committee and received a public hearing on 02/16/22. SB 753 was referred to the Senate Insurance, Licensing and Forestry and received a public hearing on 01/20/22. Failed to pass this session.
WiAHC Position: Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 729 / Senate Bill 700
Description: Relating to modifying administrative rules related to home health agencies.
Status: AB 729 was passed by the full Assembly on 02/23/22. SB 700 was referred to the Senate Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee and received a public hearing on 01/13/22. Failed to pass this session.
WiAHC Position: Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 960/ Senate Bill 970
Description: Increases criminal penalties for battery or threat to a health care provider or staff member of a health care facility.
Status: AB 960 was passed by the full Assembly and Senate. The governor has signed the bill into law as 2021 WI Act 209.
WiAHC Position: Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 1030/ Senate Bill 999
Description: Medical Assistance program coverage of home health services or products provided outside the home.
Status: AB 1030 was passed by the full Assembly and Senate. The bill will now be sent to the governor for his signature or veto.
WiAHC Position: Support

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:17:18 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

In late February and early March, the legislature passed several bills of interest to WiAHC as it looked to likely wrap up the 2021-2022 legislative session. The following is a list of these bills:

Assembly Bill 960 – This bill makes it a felony to threaten or physically attack a health care provider, a staff member of a health care facility or a family member of either, if the threat or attack is related to an official act of the provider or is related to an occurrence at the health care facility. Both the Assembly and Senate passed this bill. It will now go to the Governor for his consideration. WiAHC supports this bill. In addition, WiAHC signed on to a joint memo to the Legislature supporting this bill, along with numerous other statewide health care organizations.

Assembly Bill 1030 – This bill eliminates the requirement that home health services and products be provided in a patient’s home to be reimbursable under the Medical Assistance program. This legislation was introduced at the request of the Department of Health Services. Both the Assembly and Senate approved this bill, and it now goes to the Governor. WiAHC supports this bill.

Assembly Bill 729/Senate Bill 700 – This legislation, which was introduced by Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) and Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) at the request of WiAHC, brings Wisconsin’s home health regulations in line with federal regulations by eliminating home health care professional advisory bodies but maintaining governing bodies. This bill passed the Assembly in late February. The Senate Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee held a hearing on the bill in January. However, it is disappointing to note that this legislation was not voted on in the full Senate since Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), who chairs the Senate Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee, refused to vote this bill out of this committee. Senator Nass does not have a problem with the policy in this legislation but objects to bills that change administrative rules through legislative action, rather than via the administrative rules process. WiAHC tried several different tactics but, unfortunately, we were not able to remove his objection. The WiAHC Legislative Committee will regroup and look at alternative options to make the change included in this bill.

DHS Payment Increase Delays - Update

In February, WiAHC Board Chair Lisa Kirker sent a letter to State Medicaid Director Lisa Olson at the Department of Health Services (DHS) requesting a status update on the processing of two separate payment streams to home health care providers. One such payment stream was nearly an eight percent increase for select nursing care services in home health agencies, which was included in the 2021-2023 state budget. The other payment stream was an additional five percent Medicaid reimbursement rate for home and community-based services, which was funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). WiAHC has heard from members who have not yet received these increased payments.

DHS responded that they have run into delays in modifying their system to incorporate these increased payments. Once DHS completes those modifications, they will process the payments retroactive to January 1, 2022. The agency did not provide any details as to when these payments will likely be processed.

Recent Marquette University Poll

On March 2, Marquette Law School released a new poll that surveyed Wisconsin voters on their opinions of various national and statewide elected officials, as well as candidates for statewide office.

U.S. Senate Election

With respect to those voters who intend to vote in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s seat, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes was the leading candidate with 23 percent, and Alex Lasry followed with 13 percent. The other candidates only received support in the single digits, while 48 percent of Democratic primary voters have not decided whom they will support.

Gubernatorial Election

In this poll, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch led her primary rivals with 30 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters selecting her, eight percent selecting former U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson and five percent selecting State Representative Tim Ramthun. However, 54 percent of these voters responded that they did not know whom they will support in the Republican primary.

At this time, Governor Tony Evers leads in popularity among elected statewide officials with 50 percent approving and 41 disapproving. President Biden has a 43 percent approval rating and a 52 percent disapproval rating. With respect to Wisconsin’s two U.S. Senators, Senator Tammy Baldwin has a 42 percent approval rating and a 36 percent disapproval rating, while Senator Ron Johnson has a 33 percent approval rating and a 45 percent disapproval rating.

State Supreme Court Ruling on Redistricting

At the beginning of each decade, each state redraws state legislative and congressional district lines based on data from the most recent federal census. After the Governor vetoed the legislature’s proposed legislative and congressional district maps last year, this dispute ended up in the courts. On March 3, 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided that Governor Evers’ updated state legislative and congressional maps will be used as they make fewer changes to district boundaries than the Legislature’s proposed maps.

On Monday, March 7, the Legislature appealed this ruling directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. And just this week, the nation’s highest court threw out the state legislative maps drawn Governor Evers and adopted by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court said the state court’s approval of Evers’ maps was flawed, as it did not adequately consider whether certain newly crafted Assembly Districts in Milwaukee complied with the federal Voting Rights Act. The maps were sent back to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for further consideration.

Politicians on the Move - Update

On February 24, State Rep. Mike Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin) announced that he will not run for re-election in 2022. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2010. He serves as the Chair of the Assembly Energy and Utilities Committee and also serves on the following Assembly committees: Environment; Government Accountability and Oversight; and State Affairs.

On March 3, State Rep. Gordon Hintz announced that he will not run for re-election this year. He used to serve as Assembly Minority Leader and was first elected to the Assembly in 2006.

State Sen. Roger Roth (R-Appleton) has announced that he is running for lieutenant governor. He has served in the Senate since 2015 and also served in the Assembly in 2007-2008. He chairs the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges and is vice chair of the Committee on Utilities, Technology and Telecommunications.

State Rep. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) announced on March 17 that she is running for Senator Roth’s seat. She is a nurse and was elected to the Assembly in 2020. She is the vice chair of the Assembly Mental Health Committee and is a member of the following Assembly committees: Health, Colleges and Universities, Public Benefit Reform, and Regulatory Licensing Reform.

State Sen. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) announced on March 8 that he will not run for State Senate this year since this year’s redistricting process relocated his home from his current district to a different Senate district that is not up for election until 2024. [Note: The redistricting is based on a March Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling. However, it is worth noting that this ruling is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has not yet decided whether to take this case.] He was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and served in the Assembly from 2011 through 2018. He is currently the chair of the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Revenue.

State Sen. Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville) announced on March 9 that she will not run for re-election this year. She was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and served in the Assembly in 2011 through 2012. She serves as the Assistant Minority Leader and serves on the following Senate committees: Economic and Workforce Development; Financial Institutions and Revenue; and Insurance, Licensing and Forestry.

State Rep. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) subsequently announced that he will run for Sen. Ringhand’s seat. He has served in the Assembly since 2015. He currently serves as the Assembly Minority Caucus Chair and is a member of the following Assembly committees: Agriculture, Campaigns and Elections, Local Government, and Sporting Heritage.

State Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) has announced that he will run for Governor this year. He has served in the Assembly since 2019. He is the Vice Chair of the Children and Families Committee and is a member of the following Assembly committees: Constitution and Ethics, Education, Judiciary, Transportation, and Ways and Means.

State Sen. Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon) has announced that he will not run for re-election in 2022. He was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and served in the Assembly from 1999 to 2012. He serves as the chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government, is vice chair of the Committee on Sporting Heritage, Small Business and Rural Issues and is a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Tourism.

State Sen. Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) has announced that he is running for Congressman Ron Kind’s (D) seat in 2022. He was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and currently serves on the following Senate committees: Utilities, Technology and Telecommunications; Universities and Technical Colleges; Transportation and Local Government; Economic and Workforce Development; and Agriculture and Tourism. [Note: If he does not win his congressional race, he will still remain a member of the State Senate as his current term does not run out until 2024.]

State Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) has announced that he is running for Lieutenant Governor. He currently serves in Senate leadership as the President Pro Tempore. He was first elected to the Senate in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. He currently is chair of the Senate Health Committee, is vice chair of the Economic and Workforce Development Committee and is also a member of the Senate Agriculture and Tourism Committee. [Note: If he does not win his race for lieutenant governor, he will still remain a member of the State Senate as his current Senate term does not run out until 2024.]

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:41:51 GMT

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility, or a local coffee shop provides a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Obviously, the surge in COVID-19 cases currently makes it difficult for some in-person meetings, but as cases subside and depending on your comfort level with meeting face-to-face, WiAHC would encourage you to participate in this critical grassroots advocacy program.

Please click here for more information on the program.

Wisconsin DHS Announces Rate Increase to Help Support Healthcare Workforce During COVID-19 Case Surge

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:40:33 GMT

Wisconsin DHS Announces Rate Increase to Help Support Healthcare Workforce During COVID-19 Case Surge

Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Health Services (DHS) earlier this month announced that Wisconsin has increased reimbursement rates by five percent for several types of home and community-based services (HCBS) provided to members of Wisconsin's Medicaid programs. The announcement from Gov. Evers and DHS today comes as the state continues to face healthcare workforce challenges in the midst of surging COVID-19 cases across Wisconsin. Last week, the Evers Administration announced the state has worked to recruit nearly 600 temporary staff to support the state's healthcare workforce.

HCBS providers serve Wisconsin's older adults, as well as adults and children with disabilities, enabling them to live independently in the community. The rates were increased by using funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The increases took effect as of Jan. 1, 2022, and will run through March 31, 2024.

“As our state continues to face some of the worst case increases we've seen during this pandemic, we're working to ensure our state's hospitals and long-term care facilities have the resources and support to retain and recruit workers and continue providing care to folks across our state,” said Gov. Evers. “The pandemic has put a significant strain on our healthcare workforce, and we're making critical investments so providers can better keep pace with rising costs and maintain access to care for Wisconsinites.”

“It is essential that we invest in our long-term care infrastructure so Wisconsinites who are elderly or who have a disability are able to access the services and support they need to live as independently as possible in their community,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. “These rate increases are needed now more than ever as providers of care and services for our elders and adults and children living with disabilities are also being affected by the current surge in COVID-19 cases.”

Increasing Rates for Nursing Homes and Hospitals
Gov. Evers and DHS have increased rates and provided additional support to Wisconsin's nursing homes and hospitals, so they have the resources and support to continue providing high-quality care. Wisconsin hospitals and nursing homes provide care that is essential to the well-being of people across the state. COVID-19 has added more financial pressure due to supply and equipment costs, testing, and disruptions in admissions and discharges. Increasing funding for nursing homes and hospitals is a key part of supporting our most vulnerable residents.

Over the period from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2023, Wisconsin will invest more than $500 million in payments and incentives to nursing homes, and more than $275 million in payments and incentives to hospitals. These payments are summarized below. They reflect increased reimbursement rates for nursing homes, increased payments made to hospitals that provide a higher amount of care to Medicaid members and people who are uninsured or underinsured, increased payments to rural hospitals, and additional funding provided to hospitals and nursing homes to offset the losses and expenditures providers have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nursing Homes
The rate increases for nursing homes were provided through the 2019-21 and 2021-23 biennial budgets. Payments to offset losses and expenditures experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic were provided through one-time federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act funding.

Rate increases in the 2019-21 biennial budget: $148,157,800 (Reflects budgeted amounts for fiscal year 2020 through fiscal year 2023, The rate increase is ongoing.)
Rate increases in the 2021-23 biennial budget: $252,409,700 (Reflects budgeted amounts for fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2023. The rate increase is ongoing.)
CARES Act Direct Provider Payments to Nursing Homes: $75,640,729
CARES Act Admissions Incentive Program: $30,000,000

Hospitals
Increased payments for hospitals were provided through the 2019-21 and 2021-23 biennial budgets. Payments to offset losses and expenditures experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic were provided through one-time federal CARES Act funding.

Increased disproportionate share hospital payments in the 2019-21 and 2021-23 biennial budgets: $215,587,514
Increased rural critical care supplement for rural hospitals in the 2019-21 and 2021-23 biennial budgets: $19,748,200
CARES Act Direct Provider Payments to Hospitals: $40,000,000

Increasing Rates for HCBS
Wisconsin projects that the demand for long-term care services will rise faster than the workforce will grow in the coming years. According to the Governor's Taskforce on Caregiving, the state's population aged 65 and older is expected to grow by 72 percent between 2015 and 2040. The rate is six times higher than the overall Wisconsin population growth project of 12 percent for the same period.

HCBS are essential to meeting the daily needs of the members of Wisconsin's long-term care programs, allowing them to avoid unnecessary institutionalization. Examples of HCBS include care received at an assisted living facility, personal care, home health, residential substance use disorder treatment, respiratory care, and in-home nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. These services have been shown to be a cost-effective alternative to higher-cost institutional services, such as nursing home placements or hospital services. Higher rates help providers recruit staff and maintain the important system that delivers such critical care. The rate increase is part of DHS' broader plan to reinvest resources provided through ARPA into home and community-based services.

The ARPA rate increase for HCBS is being made in addition to the investments in support of the Medicaid HCBS workforce provided through the 2021-23 biennial budget. This included funding to increase the hourly rate for personal care services, increases for behavioral treatment services for individuals with autism and other disorders, increases for home health, therapeutic services, and Family Care providers, as well as funding increases for the direct care workforce funding program for Family Care. These investments will be significant to support individuals in their homes. As one example, when the workforce investments in the 2021-23 biennial budget are combined with this five percent rate increase, the hourly reimbursement rate for personal care services will be increased by 14 percent from $19.16 per hour and $21.84 per hour.

WiAHC Legislative Tracker

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:37:18 GMT

WiAHC Legislative Tracker

The 2021-22 WiAHC Legislative Bill Tracker lists and allows members to follow and learn more about the bills WiAHC is lobbying on and monitoring as they work through the legislative process. The Bill Tracker, which you can find below, includes the bill number, a brief description of the bill, its status, and WiAHC’s position on the proposal.

Bill: Assembly Bill 215 / Senate Bill 230
Description: Relating to visitation of a long-term care facility resident or hospital patient by an essential visitor or member of the clergy.
Status: AB 215 was introduced and referred to the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee. SB 230 was introduced and referred to the Senate Human Services, Children, and Families Committee.
WiAHC Position: Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 679 / Senate Bill 687
Description: Relating to hospital services provided in a home setting.
Status: AB 679 was referred to and passed by the Assembly Health Committee on 11/10/21. SB 687 was referred to the Senate Health Committee and received a public hearing on 1/12/22.
WiAHC Position: Currently Neutral/Actively Monitoring

Bill: Assembly Bill 718 / Senate Bill 753
Description: Relating to prohibiting certain practices relating to insurance coverage of clinician-administered drugs (“white bagging” legislation).
Status: AB 718 was introduced and referred to the Assembly Health Committee. SB 753 was introduced and referred to the Senate Insurance, Licensing and Forestry
WiAHC Position: Support

Bill: Assembly Bill 729 / Senate Bill 700
Description: Relating to modifying administrative rules related to home health agencies.
Status: AB 729 was referred to the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and received a public hearing on 01/12/22. SB 230 was referred to the Senate Human Services, Children, and Families Committee and received a public hearing on 01/13/22.
WiAHC Position: Support

WiAHC Legislative/Regulatory News and Notes

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:35:06 GMT

All Health Plans to Cover Cost of At-Home COVID-19 Tests
On January 13, Governor Evers and Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek announced that all health insurance plans will be required to cover the cost of at-home rapid, diagnostic COVID-19 tests, starting on January 15, 2022. This is required by the federal government. These tests may be free or reimbursable to patients, depending upon arrangements health plans and insurance companies make with retailers/pharmacies. Health plans and insurance companies will be required to cover up to eight such diagnostic tests per person, per month.

State Improves Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
In December, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice awarded $1,648,000 to the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP). These dollars will be used to help connect the ePDMP with existing electronic medical records systems in Wisconsin. DSPS intends to focus these efforts on medical providers in rural and underserved regions in our state.
Medicaid Program Surplus Projected
On December 30, 2021, the Department of Health Services informed the legislature that it projects that the state will have a $184.9 million surplus in the Medicaid program by the end of the 2021-2023 state budget. The state budget expires at the end of state fiscal year 2023, which ends on June 30, 2023. This increase is largely due to the extension of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency and the additional 6.2 percent Medicaid match rate, which is provided by the federal government while the emergency declaration is in place.
Gov. Evers Announces Wisconsin National Guard to Support Hospital and Nursing Home Capacity
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers recently announced new efforts with the Wisconsin National Guard to bring needed staffing support to Wisconsin's hospitals and nursing homes by training Wisconsin National Guard members as certified nursing assistants. In an effort to free up capacity at hospitals, staffing relief will allow skilled nursing facilities to open up 200 or more beds by the end of February to receive post-acute care patients. This week, approximately 50 Wisconsin National Guard members were deployed to six nursing homes across the state. A group of about 80 members who started training this week will deploy at the end of January. Another group of about 80 members will start training in early February to deploy by the end of February.
Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Actz
On December 10, President Biden signed the Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act (S. 610) into law, addressing multiple policies expected to drastically cut physician Medicare reimbursement in 2022. More specifically, the act does the following:
- Provides a 3 percent increase to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) conversion factor in 2022, which provides relief from the scheduled expiration of a 3.75 percent increase passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
- Extends the suspension of the automatic 2 percent cut to Medicare reimbursement, known as the sequester, until March 31, 2022.
- Delays an additional 4 percent cut stemming from the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) until at least 2023.

Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s COVID Vaccine Mandate Rule for Large Businesses; Upholds Health Worker Requirement
As has been widely reported, the U.S. Supreme Court recently handed down a split decision on two Biden administration COVID-19 vaccine requirement workplace rules: 1.) An OSHA rule requiring businesses with at least 100 employees to compel their workers to get vaccinated or wear masks and test negative at least once per week; and 2.) The CMS rule mandating most health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The High Court struck down the OSHA Rule on a 6-3 decision, but it upheld the CMS mandate on a 5-4 decision.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:28:27 GMT

WiAHC Government Affairs Report | By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s Lobbying Firm

Assembly and Senate Committees Hold Hearing on Home Health Rules Update Bill

During the week of January 10, the Assembly Aging & Long-Term Care Committee and the Senate Labor and Regulatory Reform Committee held hearings on Assembly Bill 729 and Senate Bill 700, respectively. This legislation, which was introduced by Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) and Sen. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) at the request of WiAHC, brings Wisconsin’s regulations in line with federal regulations by eliminating home health care professional advisory bodies but maintaining governing bodies. WiAHC state lobbyist Tim Hoven testified at both hearings on behalf of WiAHC and received a positive reception from members of both committees.

Current state administrative rules require each home health agency to establish a professional advisory body, which is required to review and submit recommendations to the governing body regarding various operational matters each year. However, in 2017, federal regulations eliminated professional advisory committees and instead created an ongoing quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) program.

A home health agency’s governing body is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the QAPI program is operated properly. An additional professional advisory body is no longer needed in state administrative rules now that the federal government has eliminated professional advisory committees and required home health agencies to implement QAPI programs, which prioritizes quality of care and patient safety. CLICK HERE to read the one-page issue summary that WiAHC provided to legislators.

Politicians on the Move

On January 10, State Representative Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) stepped down as Assembly Minority Leader. He was first elected to the Assembly in 2006 and was elected as Assembly Minority Leader in 2017. On January 10, State Representative Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) assumed the role of Assembly Minority Leader. Rep. Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee) was elected to serve as the next Assistant Minority Leader and will take over from State Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), who will run for the seat of State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point), who is retiring this year.
State Representative Beth Meyers (D-Bayfield) recently announced that she will not run for re-election in 2022. She was first elected in 2014. She is a member of the Assembly Democratic leadership team as the Minority Caucus Secretary and is also a member of the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee. On January 10, new Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer appointed Rep. Meyers to a seat on the Joint Finance Committee for the rest of the 2021-2022 legislative session.
State Representative Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna), the current Assembly Majority Leader, recently announced he will not seek re-election in 2022. Steinke was first elected in 2010, and quickly rose through the ranks of the Assembly GOP leadership. He has served as Majority Leader since 2015.
State Senator Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) announced on January 7 that she will not run for re-election this year. She was elected to the Senate in 2018 and previously served in the Assembly from 2011-2018. She currently chairs the Senate Committee on Elections, Election Process Reform and Ethics and serves on the Joint Finance Committee.

Home-Based Care Advocates Celebrate Build Back Better Plan’s House Passage, Urge Senate to Follow Suit

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:18:31 GMT

Home Health Care News

By Andrew Donlan | November 19, 2021

The Biden administration’s Build Back Better plan – which includes an array of support for home-based care and senior services – took a significant step Friday.

A $1.9 trillion bill got the necessary number of votes to make it through the U.S. House of Representatives. The next stop will be the Senate.

“Today’s historic vote of support for home care comes at a time when the country needs it more than ever,” National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) President William A. Dombi said in a statement shared with Home Health Care News. “Health care at home is widely recognized as high value, high quality and highly preferred.”

Most notably, $150 billion will be dedicated to reducing waiting lists for in-home care services and improving pay for low-wage in-home care professionals.

But the Build Back Better plan will also include $150 billion to increase the supply of affordable housing, $130 billion to provide tax credits for uninsured people in states that have not expanded Medicaid benefits, $1 billion for direct care workforce competitive grants, and $20 million for hospice and palliative nursing programs.

“From pediatric nursing care to home care aide services for those with multiple chronic illnesses as they age, this legislation will provide improved access to home care,” Dombi said. “We now look to the Senate to complete the work to protect our families and friends who need this essential care.”

Originally, the plan included $400 billion for home- and community-based services (HCBS), but it was eventually trimmed as Democrats and Republicans bargained for their respective side’s wishes.

Even the lesser version won’t be a shoo-in to get through the Senate, though advocates are arguing relentlessly on its behalf. The Senate is expected to consider the bill in the coming weeks, with the hope that a decision will be made before Christmas.

“Today’s vote is a major step forward for millions of older Americans … stuck on waiting lists to rent a place they can afford, and unable to get the home health and other help they and their families need,” Katie Smith Sloan, the president and CEO of LeadingAge, said in a statement. “It’s also an overdue step toward alleviating workforce shortages that are denying critical services and support to millions of older adults.”

While the funding would help on the recruiting and retention front by improving wages, it would also likely give hundreds of thousands more Americans access to home-based care.

“Support for home- and community-based services and affordable senior housing programs in the Build Back Better legislation can fundamentally transform how people grow old in this country,” Sloan continued. “These are critically needed resources – especially the investments in the workforce – that will immediately help alleviate current shortages and scarcity across aging services.”

The investment in workers, particularly, has drawn praise from organizations across the country that represent caregivers and other home-based care professionals.

Ai-jen Poo, the executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and Caring Across Generations, remarked that this was a step toward “the care and infrastructure our families and economy need.”

“Today’s vote brings us one step closer to realizing a future where America’s home care workers … receive a family-sustaining wage,” Poo said in a statement. “And those who need care … will be able to receive quality, affordable care services at home. The Senate’s quick passage of this historic legislation with all three pillars of the care economy – including home- and community-based services, child care and paid family medical leave – will enable us to start building the care infrastructure our families and economy need.”

The plan would be building on other legislative moves made to support in-home care since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The passage of another $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, the American Rescue Plan set the stage for Build Back Better after it made a 10 percentage point increase to HCBS funding through the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP) match.

An example of how those funds were used surfaced earlier this week in Florida, as the state used that hike to invest $1.1 billion to support HCBS for Floridians. Of that $1.1 billion, more than $669 million will go toward directly addressing HCBS providers’ ongoing workforce challenges and more than $128 million will go toward enhancing services for older adults.

As of Oct. 21, two dozen states had received approval to use increased FMAP funds to increase HCBS provider payment rates. Another 20 or so used it to offer special bonus payments to workers.

“Florida will invest the enhanced funding to allow Florida health care providers to recruit and retain staff to care for the most vulnerable and bolster the ability of Floridians to receive care in a community-based setting,” a statement from the state’s Agency Health Care Administration (AHCA) read. “HCBS programs serve the state’s aging population, as well as individuals with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

New Marquette Law School Poll Shows Sagging Approval Ratings for Statewide Office Holders

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:17:01 GMT

On November 3, Marquette Law School released a new poll that surveyed Wisconsin registered voters on their opinions of various national and statewide elected officials, as well as views related to the coronavirus pandemic.

In this poll, statewide elected officials had fairly low approval ratings. Among statewide elected officials, Governor Tony Evers has the highest favorable rating of 42%. However, he also had an unfavorable rating of 45%, while 13% didn’t know enough about him or don’t have an opinion. Notably, 53% approve of Governor Evers’ handling of the pandemic, while 40% disapprove.

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) has the next-highest approval rating, with 38% of Wisconsin registered voters approving of her performance, 39% disapproving, and 22% did not have an opinion. Wisconsin’s other U.S. Senator – Republican Ron Johnson, had a 36% approval rating, a 42% disapproval rating, and 22% of surveyed voters didn’t know enough about him or didn’t not have an opinion.

The poll also asked several questions regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the results:

Overall, 55% support school mask mandates, while 40% oppose them.
48% support the federal mandate that require employees of larger businesses (100 or more employees) to either get vaccinated or face weekly testing. 48% of respondents opposed it.
74% of Wisconsin registered voters said they have received at least one dose of a vaccine, 23% said that they have not been vaccinated, and 3% declined to answer.
62% of respondents claimed they are fully vaccinated, although CDC data shows that 66% of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated.
Out of those surveyed who are unvaccinated, 56% said they will not get the vaccine and 18% said they will probably not get it.

DHS Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose for Anyone 18 and Older

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:16:30 GMT

DHS supports the FDA authorization, CDC recommendations

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) supports the recommendation that anyone 18 and older receive a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after having received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) or Moderna vaccine. All adults are now eligible to receive booster doses, and booster doses are strongly recommended for everyone 50 and older, who are at the greatest risk for severe disease.

A recent decision by the CDC extends eligibility for a booster dose to everyone 18 and up at least 6 months after they received their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna. People who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are also eligible for a booster dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines. For the people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are recommended by the CDC for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

The CDC’s recommendations now also allow for mix-and-match dosing for booster doses. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster.

“Getting everyone vaccinated continues to be our top priority for preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for DHS. “Too many of us remain unprotected going into the winter season. Getting a booster dose when it’s time to do so, and continuing to get our children 5 and older vaccinated will slow the spread of the virus and save lives.”

Getting vaccinated is about protection. Given that evidence suggests immunity is waning over time for some people who were initially well-protected by the vaccine, the booster dose can strengthen and extend their protection against infection, serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

With the high-level of disease transmission in Wisconsin, DHS continues to urge everyone who is not vaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and for all people to add additional layers of protection including masking up indoors, staying home when feeling sick, and avoiding large indoor gatherings.

DHS has also updated the COVID-19 vaccine administration dashboard on the COVID-19 vaccine data webpage. The expanded dashboard displays new data on additional and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The administration tab now includes a section showing the cumulative number of additional and booster COVID-19 vaccine doses administered and reported to the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) by Wisconsin vaccine providers.

For up-to-date information about Wisconsin’s COVID-19 response, visit the DHS COVID-19 webpage.

Electronic Visit Verification: Soft launch Extended

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:13:00 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has released ForwardHealth Update 2021-40, “Electronic Visit Verification Soft Launch Has Been Extended.” This update communicates that DHS required hard launch consequences will not go into effect January 1, 2022.

ForwardHealth Update 2021-26, "Electronic Visit Verification Hard Launch Preparation" and ForwardHealth Update 2021-23, "Electronic Visit Verification Policy and Hard Launch Timeline" have been revised to reflect this extension.

With the soft launch extension:

EVV is still required f or Medicaid-covered personal care and applicable supportive home care services and has been since November 2, 2020.
Provider agencies that are not currently using EVV are out of compliance with current DHS policy.
Fee-for-service claims without EVV data will be paid.
DHS has encouraged health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and managed care organizations (MCOs) to continue to pay claims without EVV data until the new hard launch date. This will provide consistency and coordination f or provider agencies within the EVV program.
Services without EVV data will be included in future capitation rate setting development for HMOs and MCOs.
IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self -Direct) fiscal employer agencies will not deny payment for provider agency claims until the new hard launch date.
The IRIS non-compliant participant disenrollment process will be delayed. Participants are out of compliance with current DHS policy if their participant-hired workers are not using an EVV system during the soft launch phase.
Provider agencies choosing to use an alternate EVV system that is not certified should complete the certification process as soon as possible. They are out of compliance with current DHS policy if they are not using an EVV system during soft launch phase.
In fee-for-service, the Sandata EVV system is not a replacement f or Record of Care timesheets until the new hard launch date.

DHS will continue to monitor the status of EVV and will be taking additional actions to further promote EVV usage and provider compliance during the extension.

Payers, provider agencies, and workers should use this extension to become more efficient with EVV, streamline processes, and take additional training as needed.

If you have questions or comments about EVV, please contact Wisconsin EVV Customer Care via phone at 833-931-2035. Customer Care hours are Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. CT.

In Case You Missed It: CMS COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule Release

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:06:49 GMT

Earlier this month, the WI Department of Health Services’ Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) issued the following information to all DQA regulated providers regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule (released on Nov. 4, 2021), which requires COVID-19 vaccination for most healthcare workers at certain healthcare facilities certified by CMS:

On November 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new emergency rule related to COVID-19 vaccination requirements for Medicare and Medicaid-certified health care providers and suppliers. Specifically, it requires all health care providers and suppliers that participate in a federally certified Medicare and Medicaid program under Conditions of Participation (COP) to develop a plan/process to vaccinate all staff with a first dose or single dose of COVID-19 vaccine by December 6, 2021. All eligible staff must be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022.

The Emergency regulations apply to the following Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers/suppliers:

Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Community Mental Health Centers
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities
Critical Access Hospitals
End-Stage Renal 2 Dialysis Facilities
Home Health Agencies
Home Infusion Therapy Suppliers
Hospices
Hospitals
Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Clinics
Rehabilitation Agencies, and Public Health Agencies as Providers of Outpatient Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Services
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)
Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Organizations (PACE)
Rural Health Clinics/Federally Qualified Health Centers
Long Term Care Facilities

The regulation does not apply to:

Assisted Living Facilities; however, the mandate would apply to large, assisted living facilities with more than 100 employees under the OSHA mandate.
Home and Community-Based Services
Physician’s offices

The vaccination requirement applies to eligible staff working at a facility that participates in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, regardless of clinical responsibility or patient contact. This includes:

Facility employees
Licensed practitioners
Students
Trainees
Volunteers
Individuals who provide care, treatment, or other services for the facility and/or its patients under contract or other arrangements

CMS has provided additional information about the COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule in a FAQ document.

DQA Review:

CMS expects state survey agencies to conduct onsite compliance reviews of these requirements during recertification surveys and complaint surveys. Surveyors will check to determine if a facility has met the three basic requirements:

Having a process or plan for vaccinating all eligible staff
Having a process or plan for providing exemptions and accommodations for those who are exempt
Having a process or plan for tracking and documenting staff vaccinations.
Surveyors will review the facility’s vaccine policies, the number of resident and staff COVID-19 cases over the last 4 weeks and list of staff and their vaccination status. This information will be used to determine the compliance of the provider or supplier with these requirements.

Numerous states have files lawsuit against CMS and the Biden Administration challenging the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. However, the Final Interim Rule currently remains in place.

Koreen’s Law: Ensuring Access to Life-Saving Medication

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:05:46 GMT

By State Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc)

Senator Alberta Darling and I recently introduced Koreen's Law (Assembly Bill 718) a critical legislative proposal to help ensure patients have access to life-saving medication. It is named after a patient, Koreen, who went through a traumatic experience while undergoing chemotherapy.

Seven months into her treatment, Koreen and her husband were told their insurance company would no longer cover the cost of her medication, which was vital to her treatment, because the company implemented a new “white bagging” policy that dictated where -- and from which provider – she could obtain her medication.

More specifically, white bagging is a practice by insurance companies that requires patients to obtain their clinician-administered drugs by a specialty pharmacy selected by the insurance company, rather than the patient’s local care provider. While their care provider and local pharmacy remain in-network for most things, an insurance company picks and chooses certain drugs that will then become out-of-network resulting in patients experiencing more confusion, cost, and disrupted care. For patients to keep their providers, they would be required to pay the costs associated with receiving out-of-network care.

On behalf of Koreen, her husband Nate, her family, and many other patients across Wisconsin, I am happy to author Koreen’s Law to prohibit health insurance companies from mandating the practice of white bagging. To better understand the impacts of white bagging on Wisconsin patients and providers, please visit www.PatientsFirstWI.com.

Nathan Butzlaff joins WiAHC Government Affairs Team

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:05:07 GMT

Hoven Consulting, Inc., WiAHC’s lobbying firm, recently announced the addition of Nathan Butzlaff to its government affairs team. Butzlaff, who joined the firm as lobbyist and government affairs specialist, brings over 19 years of valuable experience in state and federal public policy and advocacy to Hoven Consulting and WiAHC.

“We are pleased to have Nathan join the firm,” said Tim Hoven, president of Hoven Consulting.

“He’s a talented professional with a great understanding of the legislative process on both the state and federal levels. I’m confident his public policy experience will bring great value to WiAHC and its members.”

Butzlaff most recently worked in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a legislative aide for State

Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Salem) and for State Rep. John Macco (R-Ledgeview). Prior to his service in Wisconsin, he worked in Washington, DC as a legislative staff member for U.S. Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski, as well as a state-federal liaison in the Washington, DC office of the Alaska Governor. Butzlaff also has experience working as a lobbyist for a Washington, DC lobby firm. He graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

“I am excited to join the team at Hoven Consulting,” said Butzlaff. “I look forward to putting my knowledge and experience into practice to help WiAHC meet its public policy goals.”

WiAHC Government Affairs Report

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 18:03:25 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

With the holidays right around the corner, the halls of the State Capitol will be relatively quiet through December. But despite the fact there will not be much visible legislative activity until the new year, plenty is going on behind the scenes as lawmakers work to shape their remaining legislative priorities before the session ends in April.

Similarly, WiAHC continues to position itself for the rest of the current session and future legislative success. One significant step in that direction was our Virtual Legislative and Policy Forum held on Nov. 8 where members learned how they can be effective grassroots advocates and had an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of key policymakers, including WI Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary Debra Standridge, DQA Administrator Otis Woods, and two state lawmakers – Rep. Rick Gundrum (R-Slinger) and Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield).

While we are looking forward to holding an in-person WiAHC “Day at the Capitol” in the future – which will allow us to have a much bigger advocacy impact – the virtual legislative and policy forum provided great value and helped raise our profile and increase our influence in the Capitol and among state government officials.

Speaking of strengthening advocacy efforts, WiAHC’s legislative committee and lobbyists have spent a considerable amount of time over the last year refining legislation to make modest but impactful changes to DHS 133, the administrative rule chapter regulating home health agencies. We are pleased to report the bill has been officially introduced as Senate Bill 700.

The impetus for the changes began as an effort to bring Wisconsin’s administrative rules in line with the federal government’s elimination of requirements for professional advisory bodies. The final version of the legislation will eliminate DHS 133.05 (2) in its entirety regarding advisory board requirements, as they are no longer compatible with federal law.

The legislative committee also recommended several other changes to Chapter 133 which would have created additional efficiency to patient care. After sharing those recommendations with the Department of Health Services and previously receiving their support, the agency raised concerns regarding these proposed changes late in the legislative drafting process. With an eye on the legislative clock, we chose to move forward with the scaled-down version that DHS does support and not jeopardize a potential veto.

Our Government Affairs Team worked with Representative Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield) and Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) to introduce the legislation and will work to advance the proposals through the legislative process before the legislature adjourns in Spring 2022. Please watch for opportunities coordinated by WiAHC to engage your legislators and request their support for the bill.

Regulatory Alert: CMS COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule Overview

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 15:21:35 GMT

Yesterday the WI Department of Health Services’ Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) issued the following information to all DQA regulated providers regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Interim Final Rule (released on Nov. 4, 2021), which requires COVID-19 vaccination for most healthcare workers at certain healthcare facilities certified by CMS:

On November 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new emergency rule related to a COVID-19 vaccination requirements for Medicare and Medicaid-certified health care providers and suppliers. Specifically, it requires all health care providers and suppliers that participate in a federally certified Medicare and Medicaid program under Conditions of Participation (COP) to develop a plan/process to vaccinate all staff with a first dose or single dose of COVID-19 vaccine by December 6, 2021. All eligible staff must be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022.

The Emergency regulations apply to the following Medicare and Medicaid-certified providers/suppliers:

Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Community Mental Health Centers
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities
Critical Access Hospitals
End-Stage Renal 2 Dialysis Facilities
Home Health Agencies
Home Infusion Therapy Suppliers
Hospices
Hospitals
Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
Clinics
Rehabilitation Agencies, and Public Health Agencies as Providers of Outpatient Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology Services
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs)
Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Organizations (PACE)
Rural Health Clinics/Federally Qualified Health Centers
Long Term Care Facilities

The regulation does not apply to:

Assisted Living Facilities; however, the mandate would apply to large assisted living facilities with more than 100 employees under the OSHA mandate.
Home and Community-Based Services
Physician’s offices

Facility employees
Licensed practitioners
Students
Trainees
Volunteers
Individuals who provide care, treatment, or other services for the facility and/or its patients under contract or other arrangements

CMS has provided additional information about the COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule in a FAQ document.

DQA Review:

Having a process or plan for vaccinating all eligible staff
Having a process or plan for providing exemptions and accommodations for those who are exempt
Having a process or plan for tracking and documenting staff vaccinations.
Surveyors will review the facility’s vaccine policies, the number of resident and staff COVID-19 cases over the last 4 weeks and list of staff and their vaccination status. This information will be used to determine the compliance of the provider or supplier with these requirements.

CMS will host a second stakeholder call TODAY, November 10, from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CST. To register in advance, visit the CMS Webinar Registration. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Please note that CMS can only accommodate 10,000 participants so register early to guarantee your participation.

November is Home Care & Hospice Month

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 14:19:33 GMT

During the month of November, the home care and hospice community honors the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve. These heroic caregivers play a central role in our health care system and in homes across the nation. To recognize their efforts, we call upon all Americans to commemorate the power of caring, both at the home and in their local communities, and ask them to join with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) by celebrating November as Home Care and Hospice Month.

In addition, Home Care Aide Week takes place the second full week of the month, November 8-14, 2020. Join us in honoring these compassionate, tireless workers who play an invaluable role for their clients as caregivers, companions, and friends.

“Home care and hospice nurses, therapists, aides, and other providers who choose to use their lives to serve our country’s aged, disabled, and dying. This noble work deserves our recognition and praise and we celebrate November as Home Care & Hospice Month for that very reason.” – NAHC President William A. Dombi

Home Health RNs Receive 2.98% Hourly Rate Increase in 2021

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 17:20:00 GMT

Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service

Oakland, NJ, October 2021--The average hourly rate for Registered Nurses (RNs) in home health agencies increased 2.98% in 2021, according to the 2021-2022 Home Care Salary & Benefits Report, just released by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS). The Report is published in cooperation with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).

In a comparison of rates by agency type, RNs in hospital-based home health agencies received the highest in pay with an average hourly rate of $40.10. The average hourly rate for RNs in VNS/VNAs was $37.67; for-profit agency RN hourly pay was $34.43; and not-for-profit agency pay was $36.17/hour. (All rates above represent the national average hourly rate.)

The national average hourly rate for RNs was $35.20. In a comparison of rates by state, RNs in Connecticut received $41.19/hour; RNs in Massachusetts received $41.98/hour; and California RNs ranked the highest in pay at $48.83/hour. On the lower spectrum, RNs in Mississippi received $28.53/hour; while RNs in Kentucky received $31.32/hour; and RNs in Alabama received $31.68/hour. (All rates above represent the national average hourly rate.)

The national average turnover rate for RNs has risen 11.70% since 2019. The average turnover rate for RNs in 2019 was 20.55%; 25.85% in 2020; and 32.25% in 2021. The average turnover rate for Home Care Aides rose from 36.53% in 2020 to 38.05% in this year’s study.

1,011 home health agencies participated in the study. The complete 190+ page Report contains 58 jobs and covers salaries, bonuses, and hourly & per visit rates. Data include the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th average, total number of employees, and total number of agencies. Data are reported by state, CBSA, region, agency type and revenue size. Also included are 20 fringe benefits, planned percent increases, productivity, and personnel policies.

The Report price is $375. A separate Hospice Salary & Benefits Report will be published in late November. Both studies are published in cooperation with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). To order, visit the HCS website at www.hhcsinc.comor call (201) 405‑0075.

With 50 years’ experience in national healthcare salary and benefits research, HCS is recognized for its comprehensive, responsible, and reliable ten specialized studies. HCS provides the source for establishing and maintaining an effective compensation program.

Hourly Data by Agency	VNA / VNS	Not-for-profit	For-profit	Hospital-based	Combined
Registered Nurse	$37.67	$36.17	$34.43	$40.10	$35.20

*National average hourly data from the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 HCS Home Care Salary & Benefits Report

Democratic Field to Replace Retiring Congressman Ron Kind Grows

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 17:28:59 GMT

Back in August Representative Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) announced he would not seek reelection in 2022 to Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional seat, which he has represented since 1997. Since his announcement, the field of candidates to replace him continues to grow.

On the Democratic side, current state Senator and former Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff was the first to throw his hat in the ring to replace Kind. Earlier this month, Kind endorsed Pfaff, who previously worked as a congressional aide for kind.

The following three Democrats have also joined the race and will face Pfaff in the Democratic primary:

Rebecca Cooke, an Eau Claire small businesswoman and a member of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors (as an Evers appointee).
Brett Knudsen, a U.S. Navy veteran, and political novice from Holmen; and
Deb McGrath, an Army veteran, former CIA employee, and the daughter of Al Baldus, who represented the 3rd Congressional District for three terms in the late 70’s.

At this time there is only once declared candidate on the Republican side, Derrick Van Orden who narrowly lost to Kind in 2020. Van Orden, a retired Navy Seal and business consultant, has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional seat is a battleground district that could flip the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representative and is one of the most-watched congressional races nationally in the upcoming mid-term elections.

State GOP Legislative Leaders Release Proposed New Legislative Maps

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:47:45 GMT

Earlier this month, Republican legislative leaders in the State Legislature unveiled their proposal to redraw new state legislative and congressional districts for the 2022 fall election. Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau publishes updated information reflecting changes in the population since the previous census, which is used by states to redraw local, legislative, and congressional districts so that each district has approximately the same number of people.

According to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, the proposed GOP maps largely retain district boundaries as they are now, with some adjustments based on population changes. The new maps will likely pass the Legislature on a party-line vote next month, but Gov. Tony Evers (D) has vowed to veto the bills.

Register TODAY for WiAHC Virtual Legislative Forum

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:45:08 GMT

Policy decisions made at the State Capitol and throughout Wisconsin government can have a significant impact on the home health care industry, the professionals that work in the field, and the patients and families they serve. That’s why it’s increasingly important for WiAHC members to engage in the policymaking process at the state level. But the first step in raising our profile and increasing our influence under the Capitol dome is educating members on the importance of advocacy and building relationships with key policymakers.

With that on mind, we strongly encourage you to REGISTER TODAY for the FREE Wisconsin Association for Home Health care Virtual Legislative Forum, which will provide participants with effective grassroots advocacy training, help them understand how they can make a difference in the legislative process, and allow them to hear from key state lawmakers and Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) officials. They will also have an opportunity to engage with invited policymakers and discuss issues that impact Wisconsin’s home health care industry.

The virtual event will take place on Monday, Nov. 8 from 10:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

Participating state officials include newly appointed WI DHS Deputy Secretary Debra Standridge and State Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton), Co-Chair of the Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee.

LEGISLATIVE FORUM AGENDA:

10:30-10:35 a.m. - Welcome and Overview
10:35-10:50 a.m. – Grassroots Advocacy 101
10:50-11:15 a.m. – Featured Speaker
- DHS Deputy Secretary Debra Standridge
- DHS Division of Quality Assurance staff
11:15-12:00 p.m. – Legislative Panel and Interactive Discussion
- CONFIRMED – Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton), Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee
- INVITED – Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield), member of the Assembly Health Committee

Please do not wait to register for this exciting event. We look forward to “seeing you” on November 8.

Permanent Medicaid Telehealth Rules to Roll Out Next Year

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:35:26 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s lobbying firm

According to the Wisconsin Health News, the state’s Medicaid program will carry forward many of the temporary telehealth provisions it put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in a permanent policy that will take effect January 1, 2022.

“What you see right now is in many cases the same rule that you’re going to see in the future, with I think some improvements actually,” Medicaid Director Jim Jones said at a Wisconsin Health News virtual panel in September.

Jones said improvements include paying originating sites, like a pharmacy or medical office, to provide a place for Medicaid members to receive telehealth. They’re also looking at expanding teledentistry and doctor-to-doctor teleconsultation.

Other changes like covering asynchronous telehealth, where patients, for instance, send a photo to their provider, are still being developed.

A state law enacted in November 2019 requires that the Department of Health Services treat telehealth the same as in-person care and mandates that Medicaid reimburse the same telehelath services that Medicare covers. The Department of Health Services initially anticipated taking six to nine months to roll out the law.

But when the pandemic struck in March 2020, DHS “ripped the Band-Aid off” and moved quickly to set up a temporary policy to ensure members could still get access to services, Jones said. They've spent the time since working on a permanent rule.

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, who wrote the law, said it helped plant “the seed of what telehealth could be,” particularly in how it could boost access to mental healthcare.

“This test period that we’re in has been really helpful and will inform rule-making,” she said.

She’s now working on legislation that would apply the Medicaid definition for telehealth to the state occupational licensing law.

Jim Castellano, telehealth and virtual care manager at Marshfield Clinic Health System, said state and federal flexibilities boosted their ability to provide telehealth.

“In some ways, I think this was a unique opportunity for everybody to just really get down and dirty with the technology and see what it’s capable of,” said Dr. John Schneider, chief medical officer at the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division.

He said telehealth has helped them reach more people, including easing the pivot from at-home visits to telecalls. He said there could be challenges with reimbursement in the future.

John Nygren, Wisconsin Association of Health Plans executive director, said their members have embraced the use of telehealth, calling it the “one of the best things” that has come out of the pandemic.

DHS 133 Legislative Proposal to be Introduced

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:31:16 GMT

Over the last year, WiAHC’s legislative committee and government affairs team have been refining a critical legislative proposal to make modest but impactful changes to DHS 133, the administrative rule chapter regulating home health agencies. The bill, which will be introduced by Senator Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) and Representative Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield), is currently being circulated co-sponsorship, which gives other lawmakers an opportunity to co-sign the bill.

The impetus for the changes began as an effort to bring Wisconsin’s administrative rules in line with the federal government’s elimination of requirements for professional advisory bodies. A working group made up of members of WiAHC’s legislative committee identified additional changes to make permanent following emergency regulatory allowances during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal includes the following provisions:

Updates to Match Federal Code

Eliminate DHS 133.05 (2) regarding Professional Advisory Bodies in its entirety.
- LRB-5046 and LRB-2570 brings Wisconsin in line with recent federal updates to eliminate the Professional Advisory Body but maintain the Governing Body.
- Current administrative rule requires each home health agency to establish a Professional Advisory Body, which is required to annually review and make recommendations concerning an agency’s operations.
- Home health agencies also have a Governing Body, as required in DHS 133.05 (1), which governs operations.
- Professional Advisory Bodies are redundant and unnecessary, which is why there were eliminated at the federal level.

Allow for 120 hours to develop a plan of care under DHS 133.20 (1)
- LRB-5046 and LRB-2570 allows Wisconsin’s home health agencies to streamline the administrative work needed for home health agencies to admit new patients by adhering to one timeline of 120 hours.
- Federal law allows 120 hours for home health agencies to develop a plan of care for agencies to meet additional federal admittance requirements.
- State rules require agencies to develop plans of care in 72 hours.
- 120 hours provides home health agencies and other health care providers necessary time to develop comprehensive plans of care.

Maintain regulatory allowance made for COVID-19

Allow supervisory visits required under DHS 133.18 to be done in person or via telehealth.
- LRB-5046 and LRB-2570 allows supervisory to continue to be provided in person or by telehealth, as first allowed by DHS during the pandemic.
- Supervisory visits are required no less than every two weeks during a patient’s term of care to ensure a plan of care being properly administered.
- Registered nurses are able to perform more supervisory visits in a day by cutting down on travel time between homes. This is especially helpful in rural areas.
- Supervisory visits are not the same as routine plan of care visits, which are provided in person. LRB-5046 and LRB-2570 does not change that.

As mentioned above, the bill is currently being circulated for co-sponsorship. The more co-sponsors on a bill, the better chance it may have to make it to the governor’s desk. Click here to find out how you can contact your legislators to encourage them to co-sponsor this important legislation.

Prompt Pay Legislation: Reducing Health Care Costs for Wisconsin Patients

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:30:00 GMT

By State Representative Patrick Snyder (R-Schofield)

One of the most pressing concerns facing families across Wisconsin is the cost of health care. Undergoing treatment for a medical condition can already be a very stressful time for patients and their families. Unfortunately, hat stress can skyrocket once the bill comes due.

Most health insurance plans include cost-sharing arrangements such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. These out-of-pocket costs, which have increased in recent years, are not only a financial burden on patients, but also an administrative burden on the providers who must collect them.

Guidance from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General allows providers across the country to provide “prompt-pay” discounts for copayments and deductibles under certain circumstances if the bill is paid promptly. These discounts offer relief to patient’s wallets and simplify the collections process for providers.

However, due to differing interpretations of Wisconsin state law, providers that offer these discounts in other states are hesitant to give these same discounts to patients in Wisconsin. That’s why Senator Dan Feyen and I introduced Assembly Bill 571. This bill clarifies that prompt-pay discounts are permissible in Wisconsin allowing patients and providers to take advantage of this practice that is common elsewhere in the country.

A similar bill was passed unanimously by the state Assembly last session, but unfortunately “died” in the Senate after senators abruptly ended the session due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal was re-introduced this fall, I look forward to it moving through the legislative process so Wisconsinites can finally take advantage on a nationwide industry norm that helps lower health care costs.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report: Permanent Medicaid Telehealth Rules to Roll Out Next Year

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:21:51 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s Government Affairs Firm

The state’s Medicaid program will carry forward many of the temporary telehealth provisions it put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in a permanent policy that will take effect January 1, 2021.

Other changes like covering asynchronous telehealth, where patients, for instance, send a photo to their provider, are still being developed.

A state law enacted in November 2019 requires that the Department of Health Services to treat telehealth the same as in-person care and mandates that Medicaid reimburse the same telehealth services that Medicare covers. The Department of Health Services initially anticipated taking six to nine months to roll out the law.

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, who wrote the law, said it helped plant “the seed of what telehealth could be,” particularly in how it could boost access to mental healthcare.

“This test period that we’re in has been really helpful and will inform rule-making,” she said.

She’s now working on legislation that would apply the Medicaid definition for telehealth to the state occupational licensing law.

Jim Castellano, telehealth and virtual care manager at Marshfield Clinic Health System, said state and federal flexibilities boosted their ability to provide telehealth.

He said telehealth has helped them reach more people, including easing the pivot from at-home visits to telecalls. He said there could be challenges with reimbursement in the future.

Long Term Care Advisory Council Openings for 2022

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:21:13 GMT

The Long Term Care Advisory Council (LTCAC) is tasked with providing advice to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), as outlined in the council charter. DHS aims to have a diverse council, consisting of individuals from rural and urban areas, varied ethnicities, and different experiences with the various long term care programs in Wisconsin. Members of the LTCAC are appointed by DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. LTCAC members serve three-year terms that begin in January and run through the end of December.

At the end of 2021, there will be one seat up for renewal and we are also looking to fill the current vacancies. Current membership and vacancies are listed on the LTCAC webpage. The Department is specifically looking for individuals that represent either consumer or advocate groups.

Individuals interested in being considered for LTCAC membership should send a letter of interest describing a little bit about themselves, their background, and why they are interested in serving on the council. It is encouraged that applicants include information in their letter of interest describing how they will provide diversity to the council. Letters can be emailed to Suzanne Ziehr.

To ensure consideration for membership beginning 2022, please submit a letter of interest by October 15, 2021.

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 17:35:19 GMT

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility, or a local coffee shop provides a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Please click here for more information on the program.

Gov. Evers Announces $58.4 Million Investment in Local COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Recovery

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 17:34:39 GMT

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) earlier this month announced $58.4 million in funding for local and tribal health departments to continue their work responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and build a strong recovery. The funding comes from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funding and Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and adds to the $106.5 million the Evers Administration has already allocated to local and tribal health departments for COVID-19 response activities in 2021.

“We’ve worked hard this past year to put our state in the best position to recover from this pandemic, and this funding will help support our local partners in this effort to help build a robust and equitable state and ensure our continued economic recovery,” said Gov. Evers.

The funding will provide resources to meet the public health needs that continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, or to address those needs that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and the associated economic downturn. Potential uses for the funding include: measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 such as testing, contact tracing, and vaccination programs; staffing for public health and safety; enhancing public health programs through improvements like technology infrastructure or data analysis; addressing disparities in health outcomes, including services that connect residents with resources; and supporting healthy living environments and healthy childhood environments.

“As vital partners in our COVID-19 response, local and tribal health departments have gone above and beyond, and this funding from ARPA will help them continue to respond to the pandemic while also improving systems and building capacity in their communities,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. “Activities and resources like the ones funded by this investment are the building blocks of Wisconsin’s recovery, and we look forward to continuing to partner with our local and tribal health departments in this effort.”

The $58.4 million in ARPA funding is applicable to expenses that local and tribal health departments incurred from March 3, 2021 through December 31, 2024, and has been allocated to departments based on a formula that includes a base amount of funding with additional funding based on population size.

Deb Standridge Begins as New WI Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 17:33:53 GMT

Earlier this month, former DHS Deputy Secretary Julie Willems Van Dijk, who was a highly visible part of the Evers’ Administration’s COVID-19 response efforts, announced her retirement. Van Dijk, whose last day in her role at DHS was Sept. 10, was replaced by Deb Standridge as the new DHS Deputy Secretary.

“Having spent 40 years dedicated to public good and the health and safety of folks in this state, Julie is the embodiment of public service. It has been a privilege to work alongside her on a near-daily basis over the past year and a half. I want to thank Julie for her career in public service and her family for their many years of support as well. Julie will be greatly missed, and I wish her all of the best in her retirement,” said Gov. Tony Evers.

Standridge previously served as executive director of the state’s alternate care facility at State Fair Park. She has spent her career working in healthcare systems, most recently serving as Regional President of the North Region of Ascension Wisconsin. Her professional focus has been on the strategic direction and operational management of hospitals in a diversity of communities, including her work at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare’s North Market. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

“I want to thank Governor Evers and Secretary-designee Timberlake for this opportunity to serve our state. I know we have both challenges and opportunities ahead of us, and I am ready to get to work serving the people of Wisconsin in this new role,” said Deb Standridge. “I would also like to add my gratitude to the outgoing deputy secretary. Having worked closely with Julie when I ran the Alternate Care Facility, I’ve seen her dedication in action.”

National Association for Home Care & Hospice Files Comments to CMS on Proposed Home Health Rule

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 17:31:52 GMT

Earlier this month, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) filed comments with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2022 home health rule (CMS -1747-P), calling for no major changes to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) payment system, while also calling attention to the fact hospitals and skilled nursing facilities received payment boosts during the COVID-19 pandemic, while home health agencies did not.

More specifically, NAHC recommended the following modifications to the proposed rule in their comments to CMS:

The structure and design of PDGM should be maintained for 2022.
Withdraw the proposal to recalibrate PDGM case mix weights based on 2020 care utilization data, given the fact it’s unreasonable to assume health care utilization in 2020 is an appropriate basis for 2022.
Replace the suggested methodology for assessing whether behavioral changes of home health agencies resulted in PDGM achieved budget neutrality in comparison to the HHPPS HHRG payment model with a methodology that focuses on behavioral changes, not change in average case mix weight.
Reconsider the decision to apply the new OMB geographic designations for core-based statistical areas (CBSAs) in the annual wage index. Instead, CMS should treat all provider types equally in the transition to an updated wage index as it has done for inpatient hospitals.
Establish a process and methodology to modify HHA payment systems and rates during a Public Health Emergency.

CLICK HERE to read the full text of NAHC’s comments to CMS.

2021 Call for WiAHC Board Nominations Now Open!

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 16:50:14 GMT

Nominate a yourself or a colleague to serve on the WiAHC Board of Directors today!

Positions serve a three-year term, starting January 2022.

To be eligible, a nominee's home health agency must be a current member of WiAHC.

How to Nominate

Nominating is easy, quick and simple!

Submit a nomination by completing the call for nominations form here.

The deadline to submit nominations is October 1, 2021.

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:06:07 GMT

Grassroots advocacy is the most powerful tool WiAHC has at its disposal to shape public policy, and building relationships with lawmakers is the most important aspect of advocacy. In effort to capitalize on our greatest advocacy resource – our membership – WiAHC has unveiled our Coffee Conversations with Legislators advocacy program.

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility or a local coffee shop provides a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Please click here for more information on the program.

Gov. Evers, DHS Announce Wisconsin Vaccinators Have Administered Six Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:05:37 GMT

Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced today that six million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the state of Wisconsin. Over half of all Wisconsinites have already completed their COVID-19 vaccine series.

“Wisconsin’s vaccine providers have worked tirelessly to get shots in arms,” said Gov. Evers. “This is a tremendous milestone, and we couldn’t have gotten here without the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. Whether you’re administering shots, scheduling appointments, answering phones, or sanitizing workstations, thank you. I encourage every eligible Wisconsinite who has not done so already to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated to help protect themselves and their loved ones.”

Since Wisconsin began administering COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December of last year, over 3.1 million Wisconsinites have received at least one dose. The state continues to make deliberate choices to reduce barriers to accessing the COVID-19 vaccine and provide much-needed relief to communities that have withstood the worst of the pandemic. Since the start of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program in Wisconsin and thanks to countless partners, the state has launched a number of successful vaccine initiatives. Through the Vaccine Equity and Outreach grant program, DHS has helped support 100 organizations to serve as trusted vaccine messengers, increase vaccine confidence, and promote vaccine equity in racially and geographically diverse communities across Wisconsin.

Earlier this month, over 600 people got their COVID-19 vaccine at the Wisconsin State Fair, and in the process, a voucher for a free cream puff. Wisconsin also recently announced its $100 COVID-19 Vaccine Reward Program, which offers a $100 Visa gift card to anyone who receives their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine between August 20 and September 6.

Data continue to show that COVID-19 vaccines do their job by preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. In July, people who were not fully vaccinated were nearly three times more likely to test positive for COVID-19, and 3.7 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19-related illnesses. The COVID-19 vaccines remain one of the best ways to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19 and the highly infectious Delta variant.

“It is important that we continue to vaccinate everyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, especially as cases continue to rise, driven by the Delta variant,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. “Layering protection by getting vaccinated and wearing masks in schools and in public, indoor settings is critical to stopping the spread of the Delta variant.”

Policymaker Spotlight: An Interview with State Representative Nancy VanderMeer

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:03:18 GMT

First elected to the state Assembly in 2014, Representative Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah) represents the 70th Assembly District, which includes portions of Monroe, Jackson, Wood, and Portage Counties. The district also includes the cities of Tomah and Sparta.

Before running for office, Rep VanderMeer owned an auto dealership, and her family continues to operate a dairy farm. In her many volunteer roles, Nancy has served on the Tomah Memorial Hospital board of directors and is a former president of the American Business Women’s Association. In addition to drawing on her experience as a small businessowner to champion pro-growth policies for rural Wisconsin, she has also focused on legislation to boost Wisconsin’s healthcare workforce.

She currently chairs the Assembly Rural Development Committee and serves on the Assembly Health Committee.

Rep. VanderMeer took a few minutes to talk with us about a handful of topical health care-related issues and what the Legislature may focus on during the remainder of the 2021-22 legislative session:

Question:

As a member of the Assembly Health Committee and a legislator who has worked on numerous health care-related polices, including Interstate Medical Licensure Compacts, what do you believe are the biggest health care-related challenges currently facing the state? What policy solutions do you believe are needed to address those challenges? Are you currently working on any health care-related legislation?

Rep. VanderMeer:

I think that there are always things that can be improved, and the mark of any successful organization is constantly trying to identify areas of strength and weakness – and adjusting accordingly to better serve the individuals and stakeholders they work with.

One thing that can get overlooked in the minutia of things is that here in Wisconsin, we’re consistently ranked high and commended for the quality of care that providers deliver. There are a variety of metrics one can utilize in that regard. For example, toward the end of 2018, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a State Snapshots ranking naming Wisconsin fourth in the nation for highest overall health care quality among all 50 states and first in the Midwest. I believe that part of my role as a legislator on the health committee especially, is to do what I can to help ensure health care providers, both specialty and primary care, have the tools they need to provide quality care to patients, and that whenever possible, state government is working with providers and not standing in their way. Trying to limit bureaucratic hurdles is an example of that and deciding how to allocate limited taxpayer resources is another.

One of the reasons I’ve been so pleased with the work that went into both the initial Interstate Medical Licensure Compact in 2015 and the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact in 2019, is that I believe that those compacts are examples of the Legislature responding to defined needs brought forth by health care providers – and ultimately allowing our state to participate in those compacts that provide direct benefits to patients and providers. It will probably come as no surprise that I’m currently working with the Wisconsin Occupational Therapy Association on an Occupational Therapy Compact with Senator Ballweg of Markesan. I’m also looking at some licensing efficiency reforms for Speech Language Pathologists with Senator Kooyenga of Brookfield. I believe the compact model, if done correctly, has been proven successful in improving access to quality care. Another important benefit of the compacts is that they can be especially beneficial for military families and their spouses relocating to our state. That’s something that’s particularly important me in part because my district includes Fort McCoy and borders Volk Field in Monroe County. I was pleased to author and pass legislation last session that creates a licensure reciprocity process for military spouses.

Question:

Given your past policy work on workforce and rural development issues, you are certainly familiar with the growing health care workforce shortage in Wisconsin and the stress it is putting on the delivery of patient care. Aside from your extensive work on health care licensure compact legislation, are there any potential programs or policies you are considering or willing to support that you believe would help address our health care workforce shortage?

Rep. VanderMeer:

During the 2017-2018 Legislative Session, the Rural Development Committee was able to include a grant program in the state budget that allocated $500,000 annually for training and retaining allied health professionals and $500,000 annually for training and retaining advance practice clinicians. I think that’s a decent model to look at. I recently was able to participate in an update call on that program with a health care provider, and they were very pleased with what they’ve been able to do with the resources provided under the program. That said, I might think about the overarching issues a bit differently than some of my colleagues, in part because of what you shared above pertaining to my background, my close ties to the military community, and my experience as a board member of a rural, critical care access hospital.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is a silver bullet. However, I think we can make significant strides if stakeholders continue to think about things more comprehensively. For example, when the military makes decisions on whether to create, maintain, grow, shrink, or eliminate installations, they consider a variety of factors that affect their operations and personnel in a local community and geographic region, and how those factors support their overall mission. What are those factors? Those are things like the quality of workforce opportunities and educational opportunities for families - both at the K-12 and higher ed level. Additional considerations, for example, could include quality broadband access and housing available for the civilian workforce. Anyone who has followed the Assembly Committee on Rural Development since I took over as chairperson in the 2017-2018 session, knows that we’ve proactively tried to bring together stakeholders to look at some of these key issue areas. I’m always interested to learn about and would consider new ideas to address the workforce shortage, especially as it pertains to the health care workforce.

Question:

What key health care-related initiatives, if any do you believe the Assembly Republican majority will make a priority during the remainder of the current legislative session?

Rep. VanderMeer:

That is a great question, and if anyone has any specific ideas, I encourage them to contact my office. With that said, given the nature of the legislative process, I’ve learned not to over-speculate on what might move forward, or make it across the legislative “finish line” outside of what I’m directly working on. I can share that I’m cautiously optimistic about the prospects of some of the proposals I’ve authored and mentioned previously on the Assembly side of things this session. Outside of that, I can share that there’s generally broad agreement in both houses as it pertains to professional licensing reform. With that in mind, I think most of the significant policy items that we’ll see this session were already enacted via the state budget bill. There were numerous items in the budget that reflect the priorities of the Assembly Republican Caucus and aim to increase access to care, provide additional support for of our most vulnerable citizens, and limit bureaucratic hurdles for patients and providers. Things like adequately and continually funding Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments for rural, critical care providers was a significant achievement in this session’s budget.

Question:

Different approaches and new innovations in health care can lead to higher quality, greater convenience, and lower costs across the health care system. Examples include price transparency, increased use of telemedicine, and direct primary care. In addition, the delivery of certain health care services in non-hospital settings, such as ambulatory surgery centers, can be less expensive and more convenient for the patient. What type of innovative ideas and policies do you support or are you interested in exploring to expand health care access and increase affordability?

Rep. VanderMeer:

I agree that different approaches and new innovations in health care can lead to higher quality, greater convenience, and lower costs across the health care system. There is certainly a greater demand for the increased use of telemedicine. That’s something I hear about quite a bit from the health care providers in my district, and the constituents I represent. If you were to look at a map of my district, you would see that in some cases, a trip to a provider can take an hour or more each way. That is a challenge for most people, especially those in need of regular care. In short, I will continue to support policies that knock down barriers to expand use of telemedicine. I will also continue to listen to patients and providers on what is the most effective and efficient delivery of care.

One question I try to ask myself when evaluating these types of approaches and innovations is, how does this create access for patients? It is a very important consideration for me that the vast majority of those I represent reside in more sparsely populated areas of the state. Obviously, as a patient, one either goes to receive care, or care comes to them. I think some of the different models of care outside of telehealth, like ambulatory surgery centers and home health care, are examples of care coming to an individual or to their community. I commend the hospital at home model that some of the larger providers in and around my district have had success with. I also co-sponsored the direct primary care bill in the 2019 session (vetoed by the governor), and I think it’s a worthwhile concept to consider again in the future.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the individual interviewed and do not reflect the position of WiAHC.

WiAHC Government Affairs Report: State Legislative Action to Pick Up After Labor Day

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 15:02:47 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s Government Affairs Firm

The Wisconsin State Legislature will be back in session in September. After passing the biennial state budget bill in late June, lawmakers did not hold floor sessions in July and August. Typically, legislators utilize the summer months to engage with constituents in their districts and prepare bills for the fall and winter sessions.

However, legislative committees have been quite active in the past eight weeks as they held public hearings on bills likely to come to the floor during the fall session days.

The Assembly Committee on Health held a marathon public hearing in late July lasting nearly 6 hours on eleven separate pieces of legislation. These bills touched on a number of topics from newborn screenings to Medicaid reimbursement for pharmacist services to scope of practice for advanced practice registered nurses. The Senate Health Committee also heard a public hearing in July on similar bills.

While there will surely be a fair share of health care legislation that makes its way to the floors of both the Assembly and Senate, the big story of the fall will be legislative redistricting.

Wisconsin received its final census data numbers in August, triggering the beginning of the redistricting process. The Republican legislature will look to pass a bill this fall defining legislative district boundaries for the next ten years. However, the bill will almost surely be vetoed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers, which will then put the bill in the in hands of the Courts.

Census data showed significant population growth in Democratic-stronghold Dane County with some analysts predicting the county could pick up an entirely new Assembly seat. Conversely, Milwaukee County, another solid stronghold for Democrats, lost population. This means longtime Democratic districts will need to grow in geographic size out into more conservative Milwaukee suburbs.

Stay tuned for more updates on relevant health care legislation and the redistricting fight throughout the fall.

Help Advocate for Home Health Care: Sign-up for WiAHC’s Coffee Conversations with Legislators Program

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:49:39 GMT

Grassroots advocacy is the most powerful tool WiAHC has at its disposal to shape public policy and building relationships with lawmakers is the most important aspect of advocacy. In effort to capitalize on our greatest advocacy resource – our membership – WiAHC has unveiled our Coffee Conversations with Legislators advocacy program.

The initiative is designed to help connect members with their local legislators. Under the program, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team will set-up in-district meetings between WiAHC members and state lawmakers who represent them in the Legislature. These meetings, which can be located at your facility or a local coffee shop provides a tremendous opportunity for WiAHC members to build or strengthen their relationships with local legislators and to educate them on home health care and on policy issues important to home health care professionals and their patients.

Please click here for more information on the program.

REMINDER: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:40:14 GMT

As was reported in previous editions of the WiAHC Advocacy Newsletter, WiAHC has launched a Legislative Key Contact Program, which can be a highly effective grassroots advocacy tool to help build and nurture strong on-going relationships between WiAHC members and lawmakers in Wisconsin. Ultimately, the program can help us help shape new policies important to our members.

The program is now live on the WiAHC website and members can easily and quickly sign-up as a Key Contact.

As a Key Contact, you can help influence the legislative process at both state and federal levels by cultivating relationships with elected officials. By taking advantage of existing relationships and making new contact with members of the Wisconsin Legislature and the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation, you can help us educate lawmakers on industry issues and influence legislation.

Remember, lawmakers are often eager to hear input from their constituents, and as an expert in your field, you can make a real difference in the policy process as a Key Contact. CLICK HERE to sign-up by filling out and submitting a brief online survey.

Political News and Notes

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:39:33 GMT

Republican William Penterman won the July 14 special election to represent the 37^th Assembly District, which includes portions of Dodge and Dane Counties. Penterman, a former legislative aide, captured 54 percent of the vote in defeating Democrat Pete Adams, who finished with 44 percent of the vote. With Penterman’s victory, Republicans will hold a 61-38 seat majority in the state Assembly.
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has announced he is running for U.S. Senate in 2022, meaning he won’t be seeking a second term as Wisconsin’s Lt. Gov. Barnes is the eighth Democratic to announce plans to run against Republican incumbent Senator Ron Johnson (if he chooses to run). Other Democrats seeking the seat include state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, state Senator Chris Larson (Milwaukee), Outagamie County Exec Tom Nelson, and Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry.
Gov. Tony Evers recently signed a bill (AB 406) into law to prevent any increase in unemployment insurance (UI) contribution rates paid by employers through the end of calendar year 2023. Under the law, the “UI tax freeze” will be offset by transferring $60 million in general fund revenue to the UI trust fund in each of the next two fiscal years.
In a rare bipartisan effort, U.S. Representatives Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) have sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury Department requesting more guidance on spending federal COVID-19 relief. More specifically, they asked for greater clarification on how state and local governments can spend the federal funds without violating restrictions. Click here to read a recently released Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo on Wisconsin’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Wisconsin Submits Plan to Enhance and Improve Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:38:52 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has submitted a plan to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to improve and enhance Wisconsin’s home and community-based services under Medicaid. DHS estimates it will receive approximately $350 million under this part of ARPA. Key components of the plan that support Wisconsin’s caregiving workforce include increasing rates for home and community-based services and expanding the professional advancement opportunities for the workers who provide these services.

“Strengthening our caregiver workforce and making investments in the services that many seniors and people with disabilities rely on across our state are critical steps we must take to support our economic recovery from the pandemic,” said Governor Tony Evers. “We are fortunate to have access to these federal funds to move these efforts forward since many of the proposals to support and strengthen our caregiving workforce included in my proposed state budget were removed by the legislature and not included in the budget that was recently passed.”

In consultation with key stakeholders and partners, DHS assembled a plan that will continue to advance Wisconsin’s successful record of implementing innovative programs that enable older adults and people with disabilities to live independently in their homes and communities. In Wisconsin, these efforts include the Family Care, Family Care Partnership, IRIS, PACE and the Children’s Long-Term Support programs, as well as personal care, private duty nursing, home health, and rehabilitative services provided to eligible Medicaid members.

“Wisconsin has long been a national leader in developing and implementing programs that allow the elderly and people with disabilities to live their best lives in their homes and communities. In 2021, we achieved a major milestone by fully eliminating the adult waiting list for home and community-based services,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. “The ARPA funds designated by Congress and President Biden to support state home and community-based services will help us continue to build on that success and help stabilize and the services people depend upon as well as the workforce needed to provide them.”

Foundational to Wisconsin’s plan is a commitment to ensuring all eligible people in Wisconsin have access to home and community-based services by addressing health disparities and focusing on equity in program design and access. In addition to working with the Governor’s Health Equity Council to support implementation of the approved plan, DHS will work alongside community-based organizations that share our commitment to addressing disparities within the home and community-based service system for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, people with varying abilities, people living in extremely rural areas, and other historically underserved and disadvantaged communities. Wisconsin is also engaging in individual conversations with each of the 11 federally recognized tribes to identify ways to enhance HCBS services for tribal members under the proposals in the submitted plan.

CMS is currently reviewing Wisconsin’s plan, along with those plans submitted by other states. Implementation efforts will begin once CMS approval is received.

Learn more by visiting the Proposed Funding for Home and Community-Based Services.

In Case You Missed It: Gov. Evers Signs State Budget Bill that Includes Medicaid Rate Increase for Skilled Home Health Care

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:36:05 GMT

Gov. Tony Evers (D) earlier this month signed the 2021-2023 state budget bill into law. Before signing the bill, Evers used his broad veto authority to make 50, mostly minor changes to the state’s two-year spending plan, which was largely reshaped by the Republican-controlled Legislature over the past few months. Click here to review the Governor’s full veto message.

Most importantly to WiAHC members, we are thrilled to report the Governor maintained our home healthcare Medicaid reimbursement rate increase that was added by the Legislature – and the provision is now state law!

This is obviously great news that illustrates the power of effective advocacy. Thank you to all WiAHC members that contacted their legislators on this important issue or helped in other significant ways to achieve this major legislative win.

The final $87.5 billion budget bill contains more than $2 billion in individual income tax cuts, $650 million in property tax relief, and provides $129 million in broadband funding. In addition, the budget includes a number of health care-related items that may be of interest to WiAHC members, including:

Medicaid
- Home Health Reimbursement Rate: Provide a budgeted sum of $473,300 as the state share of payments, and provide the matching federal share of payments, in 2021-22, and by a budgeted sum of $960,200, as the state share of payments and provide the matching federal share of payments, in 2022-23, for the Department to increase the Medical Assistance rates paid for nursing care in home health agencies for dates of services beginning January 1, 2022. Specify that funding is to support licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners in home health agencies that are licensed under s. 50.49 of the statutes.
- Medical Assistance Cost-to-Continue Estimate: Provide funding of $1,361,991,300 in 2021-22 and $1,258,573,900 in 2022-23. In addition, adjust the cost-to-continue re-estimate to provide $25,900,000 in 2021-22 and $51,400,000 in 2022-23, reflecting the impact of the Department's proposed rate increase to managed care organizations providing services under Family Care, PACE, and Partnership, subject to approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Nursing Home Reimbursement: Provide $82,034,300 in 2021-22 and $170,375,400 in 2022-23 to increase reimbursement rates paid to skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
- Direct Care Workforce Funding: Provide $53,835,800 in 2021-22 and $50,403,200 in 2022-23 to increase funding for the direct care workforce funding supplement.
- Personal Care Reimbursement: Provide $18,904,300 in 2021-22 and $59,369,300 in 2022-23 to increase hourly rates paid for personal care services to $20.69 on January 1, 2022, and to $22.35 on January 1, 2023.
- Postpartum Eligibility Extension: Provide $2,500,000 in 2022-23 to reflect the estimated cost of extending benefits, for women enrolled in MA as pregnant women, until the last day of the month in which the 90th day after the last day of the month that the end of the pregnancy falls, instead of the 60th day under current law.
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Child-Adolescent Day Treatment Reimbursement: Provide $6,628,100 in 2021- 22 and $13,256,200 in 2022-23 for a 15% increase to reimbursement rates for outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, effective January 1, 2022; and provide $1,335,600 in 2021-22 and $2,671,200 in 2022-23 for a 20% increase to reimbursement rates for child and adolescent day treatment services, effective January 1, 2022.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment: Provide $1,224,400 in 2021-22 and $2,448,700 in 2022-23 to increase MA reimbursement rates for opioid treatment providers by 5% and increase rates for opioid-related patient evaluation and management (office visits) provided by primary care providers by $5 per visit.
- MA Dental Reimbursement: Provide $15,432,800 in 2021-22 and $30,865,800 in 2022-23 to increase MA dental reimbursement rates by 40%, effective January 1, 2022.
Public Health
- Community Health Center Grants: Increase grant funding for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) by $1,000,000 annually.
- Grants to Free and Charitable Clinics: Increase grant funding for free and charitable clinics by $1,000,000 annually.
- Lead Screening and Outreach Grants: Provide $50,000 annually to increase a grant for lead screening and outreach activities provided by a community based human service agency that provides primary health care, health education, and social services to low-income individuals in the City of Milwaukee, from $125,000 to $175,000.
Elder and Disability Services
- Birth to 3: Provide $1,125,000 annually in order for the Department to meet its federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement for the Birth to 3 program in the 2021-23 biennium.
- Community Based Behavioral Health
- Child Psychiatry Consultation Program: Provide $500,000 in 2022-23 to increase from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 the funding for the child psychiatry consultation program in that year.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion: Provide $500,000 in 2021-22 and $1,000,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for medication-assisted treatment.
- Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment Grants: Provide $150,000 in 2021-22 and $300,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for training for substance use disorder treatment providers on treatment models for methamphetamine addiction.
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment Platform: Provide $300,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for development of a substance use disorder treatment platform that allows for the comparison of treatment programs in the state.
- Behavioral Health Bed Tracker: Provide $50,000 in 2021-22 and $20,000 in 2022-23 to expand the purposes of the current psychiatric bed tracking system to include information on the availability of space for peer run respite beds and crisis stabilization beds.
- Behavioral Health Trainee Provider Grants: Provide $250,000 GPR in 2022-23 in the appropriation for treatment program grants, to increase total funding for the program in that year to $750,000. Modify the program to: (a) specify that the Department may expend any available federal moneys received for this program; (b) require the Department to distribute a total of $750,000 per year, beginning in 2022-23; and (c) renumber the appropriation so that it is included as an appropriation under mental health and substance abuse services instead of under public health.
Department of Children and Families:
- Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidies: Increase funding for direct childcare subsidies by $11,000,000 FED in 2021-22 and by $18,200,000 in 2022-23 so that the reimbursement rates would fully pay the price of at least 65 percent of the slots for children within the licensed capacity of all childcare providers.

Historic Investments in Wisconsin Health Care Service Providers

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:34:54 GMT

By Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton)

Vice Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance

Wisconsin’s 2021-23 biennial budget makes significant investments across a wide spectrum of health care priorities, including raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for numerous providers who hadn’t seen increases in over a decade and targeted investments to increase access to care and improve health care outcomes.

Over the last year, long-term care facilities and their staff have been strained by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, for the past several years many of these facilities have been experiencing a critical workforce shortage and were also struggling with low Medicaid reimbursement rates that didn’t even cover the cost of care. The budget invests nearly $440 million in long-term care facilities and the workforce that staffs them.

Ambulance Service Providers (EMS) will see an increase in reimbursement rates of over $16 million. This additional funding will help to sustain many of our EMS providers across the state and will help avoid service deserts.

To ensure residents have access to high-quality dental care when they need it, this budget invests over $46 million to expand dental access across Wisconsin.

The budget increases Medicaid reimbursement for autism services by over $14 million. These services are intended to teach children with autism spectrum disorders the skills that children would usually learn by imitating others around them, such as social interaction and language skills, and there is a significant waiting list for services.

Nearly two-thirds of hospitals will continue to receive state funding in the form of Disproportionate Share Hospital payments to hospitals that serve low-income patients. This funding helps reduce cost-shifting to individuals with private insurance to cover losses.

The budget also boosts Medicaid reimbursement rates for Skilled Home Health Care Services, Emergency Room Physicians, Speech-Language Pathologists, Audiology Services, Chiropractic Services, Physical Therapy Services, and the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program. These investments are intended to increase access and to ensure providers are compensated appropriately for their work.

Federally-Qualified Health Centers and Free and Charitable Clinics, non-profit organizations that provide comprehensive primary health care to underserved areas and populations, also receive a boost. These providers will receive an additional $4 million over the biennium (each category will share $1 million/year in financial support).

In addition, the budget includes an increase of $6 million to expand the Dementia Care Specialist Program statewide by funding 18 dementia care specialist positions at Aging and Disability Resources Centers around the state, as well as seven tribal dementia care specialist positions.

Finally, this budget increases funding for psychological testing, diagnosis, psychotherapy, and counseling for individuals, groups, and families, as well as mental health day treatment services for children. The budget also includes over $3 million for medication-assisted treatment (including patient evaluation as well as methadone and other opioid abuse treatment medications) for individuals with substance abuse disorders.

Overall, the 2021-23 biennial budget will ensure that health care service providers and their employees will be well positioned to continue providing quality care across the health care continuum so all residents across Wisconsin can access a wide range of health care settings and services.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of WiAHC.

Gov. Evers Signs State Budget Bill that Includes Medicaid Rate Increase for Skilled Home Health Care

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 20:16:57 GMT

Gov. Tony Evers (D) yesterday signed the 2021-2023 state budget bill into law. Before signing the bill, Evers used his broad veto authority to make 50, mostly minor changes to the state’s two-year spending plan, which was largely reshaped by the Republican-controlled Legislature over the past few months. Click here to review the Governor’s full veto message.

The final $87.5 billion budget bill contains more than $2 billion in individual income tax cuts, $650 million property tax relief, and provides $129 million in broadband funding. In addition, the budget includes a number of health care-related items that may be of interest to WiAHC members, including:

Medicaid
- Home Health Reimbursement Rate: Provide a budgeted sum of $473,300 as the state share of payments, and provide the matching federal share of payments, in 2021-22, and by a budgeted sum of $960,200, as the state share of payments and provide the matching federal share of payments, in 2022-23, for the Department to increase the Medical Assistance rates paid for nursing care in home health agencies for dates of services beginning January 1, 2022. Specify that funding is to support licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners in home health agencies that are licensed under s. 50.49 of the statutes.
- Medical Assistance Cost-to-Continue Estimate: Provide funding of $1,361,991,300 in 2021-22 and $1,258,573,900 in 2022-23. In addition, adjust the cost-to-continue reestimate to provide $25,900,000 in 2021-22 and $51,400,000 in 2022-23, reflecting the impact of the Department's proposed rate increase to managed care organizations providing services under Family Care, PACE, and Partnership, subject to approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Nursing Home Reimbursement: Provide $82,034,300 in 2021-22 and $170,375,400 in 2022-23 to increase reimbursement rates paid to skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
- Direct Care Workforce Funding: Provide $53,835,800 in 2021-22 and $50,403,200 in 2022-23 to increase funding for the direct care workforce funding supplement.
- Personal Care Reimbursement: Provide $18,904,300 in 2021-22 and $59,369,300 in 2022-23 to increase hourly rates paid for personal care services to $20.69 on January 1, 2022, and to $22.35 on January 1, 2023.
- Postpartum Eligibility Extension: Provide $2,500,000 in 2022-23 to reflect the estimated cost of extending benefits, for women enrolled in MA as pregnant women, until the last day of the month in which the 90th day after the last day of the month that the end of the pregnancy falls, instead of the 60th day under current law.
- Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Child-Adolescent Day Treatment Reimbursement: Provide $6,628,100 in 2021- 22 and $13,256,200 in 2022-23 for a 15% increase to reimbursement rates for outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, effective January 1, 2022; and provide $1,335,600 in 2021-22 and $2,671,200 in 2022-23 for a 20% increase to reimbursement rates for child and adolescent day treatment services, effective January 1, 2022.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment: Provide $1,224,400 in 2021-22 and $2,448,700 in 2022-23 to increase MA reimbursement rates for opioid treatment providers by 5% and increase rates for opioid-related patient evaluation and management (office visits) provided by primary care providers by $5 per visit.
- MA Dental Reimbursement: Provide $15,432,800 in 2021-22 and $30,865,800 in 2022-23 to increase MA dental reimbursement rates by 40%, effective January 1, 2022.

Public Health
- Community Health Center Grants: Increase grant funding for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) by $1,000,000 annually.
- Grants to Free and Charitable Clinics: Increase grant funding for free and charitable clinics by $1,000,000 annually.
- Lead Screening and Outreach Grants: Provide $50,000 annually to increase a grant for lead screening and outreach activities provided by a community based human service agency that provides primary health care, health education, and social services to low-income individuals in the City of Milwaukee, from $125,000 to $175,000.

Elder and Disability Services
- Birth to 3: Provide $1,125,000 annually in order for the Department to meet its federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement for the Birth to 3 program in the 2021-23 biennium.

Community Based Behavioral Health
- Child Psychiatry Consultation Program: Provide $500,000 in 2022-23 to increase from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 the funding for the child psychiatry consultation program in that year.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion: Provide $500,000 in 2021-22 and $1,000,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for medication-assisted treatment.
- Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment Grants: Provide $150,000 in 2021-22 and $300,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for training for substance use disorder treatment providers on treatment models for methamphetamine addiction.
- Substance Use Disorder Treatment Platform: Provide $300,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for development of a substance use disorder treatment platform that allows for the comparison of treatment programs in the state.
- Behavioral Health Bed Tracker: Provide $50,000 in 2021-22 and $20,000 in 2022-23 to expand the purposes of the current psychiatric bed tracking system to include information on the availability of space for peer run respite beds and crisis stabilization beds.
- Behavioral Health Trainee Provider Grants: Provide $250,000 GPR in 2022-23 in the appropriation for treatment program grants, to increase total funding for the program in that year to $750,000. Modify the program to: (a) specify that the Department may expend any available federal moneys received for this program; (b) require the Department to distribute a total of $750,000 per year, beginning in 2022-23; and (c) renumber the appropriation so that it is included as an appropriation under mental health and substance abuse services instead of under public health.

Department of Children and Families:
- Wisconsin Shares Child Care Subsidies: Increase funding for direct child care subsidies by $11,000,000 FED in 2021-22 and by $18,200,000 in 2022-23 so that the reimbursement rates would fully pay the price of at least 65 percent of the slots for children within the licensed capacity of all child care providers.

Penterman Narrowly Wins Special GOP Primary Election

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:28:28 GMT

William Penterman, a legislative aide in the State Capitol and a member of the U.S. Army reserve narrowly won an eight-way Republican special primary in the 37th Assembly District. The district includes portions of Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, and Columbia counties as well as parts of the cities of Columbus, Waterloo, and Watertown.

Peterman received 758 votes, gaining a slim 16-vote victory of local university professor Jennifer Meinhardt. A recount remains a possibility.

If officially declared the winner, Penterman will face Democratic candidate Peter Adams and Independent candidate Stephen Ratzlaff Jr. in the July 13 special general election.

The seat became vacant when then state Representative John Jagler (R-Watertown) was elected to represent the 13th Senate District that was previously held by former Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who was elected to Congress last November.

Republicans currently hold a 60-38 seat majority in the Assembly, with the one vacancy in the 37^th Assembly District.

In Their Own Words: Representative Rachael Cabral-Guevara on Her Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Bill

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:26:43 GMT

For the past eight years, I have worked as an Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner (APRN) in the State of Wisconsin and have operated my own independent clinic. My passion for affordable, accessible healthcare has permeated nearly every aspect of my hectic life, including my new role as a state legislator.

Over the course of my time as a nurse, the healthcare industry has changed drastically. I have worked for large health systems, small ones, clinics, and everything in between. At the end of the day, I got in to nursing so that I can care for my patients, not feed a massive healthcare system. That is why I started my own business: so that I can provide healthcare to those who may not fit into the large systems, if they have astronomical deductibles, or if they do not have insurance at all.

I believe this model of small clinics, operated by nurses, can be replicated across the state and dramatically cut healthcare costs for folks who need it the most. For example, all of the prices for procedures and appointments are posted directly on my clinic’s website – there is not some mystical formula that only the system can understand. The logic is simple: you would never go through a McDonald’s drive-thru for them to only tell you at the end your burger costs $25. You would go down the road to Burger King or Wendy’s, where the prices you know are more competitive. This is how we can bring some sanity back to the healthcare field – the more competitive it is, the market will do its job to cut costs. Just imagine having dozens of these clinics in our area.

One obstacle in the way of this, however, is the fact that nurses in the State of Wisconsin have their hands tied. They are required to pay astronomical prices for collaborating physicians to even have their doors open – and if that physician dies or disappears, they need to immediately shut down. Collaboration is not the issue. I collaborate every day with specialists in nearly every aspect of healthcare for the good of my patients. The issue is the price and risk of having to close my doors because of someone who I may not even talk to on an annual basis somehow vanishes. This has turned off many fellow APRNs from replicating clinics like mine throughout our cities and rural areas.

Currently, 24 states and 2 territories have full practice authority (FPA) for Nurse Practitioners (NPs). Wisconsin made steps towards this goal when Governor Evers issued his COVID-19 emergency order, which eliminated the restrictions placed on NPs to practice without that collaboration requirement. Unfortunately, after the emergency orders were overturned by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, all restrictions were re-instated on the profession. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned NPs can have FPA without the negative consequences that some feared. In fact, studies have shown that an NPs outcomes for management of acute and chronic disease are equivalent if not better than a physicians.

Assembly Bill (AB) 396/Senate Bill (SB) 394 brings Wisconsin up-to-date with 24 other states to give Nurse Practitioners FPA. Passing these bills will allow NPs to continue to prioritize patient care and allow NPs to continue excellence in their nursing practice without unnecessary and undue restrictions.

Those opposing these bills have raised concerns about the unlikely event an NP goes “rogue” and attempts to practice outside of the scope of their training. As nurses, this is not how reality works. I have collaborated with physicians and other professionals in every instance that is deemed necessary. To do

otherwise would open me up to severe liability issues and lawsuits, just as it would for a physician who practices outside of their scope.

At the end of the day, all nurses are asking for is a level playing field. We want the freedom to do what we do best: care for our patients.

State Representative Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) represents the 55th Assembly District in the Wisconsin Legislature. Her Assembly district is in Winnebago County and includes the City of Neenah and parts of Appleton.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of WiAHC. Furthermore, the opinion piece allows WiAHC to gain a better understanding of a health care-related bill from the author’s perspective, but in no way indicates support for or opposition to the proposal.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Bill Introduced in Legislature

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:26:05 GMT

A group of Republican state lawmakers – including Sen. Pat Testin (R- Stevens Point) and Representative Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) – recently introduced an advanced practice registered nurse bill (AB 396 / SB 394). The proposal creates a new license issued by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), which includes Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Nurse Midwives.

The bill’s authors and supporting nursing organizations claim the legislation and is necessary to help address Wisconsin’s health care provider shortage and provide clarity to the scope of practice of APRNs. They believe it will help provide regulatory flexibility and assist with removing barriers to allow these providers to practice within their scope in underserved areas of the state.

However, other health care provider groups, including the Wisconsin Medical Society have raised concerns over numerous provisions in the bill. They believe the legislation will improperly expand the APRN scope of practice by eliminating the requirement for these practitioners to collaborate with physicians and allow them to diagnose and treat patients independently from a physician.

The legislation, which was introduced earlier this month and is currently under consideration by the Assembly and Senate Health Committees, is supported by the Wisconsin Nurses Association, the Wisconsin Association of Nurse Anesthetists, WPS Health Insurance, and United HealthCare Services. Opposition to the proposal includes the state medical society and the Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists.

Joint Finance Committee Completes Work on State Budget Bill; Sends to Full Legislature for Further Consideration

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:22:35 GMT

By Hoven Consulting – WiAHC’s Government Affairs Firm

The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has finished its work on reshaping Gov. Tony Evers' 2021-23 state budget proposal. While the Finance Committee completed their work on time, it was a challenging budget process with numerous moving pieces, including split government, billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief aid, and a projected $4.4 billion state budget surplus.

The budget bill must still be approved by the full Legislature and signed into law by Evers, who could also veto the legislation in part or in whole. However, both houses of the Legislature are likely to adopt the budget approved by JFC with minimal changes.

While the Finance Committee did not include Medicaid Expansion in its spending plan, it did include over $1.5 billion in total funding the state’s Medicaid program and increased spending on several specific initiatives. In addition to the 10 percent Medicaid rate increase for home health care skilled nursing services added to the budget bill, the committee approved increases for personal care and direct care workers as follows:

Direct Care Workforce Funding: Provide $53.8 million in 2021-22 and $50.4 million in 2022-23 to increase funding for the direct care workforce funding supplement.
Personal Care Reimbursement: Provide $18.9 million in 2021-22 and $59.3 million in 2022-23 to increase hourly rates paid for personal care services to $20.69 on January 1, 2022, and to $22.35 on January 1, 2023.

Please find below an overview of additional Department of Health Services and Medicaid-related provisions included in the JFC-approved version of the budget bill:

Medicaid

Medical Assistance Cost-to-Continue Estimate: Provide funding of $1.3 billion in 2021-22 and $1.25 billion in 2022-23. In addition, adjust the cost-to-continue re-estimate to provide $25,900,000 in 2021-22 and $51,400,000 in 2022-23, reflecting the impact of the Department's proposed rate increase to managed care organizations providing services under Family Care, PACE, and Partnership, subject to approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Nursing Home Reimbursement: Provide $82 million in 2021-22 and $170 million in 2022-23 to increase reimbursement rates paid to skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Postpartum Eligibility Extension: Provide $2.5 million in 2022-23 to reflect the estimated cost of extending benefits, for women enrolled in MA as pregnant women, until the last day of the month in which the 90th day after the last day of the month that the end of the pregnancy falls, instead of the 60th day under current law.
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Child-Adolescent Day Treatment Reimbursement: Provide $6.6 million in 2021- 22 and $13.2 million in 2022-23 for a 15% increase to reimbursement rates for outpatient mental health and substance abuse services. In addition, provide $1.3 million in 2021-22 and $2.6 million in 2022-23 for a 20% increase to reimbursement rates for child and adolescent day treatment services.
Medication-Assisted Treatment: Provide $1.2 million in 2021-22 and $2.4 million in 2022-23 to increase MA reimbursement rates for opioid treatment providers by 5% and increase rates for opioid-related patient evaluation and management provided by primary care providers by $5 per visit.
MA Dental Reimbursement: Provide $15.4 million in 2021-22 and $30.8 million in 2022-23 to increase MA dental reimbursement rates by 40%.
Home Health Reimbursement Rate: Provide a budgeted sum of $473,300 as the state share of payments, and provide the matching federal share of payments, in 2021-22, and by a budgeted sum of $960,200, as the state share of payments and provide the matching federal share of payments, in 2022-23, for the Department to increase the Medical Assistance rates paid for nursing care in home health agencies for dates of services beginning January 1, 2022. Specify that funding is to support licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners in home health agencies that are licensed under s. 50.49 of the statutes.

Public Health

Community Health Center Grants: Increase grant funding for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) by $1,000,000 annually.

Grants to Free and Charitable Clinics: Increase grant funding for free and charitable clinics by $1,000,000 annually.

Lead Screening and Outreach Grants: Provide $50,000 annually to increase a grant for lead screening and outreach activities provided by a community based human service agency that provides primary health care, health education, and social services to low-income individuals in the City of Milwaukee, from $125,000 to $175,000.

Community Based Behavioral Health

Child Psychiatry Consultation Program: Provide $500,000 in 2022-23 to increase from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 the funding for the child psychiatry consultation program.

Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion: Provide $500,000 in 2021-22 and $1,000,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for medication-assisted treatment.

Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment Grants: Provide $150,000 in 2021-22 and $300,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for training for substance use disorder treatment providers on treatment models for methamphetamine addiction.

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Platform: Provide $300,000 in 2022-23 in the Joint Committee on Finance supplemental appropriation for development of a substance use disorder treatment platform that allows for the comparison of treatment programs in the state.

Behavioral Health Bed Tracker: Provide $50,000 in 2021-22 and $20,000 in 2022-23 to expand the purposes of the current psychiatric bed tracking system to include information on the availability of space for peer run respite beds and crisis stabilization beds.

Behavioral Health Trainee Provider Grants: Provide $250,000 in 2022-23 in the appropriation for treatment program grants to increase total funding for the program in that year to $750,000. Modify the program to: (a) specify that the Department may expend any available federal moneys received for this program; (b) require the Department to distribute a total of $750,000 per year, beginning in 2022-23; and (c) renumber the appropriation so that it is included as an appropriation under mental health and substance abuse services instead of under public health.

Legislature’s Budget-Writing Committee Approves 10% Medicaid Rate Increase for Home Health Care Skilled Nursing

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:22:09 GMT

The power of advocacy can help make change happen. That is something we often hear, but seldom see in action. Fortunately, the entire WiAHC membership can now say they have witnessed firsthand the benefits of a comprehensive advocacy effort to deliver a long-overdue policy change to boost the skilled home health care industry in Wisconsin.

On Tuesday, June 15, the state Legislature’s powerful budget-writing committee, which is tasked with shaping the state’s two-year budget, voted to include a provision in the budget to increase Medicaid rates for home health care skilled nursing services by 10 percent. WiAHC has been advocating for this important change for nearly two years.

The budget bill must still be approved by the full Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers, but approval of the increase by the budget committee was an extremely important step, as the budget created by the committee is highly likely to be adopted by the Legislature with minimal changes.

Due to in part to current Medicaid rates in Wisconsin, home health agencies struggle to attract sufficient nursing workforce. As growth in the utilization of home health care services continue, today’s workforce challenges will only worsen without a rate increase. The committee’s actions mark a significant step forward in addressing this issue.

“The skilled home health care industry is very grateful for the budget committee’s commitment to the services we provide and the patients we serve,” said WiAHC Board Chair Lisa Kirker. “We specifically want to thank Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) and Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) for their leadership on this issue. Their work was invaluable in ensuring a rate increase passed the committee.”

Under the provision approved by the budget committee, the state will provide more than $1.4 million in additional state funding – along with the federal match – over the upcoming two-year budget cycle to increase the Medicaid rate paid for nursing care in home health agencies. The rate boost would begin on January 1, 2022. The additional funding will support care offered by licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners in home health agencies.

The WiAHC Government Affairs Team will continue to work with lawmakers and the Governor’s office throughout the remainder of the state budget process to help make sure the provision is ultimately signed into law.

Legislature’s Budget-Writing Committee Approves 10% Medicaid Rate Increase for Home Health Care Skilled Nursing

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 14:41:05 GMT

The power of advocacy can help make change happen. That is something we often hear, but seldom see in action. Fortunately, the entire WiAHC membership can now say they have witnessed firsthand the benefits of a comprehensive advocacy effort to deliver a long-overdue policy change to boost the skilled home health care industry in Wisconsin.

Policymaker Spotlight: An Interview with State Representative Dan Riemer

Thu, 20 May 2021 15:04:30 GMT

First elected to the state Assembly in 2012, Representative Dan Riemer (D-Milwaukee) is serving his fifth term representing the 7^th Assembly District, which includes portions of the cities of Milwaukee and West Allis, as well as the Village of West Milwaukee.

Rep. Riemer holds a law degree from UW-Madison and is a full-time lawmaker. He currently serves on the Assembly Health Committee, and during his time in the Legislature has worked on numerous health care-related proposals.

Rep. Riemer took a few minutes to talk with us about a handful of topical health care issues facing Wisconsin and what health care policy priorities he believes should be pursued during the 2021-22 legislative session:

Question 1

As a long-time member of the Assembly Health Committee and a legislator who has worked on numerous health care-related polices during your time in the Legislature, what do you believe are the largest health care-related challenges facing the state? In addition, what policy solutions do you believe are needed to address those challenges? Lastly, what key health care policy proposals is the Assembly Democratic Caucus focusing on for the 2021-22 legislative session?

Answer: The single biggest health care challenge facing Wisconsin is the failure to expand Medicaid. This would increase the number of Wisconsinites with health insurance, and lower health care costs for newly Medicaid-covered individuals between 100%-133% of the Federal Poverty Line. Medicaid provides better benefits than Affordable Care Act plans or other plans and provides Wisconsin’s government with over one billion additional dollars, some of which could be devoted to other health care priorities.

As I have done for many years through legislation, Governor Evers has also repeatedly proposed Medicaid expansion. The Assembly Democratic Caucus has again made this a priority, as have Democrats in the State Senate. The time has come for the Republican majority in the Wisconsin Legislature to agree. That’s the simple solution to our biggest health care challenge.

Question 2

The cost of healthcare continues to rise, for both individuals and employers. In fact, a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Purchaser Business Group on Health found that 85 percent of large employers believe the government must take a bigger role in managing healthcare costs and coverage. Another survey found that 55 percent of small business owners say the cost of providing health insurance to their employees is the biggest challenge they face. What types of policies or future legislation do you believe are necessary to help drive down the overall costs of health care?

Answer: In addition to Medicaid expansion, which will reduce what Wisconsin’s taxpayers and government must pay for health care for a large sector of our population (a form of lowering costs), I strongly support other measures to lower the overall cost of healthcare in Wisconsin. One step that I support would be to require that the Wisconsin State Employee Health Plan (WSEHP) be used as the vehicle by which all government employees obtained health insurance.

A careful analysis of WSEHP by University of Wisconsin-Madison La Follette Professor of Economics John Mullahy and others compared the WSEHP’s experience in Dane County vs. Wisconsin’s other 71 counties. The study showed that when a very large percentage of the employees in a county are offered a choice among competing health care plans, they have incentives to enroll in the lower-cost plans, because while higher-cost plans are always available, they must pay a modest additional premium to enroll in higher-cost plans. Given the choices, health care premiums and costs are held down.

If WSEHP served as the vehicle for enabling all government employees to obtain health insurance in the same way, it should be possible to replicate much of WSEHP’s unique success in Dane County in constraining health care premiums and costs. One of the benefits of this is that, as the Dane County story suggests, it is not only the WSEHP and those it helps obtain health insurance for who experience reduced costs. The model’s incentives put pressure on the competing plans to become more cost effective in general, which helps private employers as well.

Question 3

Skilled home health care offers a wide range of health care services, which are provided by skilled non-physician practitioners, such as nurses in a patient’s home. Not only does skilled home health offer patients with greater convenience, increased quality of life, and better outcomes, it is also typically less expensive than care delivered in a hospital or other facility. Unfortunately, despite the many benefits of home health care, the Wisconsin Medicaid reimbursement rate for home-based skilled nursing has not been increased in over a decade. With that in mind, would you support increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health skilled nursing services by 10 percent?

Answer: I certainly would be concerned if the current Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health skilled nursing services is resulting in a reduction in the number of providers or the quality of care.

This is not an issue, however, that I know much about. I would welcome the opportunity to learn more.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the individual that was interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.

Governor Evers Calls Special Session on Medicaid Expansion

Thu, 20 May 2021 13:55:47 GMT

Governor Tony Evers has called a special session of the legislature to take up a proposal to expand the Wisconsin Medicaid program, which would capture an extra $1 billion in federal funds and cover more than 90,000 additional Wisconsin residents under the program.

The legislation would also use $850 million of the additional federal dollars for numerous economic development-related projects and transfer the rest to the state’s budget stabilization fund.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has said they would immediately gavel out the special session without taking up the proposed legislation.

REMINDER: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:18:13 GMT

As was reported in previous editions of the WiAHC Advocacy Newsletter, the Association has launched a Legislative Key Contact Program, which can be a highly effective grassroots advocacy tool to help build and nurture strong on-going relationships between WiAHC members and lawmakers in Wisconsin. Ultimately, the program can help us help shape new policies important to our members.

We are happy to report the program is now live on the WiAHC website and members can easily and quickly sign-up as a Key Contact.

Wisconsin to Receive $700 million Less in American Rescue Plan Act Funding

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:17:09 GMT

The U.S. Treasury last week issued guidelines for state and local governments on how they can access their share of the $350 billion in COVID-19 aid for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

It was also announced the state of Wisconsin will receive $700 million less in ARPA funding than originally anticipated – from and an anticipated $3.2 billion to an actual $2.5 billion. In addition, the direct federal funding to the state will be split into two payments a year apart. The reduction in funding is due to improvements in the state’s unemployment rate, which has returned close to pre-pandemic levels.

Governor Tony Evers (D) who has full control over the allocation of the federal aid had planned to put $700 million toward the state’s ongoing response to the pandemic and $2.5 billion toward economic recovery. That will now need to be revisited with less funding coming into Wisconsin.

Evers, along with Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) has sent a letter to the Biden Administration asking Treasury to reconsider the split payment approach.

The newly released rules provide guidance on allowable uses of the federal relief funding. The federal government’s funding objectives for the relief aid includes:

Support urgent COVID-19 response efforts to continue to decrease spread of the virus and bring the pandemic under control.
Replace lost revenue for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to strengthen support for vital public services and help retain jobs.
Support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses.
Address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the inequal impact of the pandemic.

State and local governments may use these funds to:

Support public health expenditures, by, for example, funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts, medical expenses, behavioral healthcare, and certain public health and safety staff.
Address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, including economic harms to workers, households, small businesses, impacted industries, and the public sector.
Replace lost public sector revenue, using this funding to provide government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue experienced due to the pandemic.
Provide premium pay for essential workers, offering additional support to those who have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors.
Invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure, making necessary investments to improve access to clean drinking water, support vital wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and to expand access to broadband internet.

Within these overall categories, recipients have broad flexibility to decide how best to use the funding to meet the needs of their communities.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Treasury website.

What’s Happening Under the Capitol Dome: Track Health Care Legislation Being Considered by State Lawmakers

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:15:08 GMT

Although much of the focus in the State Capitol is on development of the 2021-23 state budget bill – the $91 billion two-year spending plan for the state – lawmakers are also acting on stand-alone, non-budget legislation, including many that impact the delivery of health care in Wisconsin. Legislation of interest to health care professionals across the state that have been introduced and are currently being considered by the Legislature’s Health Committees include the following:

Assembly Bill 66 - Relating to community health center grants and making an appropriation.
Assembly Bill 86 - Relating to providing complementary and alternative health care practitioners with exemptions from practice protection laws, requirements and prohibitions for individuals who provide complementary and alternative health care services.
Assembly Bill 184 - Relating to application of prescription drug payments to health insurance cost-sharing requirements.
Assembly Bill 281 - Relating to registration of pharmacy technicians.
Assembly Bill 290 - Relating to reimbursement of pharmacist services under the Medical Assistance program.
Assembly Bill 295 / Senate Bill 308 - Relating to licensing and regulation of pharmacies and remote dispensing sites under the pharmacy practice law and the practice of pharmacy.
Assembly Bill 296 - Relating to funding for free and charitable clinics and defining telehealth.
Senate Bill 337 - Relating to prohibiting businesses from discriminating against customers due to vaccination record.
Senate Bill 340 - Relating to reimbursement rates for behavioral treatment services under the Medical Assistance program.
Senate Bill 342 - Relating to prohibiting the state or other governmental entities from discrimination based on whether the person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.

For a full list of bills currently being considered by the Assembly and Senate Health Committees, CLICK HERE to view Assembly bills and HERE to view Senate bills. You bill be able to read the bills in full and track their status as they move through the legislative process.

WiAHC Government Affairs Team Continues to Pursue Medicaid Rate Increase for Skilled Home Health Care

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:11:43 GMT

With the state budget process fully underway at the State Capitol, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team remains highly engaged with key lawmakers and continues to pursue as part of the budget bill a 10 percent Medicaid rate increase for skilled nursing services provided by home health care agencies.

In addition to direct lobbying of legislators by Hoven Consulting, (WiAHC’s lobbying firm), we have ramped up our grassroots advocacy efforts by helping our members connect with lawmakers on the issue and have also earned statewide print and television news coverage on the critical need to boost the Medicaid rate to address the home health care workforce and patient access crisis.

Part of our advocacy strategy included having WiAHC testify before the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee at last month’s budget hearings. We would like to thank WiAHC Board Member Tyler Baures who took time out of his busy schedule to testify before the committee on April 28. He represented WiAHC and the home health care industry extremely well and did a tremendous job expressing the need to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for skilled home health care services.

Click here to read Tyler’s testimony before the Joint Finance Committee.

Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee Begins Voting to Reshape State Budget Bill

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:11:07 GMT

The Joint Finance Committee, the state Legislature’s budget writing committee, has begun voting to reshape Governor Tony Evers’ $91 billion state budget bill proposal. The most significant action the GOP-controlled committee took was the approval (along party lines) of a motion to pull more than 380 items from Evers’ two-year spending plan for the state. The items removed from the legislation were either non-fiscal policy items or provisions included by the governor that are opposed by the Republican majority in the Legislature.

More specifically, the motion removed the following health care-related items from the 2021-23 budget bill:

Full federal Medicaid expansion
Creation of a state-based Health Insurance Exchange
Legalization of medical marijuana
Raising to 21 the minimum age to purchase tobacco products

By removing the provision to expand Medicaid, Wisconsin is declining $1.6 billion in additional federal aid over the next two years, including $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for each state that approves Medicaid expansion. Proponents of the measure say expanding Medicaid eligibility would not only save the state money, but also provide health coverage to over 90,00 additional people.

Republicans who control the Legislature oppose Medicaid expansion, pointing to the lack of a coverage gaps between BadgerCare eligibility and eligibility for subsidies to purchase private coverage in the health insurance marketplace. They also believe expansion could put Wisconsin is a tough fiscal position in the future if the federal government decides to reduce Medicaid contributions made to states.

The Joint Finance Committee will continue to meet during the month of May to take further action on the budget bill. However, they are not expected to address major spending items, including Medicaid issues until next month.

Legislative Update

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 00:21:37 GMT

By Hoven Consulting

In February, Governor Tony Evers introduced his 2021-23 biennial budget proposal. The 1,000+ page document lays out the Governor’s preferred spending levels for all agencies and programs administered by state government for the next two fiscal years.

The challenge for Democratic Governor Evers is getting the Republican legislature to pass his spending bill. Many of the major tenants of the proposal, including marijuana legalization and accepting federal Medicaid expansion dollars, have already been rejected by legislative leaders.

The bill is now in the hands of the legislature’s budget-writing Joint Committee on Finance, a committee compromised of 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats from the Senate and 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats from the Assembly.

There are three core stages of the committee’s process. The first occurred earlier this month when the committee invited select administrative agency heads to testify and further explain the Governor’s spending proposals as it affects their agencies. This year, the committee spent two days hearing from the leaders of the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Workforce Development, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Public Service Commission. These four agencies compromise a significant portion of overall spending, along with the Department of Health Services and Department of Administration, which were not asked to testify.

These hearings are largely fact-finding missions, with some political barbs thrown in from time to time. They provide an early glimpse on how the legislature’s priorities differ from the Governor’s.

As of this writing, the committee is now in its second stage of holding hearings around the state to gain input from the public on how to prioritize spending. The first hearing was held in Whitewater on April 9, the second in Rhinelander on April 21, Menomonie on April 22, and finishing with a virtual hearing on April 28.

The public hearings are typically long days with hundreds of individuals testifying on a wide variety of issues. They provide the committee with general trends on what is important to the public and informs the committee’s third and final stage.

In May, the committee will begin voting agency by agency on its own spending proposals. They will typically meet two to three times a week each week in May spending many hours each day debating and voting on each proposal. This is the most important stage of the committee’s process as it’s basically the final chance to fight to put a priority in the budget or keep a bad proposal out of the budget.

This year, we expect significant departures from the committee’s (legislature’s) final budget proposal compared to the Governor’s. While proposals are beginning to solidify, much remains to be seen on major spending initiatives.

Complicating the matter is the $3.2 billion the state is receiving from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Governor Evers has complete discretion on how to spend these dollars without any legislative approval. It seems the legislature wants to know the details of the Governor’s plan to inform their budgeting initiatives.

Once the committee finishes its voting in May, the bill will go to the full legislature for a vote in both houses. The goal is for that to occur in June as the fiscal year ends July 1. In Wisconsin, the governor has the ability to line-item veto spending bills. In other words, he or she can veto portions of the budget bill without vetoing the bill in total. In 2019, Governor Evers vetoed many items in the bill that eventual passed the legislature. That is expected to occur again.

In short, the budget process is a long, somewhat messy undertaking with priorities and ideas that seem to shift daily. It’s not really until the dust settles after the Joint Committee on Finance finishes voting in May that the public gets a good idea of a final proposal. Stay tuned for updates as the process continues.

In Case You Missed It: Contact Your State Lawmakers TODAY to Request their Support for a Home Health Care Medicaid Rate Increase

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:13:33 GMT

The 2021-23 Wisconsin state budget bill was unveiled by Governor Tony Evers (D) in February and now resides in the hands of the Republican-controlled Legislature. Unfortunately, the $91 billion, two-year spending plan for the state as proposed by the governor DID NOT include a long-overdue Medicaid rate increase for skilled nursing provided in a home health care setting. However, lawmakers, who are currently holding public hearings on the Governor’s proposal, are expected to significantly rewrite the budget bill and can include a Medicaid rate increase for skilled home health care.

With that in mind, WiAHC is asking you to please contact your state lawmakers TODAY and urge them to support a Medicaid rate increase for home health care skilled nursing in the state budget bill.

BACKGROUND:

Operating in communities through the state, home health care agencies offer a variety of health care services provided in the homes of patients and are integral to comprehensive post-acute medical care in Wisconsin. In addition to offering quality, convenient care to patients in the comfort of their own homes, home health care agencies provide cost effective care that reduces the financial burden for patients as well as public and private payers.

Unfortunately, current Medicaid reimbursement levels make it difficult to operate home health care agencies due to the problems it creates, including workforce retention and patient access challenges. In fact, the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Wisconsin home health care skilled nursing has not been increased in over a decade and has created a crisis in the industry. In short, the state’s home health care agencies must receive an increase to sustain their skilled nursing services in Wisconsin.

During the 2019-20 legislative session, WiAHC advocated for legislation to increase reimbursement rates to $94.10. The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau found the increase would only cost the state $300,000 per year – or just 0.009% of the state’s $6.7 billion biennial Medicaid budget.

Even that modest additional investment will have a significant impact on home health care in Wisconsin. It will serve to strengthen the home health care workforce, increase patient access to care in their own homes, and ultimately reduce state spending by shifting certain patients away from expensive institutional-care facilities for post-acute care.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

E-mail your state legislators today and urge them to support a Medicaid rate increase for home health care skilled nursing services. Please feel free to use WiAHC’s sample e-mail when contacting your lawmakers. All you need to do is cut-and-paste it into an e-mail, but please consider personalizing your e-mail to include examples of your experiences that capture the workforce and patient access challenges created by stagnant Medicaid compensation.

If you don’t know who your state legislators are, or do not have their contact information, simply CLICK HERE and type your home address in the upper right corner text box. Remember to contact both your state senator and state representative.

If you have any questions on this WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert request or would like additional information on the issue, please contact WiAHC at erik@hovenconsulting.com or tim@hovenconsulting.com.

Jagler; Behnke Win Special Legislative Elections

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:12:45 GMT

The April 6 spring election had two special legislative races on the ballot to fill vacancies in Wisconsin’s 13th Senate District and 89th Assembly District.

Current State Representative John Jagler (R-Watertown) won his bid for the 13th Senate District seat to replace former Senator Scott Fitzgerald who was elected to Congress last fall. Jagler captured 51 percent of the vote, while his Democrat challenger, Melissa Winker received 44% of the vote.

Once Jagler is sworn into office in his new role as state senator, Republicans will hold a 21-12 majority in the Senate.

In the 89th Assembly District special election, Republican Elijah Behnke easily defeated Democrat Karl Jaeger, capturing 63 percent of the vote. Behnke will fill the seat vacated by Republican John Nygren, who resigned from office in December 2020.

With Behnke’s victory, Republicans will hold a 61-38 seat majority in the Assembly.

President Biden Signs into Law Bill Extending Moratorium on Medicare Sequestration

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:12:22 GMT

Last week President Biden signed into law the Medicare Sequester Relief Act that pauses through the end of the year an automatic 2% cut for all Medicare payments to health care providers. The bill enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Congress, passing 384-38 in the U.S. House of Representatives and 90-2 in the Senate.

Congress initially paused the cuts last year as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and have made several extensions since. Although the moratorium on the 2% reduction ended on March 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has not been enforcing the cuts in anticipation of the Sequester Relief Act passing to ensure providers were not negatively impacted.

The moratorium extension gives health care providers much-needed financial relief as they continue to grapple with the pandemic that has stretched resources and created unprecedented challenges in the delivery of quality care.

Policymaker Spotlight: A Guest Column from State Representative Donna Rozar

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:10:48 GMT

Representative Rozar (R-Marshfield) is a freshmen lawmaker who was elected to the state Assembly in November 2020. She represents the 69^th Assembly District, which includes portions of Clark, Marathon, and Wood counties. It also includes most of the City of Marshfield.

Prior to running for office, Rep. Rozar worked as an emergency room and medical-surgical registered nurse. She was also a nurse educator at UW Eau Claire College of Nursing before retiring from that position in May 2020. She continues to be employed by the Marshfield Clinic as a casual cardiac medical-surgical clinical RN.

She also continues to serve as a Wood County Board Supervisor, and currently chairs the Health and Human Services Committee.

In the Assembly, Rep. Rozar serves on the Assembly Health Committee and has been involved in the development of several health care-related legislative proposals.

Please CLICK HERE to read Rep. Rozar’s guest article written specifically for our Advocacy Newsletter. It is part of our effort to introduce members to the thoughts and opinions of state elected officials and policymakers.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of WiAHC.

WiAHC Opinion Article on Wisconsin’s Home Health Care Crisis Published in Newspapers Across the State

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 14:10:32 GMT

As is well known throughout the industry, skilled home health care in Wisconsin is facing a workforce shortage crisis, which is threatening patient access to care. The growing problem has been sparked by stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates for skilled nursing care in a home health setting. To draw long-overdue attention to the matter and encourage lawmakers to address the issue in the state budget bill, WiAHC members have written an opinion article to effectively capture the situation. The article, “Limited Workforce Leads to Limited Care Capacity”, has been published in news outlets across the state, including The Capital Times. CLICK HERE to read the article.

ACT TODAY: Urge Your State Lawmakers to Support a Medicaid Rate Increase for Skilled Nursing in a Home Health Care Setting

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:10:05 GMT

With that in mind, WiAHC is asking you to please contact your state lawmakers TODAY and urge them to support a Medicaid rate increase for home health care skilled nursing in the state budget bill.

BACKGROUND:

Operating in communities through the state, home health care agencies provide a variety of health care services provided in the homes of patients and are integral to comprehensive post-acute medical care in Wisconsin. In addition to offering quality, convenient care to patients in the comfort of their own homes, home health care agencies provide cost effective care that reduces the financial burden for patients as well as public and private payers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

If you have any questions on this WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert request or would like additional information on the issue, please contact WiAHC at erik@hovenconsulting.com or tim@hovenconsulting.com.

ACTION ALERT RESOURCES:

Enroll Now to be a COVID-19 Vaccinator

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:39:25 GMT

As Wisconsin continues to ramp-up vaccination distribution, home health care agencies have and can continue to play a role in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout. In fact, organizations can still sign-up to be become vaccinators. For more information and to enroll as a vaccinator, please click on the following link: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-program.htm (look for the drop down box labeled “COVID-19 Vaccinator Enrollment”). If you sign-up your organization as a vaccinator, vaccines may not be immediately available. However, you would be approved and ready to provide vaccines when they become accessible.

In addition to the vaccinator sign-up information referenced above, the following Department of Health Services web page provided tools, resources, and information to protect your communities and promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccine-resources.htm. This information is geared towards employers and vaccinators.

COVID-19 Vaccinator Enrollment

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:34:24 GMT

Wisconsin DHS

(Updated 03/01/2021 to highlight the provider registration scenarios that help while filling out required Form B and Redistribution Forms.)

Background

The Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine program is enrolling entities that wish to vaccinate. By enrolling in the program, entities and their vaccinators will be approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin. To become a COVID-19 Vaccinator, all organizations must have an approved Form A and Form B. To redistribute vaccine, all enrolled COVID-19 vaccinators must also have an approved Redistribution Form.

Steps to complete enrollment and redistribution forms

It is important that you complete every step in the enrollment process in order to ensure your submission is processed as quickly as possible. Please use Google Chrome when navigating the enrollment tool. Email(link sends e-mail) us if you have any questions!

Step 1: Log in to the COVID-19 Vaccine Enrollment Tool(link is external) using your Department of Administration (DOA)/Wisconsin Logon Management System username and password.

If you do not have a DOA/Wisconsin Logon, please register here(link is external).
- Select Self-Registration. After you accept the user agreement and fill in your personal profile information, select “DHS Health Reports” under “Systems You Will Access.”
- After your registration is complete, proceed to the enrollment tool(link is external).
If you have a DOA/Wisconsin Logon, then proceed to the enrollment tool(link is external) and logon using your DOA/Wisconsin Logon username and password.

Step 2: Generate your forms.

USE CAUTION: Once information is entered and site type is chosen, you may NOT go back to change them.

Enter information into the COVID-19 Vaccine Enrollment Tool.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Generate Forms”, which will generate forms specifically for your organization.
- Your organization name and a reference number will be pre-populated on the forms (located at the bottom of each generated form).
- You can have your vaccine sites use this information to ensure they are using your organization-specific forms.

Step 3: Complete and sign your forms. (Updated 03/01/21)

Note: All signatures must be present on a form before submission. Instruction is provided within the forms by hovering over the blue bars in the form.

Each unique legal organization must complete a Form A.
If your organization may need to move vaccine to another organization, or to another Form B location within your own organization, you must complete a Redistribution Form. This form should match your organization’s Form A in the following fields:
- Organization Name
- Medical Director/Chief Medical Officer
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Complete a Form B for each physical address where you will store or administer COVID-19 vaccine, with certain exceptions. Please see these provider registration scenarios to see what forms are required for different vaccination clinics. If you have questions about whether your organization requires additional Form B submissions, please email us(link sends e-mail).

Step 4: Submit all your forms.

Note: You may submit your organization's forms from any DOA/Wisconsin Logon Management System login. Only submit the completed forms that were specifically generated for your organization with the reference number in step 2 above (this is listed at the bottom right of your generated forms).

Find “Submit Forms” at the top left of your web browser.
Upload your completed and signed forms to their corresponding fields. DON’T FORGET TO HAVE YOUR FORMS SIGNED AND DATED!
Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the “Upload Files” button.
If you need to change your information after submitting do so via the Wisconsin Immunization Registry. Any information that needs to be changed outside of WIR can be done by contacting dhscovidvaccinator@wi.gov(link sends e-mail).

Step 5: At various different stages of registration, staff may contact you to ask questions about your submission, correct errors, or provide instructions on next steps. Please respond to this outreach immediately so that we can continue processing your registration. This step may occur after your organization has been approved to receive vaccine.

Step 6: Once your information is verified and your WIR account is configured, the primary contact listed on the Form B will receive an email from DHS with next steps for your organization.

Your vaccine coordinator, back-up coordinator, and other relevant staff must complete the required Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) and vaccine storage and handling trainings. These training videos do not use Adobe Flash Player. You will be emailed a survey to attest that your staff have completed the WIR and the Storage and Handling trainings. Your organization will not be able to order COVID-19 vaccine unless these trainings are completed and acknowledged within 5 days of receipt of the email with the attestation survey.

We also highly recommend your staff takes the CDC's Just in Time trainings for Pfizer-BioNTech(link is external) and Moderna(link is external) vaccines! See the Trainings section below for additional trainings.

Learn more under the COVID-19 Vaccinator Enrollment drop down.

Limited Workforce Leads to Limited Care Capacity - Wisconsin Home Health Agencies Struggle After 10 Years of Stagnant Rates

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 20:16:24 GMT

Wisconsin’s home health care agencies provide high quality, cost effective skilled nursing care for individuals recently discharged from a hospital or skilled nursing facilities. Operating in rural and urban communities throughout the state, home health care agencies provide health care services including skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and home health aide in a patient’s home. Home health care services address a variety of health issues, from pulmonary care and neurological rehabilitation to intravenous therapy, wound care, and chronic disease management.

This convenient quality healthcare is also cost effective and reduces the financial burden for patients, private insurance, and public payers. In fact, when home health is the first option utilized after discharge from a hospital, studies found a cost savings of $5,411 per person among the Medicare population. Additional data shows home health care services lead to 26% fewer acute care hospital admissions and 19-30% in total medical cost savings.

Unfortunately, the skilled home health care industry is facing a workforce shortage crisis, which is threatening patient access to care.

Wisconsin’s home health care agencies are reimbursed by private pay insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. However, Wisconsin’s Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health services has been stagnant for over a decade, without a single increase. Yet over that same time, healthcare inflation has grown 32.3%, and the average Medicare reimbursement rates have increased by 26%. Medicare rates average $145.00 and Medicaid reimbursement for home health services remain at $85.54 per visit.

Such low Medicaid reimbursement levels create a critical workforce crisis for home health care agencies to retain essential skilled nursing staff and adequately serve Wisconsin’s home health care patients. Wisconsin home health agencies regularly lose highly skilled nurses to other sectors of the healthcare industry, mostly due to inequitable compensation potential.

According to the Wisconsin Center for Nursing, Wisconsin is well below the national average when it comes to RNs working in home health settings. RNs working in home health settings make up just 6% of the total nursing workforce in the state, while nationally that statistic is 13% of the total nursing workforce.

Wisconsin’s lagging Medicaid reimbursement rates not only create workforce challenges, they also negatively impact access to home health care services among the Medicaid population.

In short, Wisconsin’s home health care agencies have earned and deserve a Medicaid rate increase. Most importantly, Medicaid patients should be able to access home health services which increase quality of life and decrease medical costs.

By incentivizing home health care agencies to accept new Medicaid patients and increase capacity for home health care to attract new workforce, the state could reduce dependency on expensive institutional-care facilities for post-acute care.

On behalf of the patients we serve, the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care urges the Legislature to include a modest increase in the 2021-23 biennial budget. It is time to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for home health care services. The downstream cost savings far exceed the investment and most importantly it will benefit all patients.

Lisa Kirker, RN, MSN, MBA
President
Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care

REMINDER: Sign-up TODAY for WiAHC’s Legislative Key Contact Program

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:24:21 GMT

We are happy to report the program is now live on the WiAHC website and members can easily and quickly sign-up as a Key Contact.

Remember to Contact Your State Lawmakers to Educate Them on the Home Health Care Industry

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:21:45 GMT

All too often, citizens believe they cannot influence the political and policymaking process. Fortunately, that perception is NOT ACCURATE, as lawmakers are eager to hear input from their constituents. In fact, they have a duty to listen to and address the concerns of their constituents, including those working in the home health care industry.

One of the most important steps WiAHC members can take to promote our industry and advance beneficial policies and legislation is to develop a relationship with their state legislators. With that in mind, the WiAHC Government Affairs Team is encouraging you to contact your state lawmakers TODAY, introduce yourself and educate them on the importance of the home health care industry in Wisconsin.

With the 2021-23 Wisconsin state budget bill currently under consideration, it is also an ideal time to remind your legislators the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Wisconsin home health care skilled nursing has not been increased in over a decade and their support for such increase is essential for the viability of home health care services in Wisconsin.

Again, please contact your state lawmakers TODAY to introduce yourself and WiAHC, as well as to educate them on the home health care industry.

BACKGROUND:

Operating in communities through the state, home health care agencies offer a variety of health care services provided in the homes of patients and are integral to comprehensive post-acute medical care. In addition to offering quality, convenient care to patients in the comfort of their own homes, home health care agencies provide cost effective care that reduces the financial burden for patients as well as public and private payers.

However, home health care can mean different things to different people – including legislators. There is a great need to educate policymakers on what home health care means to WiAHC and our members. In short, skilled home health care includes a wide range of services to treat an illness or injury that are provided by skilled non-physician practitioners – including nurses and physical therapists – in a patient’s home.

It is also important for lawmakers to understand the benefits of home health care. Not only does it improve patient recovery time, convenience and quality of life, skilled home health care is typically less expensive then care a patient would receive in a hospital or other facility.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

E-mail your state legislators today to introduce yourself and educate them about the importance of the home health care industry in Wisconsin. Please feel free to use WiAHC’s sample e-mail when contacting your lawmakers. All you need to do is cut-and-paste it into an e-mail, but please consider personalizing your e-mail to include examples of your personal experiences that capture the benefits of home health care. Also, please attach the WiAHC 101 document – which is linked below – to your e-mail to lawmakers.

If you have any questions on this WiAHC Advocacy Action Alert request or would like additional information on the issue, please contact WiAHC at erik@hovenconsulting.com or tim@hovenconsulting.com.

ACTION ALERT RESOURCES:

American Rescue Plan Act Includes Numerous Health Care-Related Initiatives

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:21:29 GMT

Earlier this month, Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The sweeping $1.9 trillion legislative package includes a wide range of funding programs and policies to aid individuals, businesses, and communities across the county with additional COVID-19 relief. In addition to direct $1,400 stimulus payments to individuals, extended unemployment benefits, housing assistance and funding for states, large cities, and schools, the American Rescue Plan also includes funding for the COVID-19 public health response and numerous health care-related initiatives, including:

$8.5 billion to track, administer and distribute COVID-19 vaccines.
$47 billion for diagnosing and tracing COVID-19 infections.
10% increase to Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage for home and community-based services (HCBS), which equates to a $12.67 billion payment increase for HCBS from April 1 of 2021 through March 31, 2022.
$8.5 billion in payments for rural Medicare and Medicaid providers – including hospitals, clinics, home health, and hospice – for COVID-19-related expenses and lost revenue.
$200 million for infection control and vaccination uptake in skilled nursing facilities.
Requires COVID-19 vaccine coverage without cost-sharing for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Increases health insurance premium assistance for individual coverage on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace for 2021 and 2022

For more information on the American Rescue Plan, please review a comprehensive overview of the new law provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures (see page five for health and human services provisions).

Public Hearings Scheduled on $91 Billion State Budget Bill

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:21:06 GMT

The Wisconsin Legislature's powerful budget-writing committee – the Joint Finance Committee – will hold four public hearings next month on Governor Tony Evers' proposed $91 billion state budget bill. The committee has scheduled three in-person hearings and one virtual hearing for the following dates and locations:

April 9 – University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
April 21 – Rhinelander, WI (Hodag Dome)
April 22 – University of Wisconsin-Stout (Menomonie, WI)
April 28 – Virtual hearing

The public hearings will begin at 10:00 AM and conclude at 5:00 PM. Due to COVID-19, capacity at each hearing site will be closely monitored. Individuals wishing to testify at the virtual hearing will be required to register in advance.

The hearings will provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the state’s two-year spending plan and suggest modifications to the proposal before the Finance Committee votes to make what is anticipated to be extensive changes to Evers' budget bill. Once the committee finishes its work, the budget bill will be considered by the full Legislature.

For individuals who cannot attend the public hearings, but wish to comment on the budget proposal, the following online portal is available for the public to provide input on the bill: www.legis.wisconsin.gov/topics/budgetcomments.

If you have any questions on the state budget bill, would like more information, or need assistance on how to engage in the budget process, please contact WiAHC’s government affairs team at Hoven Consulting.

DHS Moves Up People with Medical Conditions for COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility to March 22

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:20:38 GMT

The Department of Health Services (DHS) announced today that individuals age 16 and older with certain medical conditions will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning March 22, which is earlier than previously expected. This eligibility group includes individuals with medical conditions associated with an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

The next eligibility group, which again will begin March 22, 2021, includes individuals age 16 and over with the following medical conditions:

Asthma
Cancer
Cerebrovascular disease
Chronic kidney disease
COPD
Cystic fibrosis
Down syndrome
Heart conditions
Hypertension or high blood pressure
Immunocompromised state
Liver disease
Neurologic conditions
Obesity or overweight
Pregnancy
Pulmonary fibrosis
Sickle cell disease
Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
Thalassemia

Individuals with the outlined medical conditions can access vaccine through a variety of options, including community-based clinics, health care providers, Local and Tribal Health Departments, and pharmacies. Wisconsinites with a primary care provider may hear directly from their provider. Visit the Wisconsin COVID-19 vaccine options page or call the vaccine hotline at 1-844-684-1064 to learn more.

Additionally, DHS clarified current eligibility to include all clergy (as part of health care personnel who provide spiritual care to the sick), restaurant workers (as part of the food supply eligibility group) and further expanded public safety to include judges, prosecutors, and other essential criminal court personnel, in addition to public defenders.

Depending on vaccine supply, DHS still anticipates that Wisconsin will be able to expand eligibility May 1 to include all individuals age 16 and older. DHS will continue to monitor vaccination coverage statewide and partner with vaccine providers in order to provide an updated vaccination timeline for the general public.

For information, resources, and data related to Wisconsin’s COVID-19 vaccination program, visit the COVID-19 vaccine webpage.

Policymaker Spotlight: An Interview with State Representative Joe Sanfelippo

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 14:19:29 GMT

First elected to the state Assembly in 2012, Representative Joe Sanfelippo (R-New Berlin) represents the 15^th Assembly District, which includes portions of Waukesha and Milwaukee counties. The district also includes the city of New Berlin and part of West Allis.

Before running for office, Rep Sanfelippo spent all his professional life in the private sector. He was the owner and operator of landscaping business for over 20 years, and he still operates a small Christmas tree farm. In addition to drawing on his experience as a small businessman to champion pro-business, pro-growth policies in the Legislature, as the long-time Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, Rep. Sanfelippo has focused his policymaking efforts on health care issues and challenges facing the state.

Over the years, Sanfelippo has worked on numerous proposals to help improve the delivery of quality patient care, including legislation passed by the Legislature last session –but ultimately vetoed by Governor Tony Evers – to recognize and properly regulate direct primary care in Wisconsin. Under the direct primary care model, patients pay a monthly fee, with no further co-pays or deductibles, and in return receive unlimited access to their primary care doctor.

In the current legislative session, Sanfelippo has been a leading voice on COVID-19 vaccine distribution and authored legislation recently passed into law that authorizes pharmacy technicians with proper training and supervision to administer vaccines.

Rep. Sanfelippo took a few minutes to talk with us about a handful of topical health care-related issues and what his health care policy priorities are for the 2021-22 legislative session:

QUESTION:You are serving another session as Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, which plays a vital role in shaping health care policy in Wisconsin. With that in mind, what do you believe are the most pressing health care-related challenges facing the state, and what policy solutions do you believe are needed to address those challenges?

Rep. Sanfelippo: The immediate issue at hand of course is to make sure we are getting vaccines to everyone who wants them as quickly as possible. The administration made such a mess by unnecessarily bogging down the initial rollout in bureaucratic red tape and only shaped up once the legislature began putting pressure on them. We need to eliminate their bureaucratic barriers to vaccination and continue our oversight to compel them to improve.

The other issue garnering much of my efforts will be to combat the Governor’s ridiculous idea to legalize marijuana. The potentially dangerous health implications are very serious according to every health care organization and official, especially for our kids which makes this politically motivated proposal even more reckless.

QUESTION:Outside of the state’s leading health care issues you mentioned above, what other health care-related proposals do you or your committee plan to pursue during the 2021-22 legislation? For example, last session you authored the direct primary care bill that would have exempted direct primary care agreements between a health care provider and a patient from Wisconsin’s insurance laws. Do you plan to reintroduce that bill or other legislation that would modify the traditional delivery of medical care in Wisconsin?

Rep. Senfelippo: We will continue focusing on innovative ideas that expand access and increase affordability while keeping the decision making between the doctor and patient where it belongs.

QUESTION: Prior to COVID-19, Wisconsin was facing a growing shortage of health care professionals, from physicians and nurses to CNAs and mental health care providers . The pandemic has only magnified the shortage and has put additional stress on the delivery of care in Wisconsin. Are there any potential programs or policies you are considering or willing to support that would help address the state’s health care workforce shortage?

Rep Sanfelippo: We can continue to work on education and tax incentives to encourage individuals to enter the health care fields with the most critical shortages. In addition, we must look at MA rates for certain sectors. Many of these services have not had any or only minimal increases in the past decade making hard for businesses to compete with the rest of the community for employees.

QUESTION: As part of his 2021-23 budget bill proposal, Gov. Evers once again recommended Wisconsin accept the federal Affordable Care Act's provision for Medicaid expansion, stating the expansion would provide healthcare coverage over 45,000 uninsured low-income families in Wisconsin and reduce state healthcare costs by $630 million over the two-year budget cycle. The Legislature removed the initiative form the Governor’s 2019-21 budget proposal, and it appears likely lawmakers will once again remove the provision. What is your position on the issue, and why?

Rep. Sanfelippo: MA expansion is DOA in my book. There is plenty of proof by looking at those states which did expand in the past to see the disaster it has caused for state budgets. Furthermore, adding another 45,000 individuals to a system that is already struggling to provide enough care for members is a recipe for disaster.

QUESTION:Last month, Gov. Evers recently vetoed Assembly Bill 1, the Legislature’s broad COVID-19 relief legislation. As a result, several of the bill’s provisions have been introduced as separate legislation. What steps, if any, do you believe the Legislature should take next to address the public health aspects of COVID-19, the continued roll out of vaccines, and any additional federal funding the state will receive to address the pandemic?

Rep. Sanfelippo: The best thing the legislature can do is to continue our close oversight of the process. We know from experience that Governor Evers’ administration is severely challenged when it comes to carrying out day-to-day operational duties of an agency under demand. Just look at DWD and the unemployment mess. As soon as the legislature came back in last January, we made the vaccination rollout issue #1 and put the heat on the agency to shape up. Now that Secretary Palm has shipped out, we continue to be vigilant in our oversight and to address issues as they arise.

DON’T MISS OUT: WiAHC Townhall Meeting

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 14:43:11 GMT

Register Today for Feb. 25 Event

The state of the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care is strong, but we are only as strong as the members who make up our unique organization. And our continued success depends largely on passionate member engagement.

Thankfully, WiAHC’s upcoming membership wide Townhall Meeting provides you with a tremendous opportunity to stay connected with your association. The All-hands Meeting will allow you to stay updated on the latest WiAHC news, discuss ideas with your peers, help association leadership address challenges, and make collective decisions to move WiAHC forward and meet our major objectives.

In addition to general association updates and more specific regional breakouts, the Feb. 25 Townhall Meeting will feature a Legislative Update from WiAHC’s lobbying team at Hoven Consulting – Tim Hoven and Erik Kanter. Our lobbyists are committed to working with state lawmakers to promote programs and policies that improve home health care in Wisconsin. Their Legislative Update will include the latest on their efforts in the State Capitol to increase the Medical Assistance (MA) reimbursement rate for skilled nursing in a home health care setting.

Following the Legislative Update, Badger Bay Advocacy Director Michael Welsh will provide comments on the importance of grassroots advocacy and how WiAHC member engagement in the legislative process can augment our direct lobbying efforts and help meet the association’s legislative goals.

Meeting Details:

WHAT: WiAHC Townhall Meeting
WHEN: Thursday, February 25 – 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
WHERE: Virtual meeting – A Zoom invite link will be sent to registrants the day before the meeting.
REGISTRATION: All WiAHC members are strongly encouraged to attend. CLICK HERE to register. Registration is free for members.
AGENDA:
- Keynote - Legislative Update featuring Timothy Hoven and Erik Kanter from Hoven Consulting. A grassroots advocacy report will follow the Legislative Update.
- Association updates
- Breakouts by region

We look forward to seeing you and hearing your thoughts on the future of WiAHC at the Townhall Meeting. Please do not miss out on this opportunity to participate in your association – and remember to register.

Stop the COVID Spread! Coalition: “The Fight’s Not Over Yet”

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 18:59:40 GMT

Coalition launches new ad campaign promoting continued use of face masks, social distancing and hand washing as key measures in the fight against COVID-19

Madison, WI -- The statewide coalition to combat the spread of COVID-19 launched a new ad campaign today calling on Wisconsinites to stay vigilant in the effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19. The ad campaign that will broadcast statewide on digital and broadcast media stresses the importance of wearing face masks, washing hands regularly, and continuing to practice social distancing as key, simple measures in the fight against the global pandemic.

“This past year, Wisconsin came together to take on COVID-19. Our frontline workers, businesses, and communities stepped up. And you are doing your part,” says the narrator in the ad. “We will stop the spread, but the fight’s not over yet. As many await vaccines, and our health care heroes battle new strains, we can’t let our guard down now.”

The launch of the Stop the Covid Spread! coalition’s public education announcement comes amidst a trend of falling COVID-19 cases, which could create a false sense of security. New strains of the virus that appear to be both more transmissible and potentially more deadly are spreading worldwide. Vaccine distribution in the state is also being hampered by a shortage of supply from the federal government, meaning much of the state’s vaccination capacity is being underutilized. By continuing to practice safe behaviors, including wearing masks, social distancing, and washing hands, we not only stop the spread, we save lives.

“Given the current pace of vaccination in Wisconsin, it will take some time for the vaccine to take hold in the state,” said Wisconsin Hospital Association President and CEO Eric Borgerding “And regardless of the political debates taking place in Madison, masks and other mitigation behaviors are critical factors in our COVID-19 fight. We’ve made great progress, and the health care community is very thankful for all that Wisconsin has done to slow COVID down, but we need to keep at it - mask up, maintain social distance, and wash hands.”

Since its launch in October, the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition has advanced an aggressive campaign encouraging the use of crucial safety measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Coalition messaging has included public education announcements featuring a wide range of Wisconsin voices, including frontline health care workers from health systems throughout Wisconsin, members of the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, Congressman Mark Pocan, and UW System President Tommy Thompson, many of whom appear in the most recent ad.

“We are incredibly proud of the hard work and sacrifice that Wisconsinites have made over the past year, from the frontline workers in so many critical industries to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel fighting this virus on a daily basis,” said Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce President & CEO Kurt Bauer. “It is time to double down on our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19. We must continue to wear a mask, wash our hands and practice social distancing.”

The “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition currently includes more than 135 of Wisconsin’s leading health care, business, and advocacy organizations. Notable coalition members include the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Green Bay Packers, and representatives of local governments, chambers of commerce, and visitors bureaus from every corner of the state. The organizations have joined together with a shared goal of furthering public education about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin and the critical need for preventative measures. A full list of member organizations is below.

You can watch the new ad at: https://youtu.be/V3W0P0KY41g.

Process to Request COVID-19 BinaxNOW Point of Care Antigen Testing Supplies from the State Inventory

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 18:57:25 GMT

The State of Wisconsin is offering BinaxNOW point of care antigen tests to a variety of facility types. The antigen test is best used in outbreak testing and testing of symptomatic individuals. Lab-based molecular testing continues to be the “gold-standard”. The BinaxNOW tests may be appropriate if preferred testing is not available in a timely manner. Supplies provided by the state are in addition to BinaxNOW tests distributed directly to the facilities by HHS.

Facilities must qualify to receive additional allocation:

Maintain a current CLIA certificate or waiver
Have access to PCR testing.

If inventory allows, additional opportunities for BinaxNOW tests will be made available via a similar request process.

How to request BinaxNOW tests

Your facility may request a two week supply to support staff and resident testing strategy; tests are not intended to test visitors and family. Please size your order to reflect only what you need from the state.

If your organization would like to request BinaxNOW tests from the state, please fill out the request form: BinaxNOW Antigen Test Request. Please submit your order request by close of business Monday, January 18.

If the state receives additional allocations of tests in the future, they may also be made available via a similar request process and you will be notified when they are available.

Additional helpful information

DHS recommends a two-tier testing strategy for use of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests. Refer to COVID-19 Health Alert #17 for more information on the use of antigen tests.
HHS COVID-19 Rapid Point-Of-Care Test Distribution website

For questions please contact: for DHSCOVIDBinax@dhs.wisconsin.gov

DHS Announces Weekly Newsletter to Keep Public Informed of COVID-19 Response and Vaccine Progress

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:51:04 GMT

State residents can sign up for weekly emails containing updates, news, and resources

The Department of Health Services (DHS) announced today a newsletter the public can sign up for to get direct information about the COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout. Every Friday, a COVID-19 update newsletter will be sent via email to people who sign up to receive it. Registration is now open, and archived copies of the weekly newsletter will also be available.

“Throughout this pandemic, we have remained committed to keeping the residents of Wisconsin as informed as possible,” said Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. “The more quality information we have, the more effective we can be in making healthy and safe choices. That is why we have regularly updated data dashboards and science-based guidance on our website, and it is also why we want to add a weekly newsletter to our communications toolbox.”

View the entire news release.

DHS COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 19:19:53 GMT

Reminders and updates for members:

The state holds weekly updates for vaccinators and stakeholders. These webinars are Fridays at 9am. Past webinars are also available on line.
The state has updated its information on the vaccinate enrollment process. This and past information are available on the state’s website for COVID-19 vaccinators. Check here to learn more about enrolling as a vaccine provider and related resources.
The state also launched a new vaccine page for the public. This includes a summary of vaccine allocated, shipped and administered.

Stop the COVID Spread! Coalition says “Thank You” and “Keep It Up Wisconsin!”

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 00:42:48 GMT

Madison, WI -- The statewide coalition to combat the spread of COVID-19 is encouraging Wisconsin residents to keep it up on COVID as statewide positivity and hospitalization rates show an encouraging downward trend. As vaccinations begin to be distributed in the state, the leaders of the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition are urging Wisconsinites to remain vigilant in practicing safe behaviors to ensure we continue to curtail the spread of the virus.

The efforts of the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition to-date have resulted in significant amplification of public health messaging focused on curbing the spread of COVID-19. Since its launch in October, the coalition has produced six public education announcements encouraging safe behaviors. These spots have achieved an estimated audience reach of well over 30 million on statewide television and radio. On digital platforms, coalition ads have generated over 16 million ad impressions and reached more than six million devices across the state.

“We are encouraged by a recent reduction in cases and hospitalizations, which show that safe practices are making a difference in Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin Hospital Association President and CEO Eric Borgerding. “On behalf of the coalition, we say, “Thank you!” to the people of Wisconsin for taking the necessary precautions to curb the spread of COVID. But we cannot stop now. Over the next several months as vaccines are made available to the general public, we need to keep our guard up and continue to wash hands, wear masks and maintain social distance.

“Wisconsinites have come together to fight the common enemy of COVID and get our state heading in the right direction,” said Wisconsin Counties Association Executive Director Mark D. O’Connell. “Vaccines are coming, but we can’t stop now. The next few months will be critical and we encourage everyone to do their part to slow the numbers even more.”

The “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition currently includes more than 125 of Wisconsin’s leading health care, business, and advocacy organizations. Notable coalition members include the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Green Bay Packers, and representatives of local governments, chambers of commerce, and visitors bureaus from every corner of the state. The organizations have joined together with a shared goal of furthering public education about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin and the critical need for preventative measures.

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For more information about the Stop the Spread coalition and the importance of safe behaviors for both public and state economic health, visit www.wha.org/stopthecovidspread

NAHC COVID-19 Vaccine Resolution

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:28:16 GMT

National Association for Home Care & Hospice

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the world with unprecedented health challenges that affect every element of life;

WHEREAS, the health care community must utilize all resources available to provide care and to limit the spread of the deadly virus in the interest of public health and to be consistent with the ethical principle of “do no harm”;

WHEREAS, the home care and hospice community has been a leader in infection control while serving infected and non-infected patients;

WHEREAS, an emerging resource that may provide significant protection from COVID-19 virus infections is the availability and access to vaccine immunizations;

WHEREAS, the Advisory Commission on Immunization Practices at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that vaccination of all home care and hospice personnel, along with other health care personnel, is the highest priority as a matter in containing and controlling the spread and impact of the COVID-19 virus;

WHEREAS, immunization of home care staff, both clinicians with direct contact with infected patients as well as all other home care staff, may help prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus, reduce risks of infirmity and death among the home care patients, and protect health care staff so they may be available to provide care to the overall patient population in home care:

COVID-19 Vaccination Communications Toolkit

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 19:33:17 GMT

National Association for Home Care & Hospice

As we prepare for the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, we want to share with you some ready-made materials developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that can be used to build confidence about COVID-19 vaccination among your team and other staff. These are part of CDC's COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit for Medical Centers, Clinics, and Clinicians.

Materials include:

A guide for building vaccine confidence within health systems, medical offices and clinics;
Turn-key slide decks for immunization coordinators, the healthcare team and other healthcare personnel with information about COVID-19 vaccines, tips for building vaccine confidence, and tips for having effective vaccine conversations with patients;
Posters, fact sheets, FAQs, and social media;
Printable buttons/stickers for staff to wear once they've gotten their vaccine; and
A video describing how ACIP makes recommendations and advises CDC on the use of vaccines in our country.

We also urge you to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine by visiting the NAHC COVID-19 Vaccine Resources page. It will be updated as often as necessary so please check frequently for the latest news and information.

Please read and share the full resolution of the NAHC Board of Directors.

Frontline Wisconsin Health Care Workers Appeal for Safe Practices

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 14:22:00 GMT

New Stop the COVID Spread! coalition message draws upon experiences of overwhelmed health care workforce

Madison, WI – “We need your help.” That’s the underlying message from statewide health care workers in the latest “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition public education announcement that begins airing on broadcast TV, radio, and digital platforms throughout Wisconsin today. The new ad—the fifth put out by the coalition—comes as Wisconsin continues to face unrelenting COVID-19 case counts with hospitals throughout the state operating near or at full capacity. Health care providers featured in the new coalition message include Green Bay’s Bellin Health, Marshfield Clinic Health System, and UW Health in Madison, with a joint plea to the public to help curb the spread of the virus: “We’re on the frontlines. It’s our job to save lives and get people better. But fighting this pandemic puts our families at risk, too. We need your help. ask up, wash your hands, and if you go out, stay at least six feet apart. Please, do this for your family, and ours.”

The real-life perspectives shared in the spot are those of Chelsea Rangel, RN, and Hilary Faust, MD, from UW-Health; Sumithra Tirunagaram, MD, and respiratory therapist Karen Masanz, from Marshfield Clinic Health System; Jessie Schaumberg, RN, and Paul Casey, MD, from Bellin Health.

“While news of forthcoming COVID-19 vaccinations is encouraging, we need to remain vigilant in practicing safe behaviors to curtail virus spread,” said Wisconsin Hospital Association president and CEO Eric Borgerding. “Our frontline health care heroes need your help, as their ability to provide care to our loved ones and neighbors is being strained. Overcoming this health care crisis requires all of us working together.”

“You don’t have to put your life on the line like the folks who work in healthcare, grocery stores, restaurants, or hardware stores. All you have to do is wear a mask, practice social distancing and do your part to stop the spread of the coronavirus to keep people from dying,” added Brandon Scholz, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association. “Is that too hard to do and too much to ask?”

Since its launch in October, the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition has grown quickly to include more than 125 of Wisconsin’s leading health care, business and advocacy organizations. The organizations have joined together in a campaign to educate the public about the seriousness of the growing crisis in Wisconsin and the critical and growing need for preventative measures. A full list of member organizations is below.

You can watch the full video at: https://youtu.be/GIRW7xTyhDM

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For more information click here

Stop the COVID Spread! Coalition Pushes New Message of Bipartisan Cooperation

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 20:17:51 GMT

Congressman Pocan, Speaker Vos join together to urge Wisconsin residents to stay safe

Madison, WI -- Keeping ourselves, our friends, neighbors, and loved ones safe is not political.

That’s the message delivered by Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Democratic Congressman Mark Pocan, who appear together in the latest “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition public education announcement aimed at combating the pandemic raging throughout Wisconsin. The new ad, the coalition’s fifth, will begin airing on broadcast and digital channels throughout the state today as rampant community spread of COVID-19 continues to stress the state’s health care system.

Representing different political parties, geographic areas and bodies of government, Congressman Pocan and Speaker Vos have come together for a cause that all Wisconsin residents can agree on: beating COVID-19. “After another election, it’s clear we have differences, but we can also agree,” says Speaker Vos in the ad. “We can still live our lives and be sensible and safe.” Both elected officials speak about the importance of preventative measures including wearing masks, hand washing, practicing social distancing, and staying home whenever possible. “We have to do all we can to stay safe,” adds Congressman Pocan.

“Wisconsin needs unified responses to the COVID pandemic and aligning around a common message is critical,” said Eric Borgerding, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Hospital Association. “We’re grateful to Speaker Vos and Congressman Pocan for joining us to send the public a crucial message about working together to slow COVID’s spread.” “We all need to do our part to stop the spread of COVID and get Wisconsin out of this public health crisis,” added Wisconsin Counties Association Executive Director Mark D. O’Connell. “As Congressman Pocan and Speaker Vos have demonstrated, keeping Wisconsin safe is something upon which we can all agree.”

Read the full article here

Your Key to Electronic Visit Verification, Issue 4

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 19:22:47 GMT

Forward Health

The latest issue of the Your Key to EVV newsletter is now available online. We’re finishing up November, and the weather is getting cold. We hope you’re staying safe and warm inside. The end of November is also the end of our first month of using electronic visit verification (EVV). We appreciate your help in bringing Wisconsin forward into the future of care technology. Keeping that in mind, we wanted to focus on workers and answer the questions we’re hearing from you in the first few weeks of EVV operation. Here you’ll find some common questions about how the Wisconsin Department of Health Services-provided EVV solution works during visits. Please share this information with any workers who may find it helpful.

WiAHC Celebrates Home Care and Hospice Month

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 17:07:33 GMT

Each November the home care and hospice community honors the millions of nurses, home care aides, therapists, and social workers who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve. These heroic caregivers play a central role in our health care system and in homes across the nation. To recognize their efforts, we call upon all Americans to commemorate the power of caring, both at the home and in their local communities and join with WiAHC and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) by celebrating November as National Home Care & Hospice Month.

With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, the need for health care will continue to rise, and costs will continue to skyrocket. This is where home care and hospice come in. As the preferred choice for most patients, it also offers the greatest cost savings. For example, Medicare pays nearly $2,000 per day for a typical hospital stay and $450 per day for a typical nursing home stay. Meanwhile, home care costs less than $100 a day and helps many U.S. seniors remain independent at home, enrich their lives, and keep in touch with those they love.

COVID-19 Vaccinator Enrollment Tool

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 14:09:14 GMT

The Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine program is now enrolling providers.

By enrolling in the COVID-19 Vaccine program, vaccinators will be approved to administer COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin once a safe and effective vaccine is made available. COVID-19 vaccine will not be available for private purchase; it will only be available for delivery through the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine program.

Which vaccinating entities should enroll?

Enrollment is open to all providers that will vaccinate against COVID-19 such as: health care systems; health care providers; pharmacies; local and tribal health departments; mass vaccination sites; and long term care facilities (LTC) and assisted living facilities (ALF) that are not participating in the Pharmacy Partnership program.

If your organization plans to administer COVID-19 vaccine, please register as soon as possible, especially if you plan to vaccinate priority populations such as health care workers, essential workers, or people 65+ years.

How to enroll?

Please follow the steps outlined on our COVID-19 Vaccinator page.

When will my entity receive COVID-19 vaccine?

After completing enrollment and obtaining approval from the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine program, your entity will receive COVID-19 vaccine as supply allows. During the first phases of vaccination, it is anticipated that the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccine program will be allocated a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine and therefore, recommendations will be limited to certain priority groups. The program plans to focus shipments of vaccine to entities that can vaccinate those early priority groups.

Over time, as vaccine supply increases, we anticipate vaccine allocations and recommendations will expand to other groups.

Your Key to EVV Newsletter, Issue 3

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 14:45:23 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has published a new issue of the Your Key to EVV newsletter. Included in this issue are true and false ideas about electronic visit verification and recommended reading.

All issues are posted to the newsletter’s library page.

State Legislative Races

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:08:35 GMT

State Assembly Election Analysis

There is a possibility Assembly Republicans could lose five to ten seats. While specific seats in western Wisconsin are always considered vulnerable for Republicans, campaign spending shows significant spending among Democratic candidates in the Milwaukee suburbs, spelling potential worry for Republican incumbents. Conventional wisdom says that where spending is high, races are competitive.

Financial reports from last week in the 21st Assembly district (South Milwaukee, Oak Creek), which is held by Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, show Democratic challenger and South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks and groups backing him have outspent Rodriguez and her supporters $432,681 to $228,628.

The 23rd Assembly District (Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside, Mequon) is currently held by Republican incumbent Jim Ott. Finance reports show Republicans have committed a significant amount of money in defending that seat. Republicans are outspending the Democratic challenger, Deb Andraca, and supportive groups $460,532 to $199,016. Rep. Ott has held this Republican stronghold seat since 2006.

Similar concern seems to be reflected in the neighboring 24th Assembly District (Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Brown Deer) held by Republican Rep. Dan Knodl. Total spending between the two candidates have surpassed $1 million.

Knodl’s campaign and groups supporting him have spent a total of $850,288. His challenger, Democrat Emily Siegrist, and supportive groups have spent $390,030 on her campaign.

Democrats also seem to be making a play in unseating Republican Rep. Rob Hutton in the 13th Assembly District (Elm Grove, Brookfield). Democrat challenger Sara Rodriguez and supportive groups have outspent Hutton and his supporters $417,511 to $404,244.

While it is unlikely that all four of the incumbent Milwaukee-area Republican representatives will lose their seats, the financial reports certainly indicate concern among Republicans. This is likely due to a loss of support among suburban women; a shift seen nationally in opposition to President Donald Trump among that demographic.

Another Republican-held seat to watch is in the 88th Assembly District (part of Green Bay, De Pere, Bellevue). Democrat Kristin Lyerly and supportive groups have outspent Republican Rep. John Macco by a factor of 7 to 1. Lyerly and supportive groups have spent $324,885 versus $47,132.

The other vulnerable Republican Assembly seats we are watching are the typical vulnerable seats in western Wisconsin. These include the 51st District held by Todd Novak, the 96th District held by Loren Oldenburg, and the 50th District held by Tony Kurtz. However, these are seats Republicans traditionally expect to be contested and defend in campaign cycles.

In the Novak seat, Democratic challenger Kriss Marion and supportive groups are outspending Novak $292,267 to $226,556.

Assembly Republicans currently hold a 27-seat majority, 63 to 36 seats. Even if they lose five to eight seats, they still maintain control of the Assembly.

State Senate Election Analysis

Whereas it previously appeared Senate Republicans were playing offense to grow their majority, it seems they are having to play defense in similar areas for similar reasons.

As noted above, Assembly Republicans appear to be concerned about Republican incumbents Jim Ott and Dan Knodl. Their seats make up two of the three Assembly districts that make up the 8th Senate Seat (Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside, Mequon, Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Brown Deer, southern Washington County, northeastern Waukesha County) held by longtime incumbent Senator Alberta Darling.

Financial reports show Democratic challenger Neal Plotkin and supportive groups have outspent Darling and her supporters $742,196 to $371,074.

Darling’s district could suffer the same loss in support among suburban women Assembly Republicans are concerned about in the Ott and Knodl seats.

Defending Republican Senator Patrick Testin in the 24th Senate District (Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Sparta, Tomah) is also becoming expensive. Financial reports show Democrats are outspending Republicans in that district $484,751 to $400,556 with both candidate’s campaign committees alone spending six figures.

In the open seats in the 30th Senate District (Green Bay area) and 32nd Senate District (LaCrosse area), races seem to be close in reflection of the staggering amount of money being spent by both Republicans and Democrats. Millions have been spent in both districts, with the Democratic candidates and supportive groups outspending their Republican challengers. It is fair to say both seats remain tossups. However, with some amount of Republican spending needing to be focused on defending Darling and Testin, Democrats (Jonathan Hansen in 30th, Brad Pfaff in the 32nd) may have the upper hand in being successful on Election Day.

Senate Republicans currently hold 19 of the 33 Senate seats. It is important to note the 30th and 32nd districts are seats that Democrats are looking to defend. Both were previously held by Democrats. Should Republicans lose both, it does not help Democrats grow their share of seats. In order to do so, they would need to flip a Republican-held seat.

Additionally, it is possible Republicans could flip the 10th Senate District held by Democratic Senator Patty Schachtner. In which case, even if Democrats flipped a seat, it would not grow their minority.

It is difficult to predict how many seats each side could lose on Election Day. However, we believe it is still safe to say, no matter the outcome of individual races, Republicans will retain their majority in the State Senate.

Presidential Election Analysis

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 17:08:06 GMT

On October 28, Marquette University Law School released its final poll of the 2020 campaign cycle giving Wisconsin voters a last look out potential outcomes in the presidential race.

Among likely voters polled, 48 percent support Biden and 43 percent support Trump. On October 7, 46 percent indicated they will vote for Biden and 41 percent said they will vote for Trump. In September, 47 percent favored Biden and 43 percent favored Trump.

Today’s numbers are consistent with MU Law Poll numbers since May. Biden has led Trump four to six points every month, indicating an incredibly stable race.

Of note, 8 percent of likely voter respondents would not indicate which candidate they plan to support. This brings up the question of “hidden Trump voters”, which many polls were not able to accurately capture in 2016 polling data.

MU Law pollsters attempted to analyze potential support among those 8 percent by how they responded to favorability ratings of the candidates. In analyzing that data, the poll’s modeling projects 50 percent support Biden and 45 percent Trump.

Among likely voters, the poll found 91 percent stated their minds are made up while 6 percent indicated they may change their minds. In the next six days, both Trump and Biden will make appearances in the state to encourage turnout among their bases as well as vie for that 6 percent.

The poll found that 41 percent of respondents already voted by the time they took the poll. Among those respondents, 64 percent said they voted for Biden, 25 percent voted for Trump, 2 percent for Libertarian Jo Jorgenson, and 9 percent would not say.

When it comes to respondents that had not yet voted, 56 percent indicated they will vote for Trump, 35 percent for Biden, 3 percent for Jorgenson, and 6 percent would not say. This is consistent with expectations that Democrats would outvote Republicans in early voting while Republicans would vote in higher numbers on Election Day.

On the question of favorability, 49 percent had a favorable view of Biden, while 46 percent did not. In early October, his ratings were 48 percent and 45 percent, respectively. In May, his numbers were 42 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable.

For Trump, 44 percent have a favorable view of Trump, while 54 percent do not. In early October, favorability was 42 percent and 53 percent, respectively. In May, his numbers were 44 percent favorable and 51 percent unfavorable.

While Biden holds leads in all recent polling and likely has a real statistical edge in Wisconsin heading into November 3, the state remains a true battleground and too close to make a confident prediction. Perhaps spoiling confidence for Democratic voters and political spectators, nearly every poll also indicated Hillary Clinton would win Wisconsin in the final week of the 2016 campaign. It remains to be seen what pollsters may have learned from that experience in revising their modeling.

Vote Safe Wisconsin 2020 - One Week Left

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:10:19 GMT

Only one week left until #election2020, have you already voted or have your plan in place to do so within the next week? If not, be sure to request your absentee ballot by 10/29 OR better yet - do it right now!

There is still time to request a ballot by mail at https://myvote.wi.gov. You can mail back your ballot, drop off at a local ballot box, vote early, or vote on election day with a mask, physically distancing and washing your hands!

Find more information here: https://www.wpha.org/mpage/VoteSafeWisconsin2020

#votesafewi2020

Revised Electronic Visit Verification Portal Functionality User Guide Posted to the ForwardHealth Portal

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 13:09:25 GMT

The Electronic Visit Verification Portal Functionality User Guide was recently revised and posted to the ForwardHealth Portal on October 27, 2020. The worker electronic visit verification start date information in the Worker Association section of the user guide has been updated.

ForwardHealth user guides and instruction sheets provide users with step-by-step instructions on navigating specific Portal functionality; they do not contain policy information. For complete ForwardHealth policies and procedures, please refer to the Online Handbook on the Portal.

About PEPPER

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:20:14 GMT

The RELI Group, along with its partners TMF Health Quality Institute and CGS, is contracted with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop, produce and disseminate provider-specific comparative data reports, referred to as the Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report, or PEPPER. PEPPER summarizes one provider’s Medicare claims data statistics and provides comparative data with the state, jurisdiction and nation. Providers can review the PEPPER to evaluate their statistics and determine whether they should take any actions, such as reviewing records to ensure the care provided was necessary, and that documentation supports the diagnosis codes and services billed.

We would like to encourage providers to access this free comparative billing report and utilize it as a tool to support their auditing and monitoring efforts. With that in mind, would you consider sharing the one page summary (attached), electronically via e-mail or newsletter, with your membership?

TMF Health Quality Institute

https://cbrpepper.org/

Vote Safe Wisconsin 2020 - First Day of In Person Voting Message

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:18:25 GMT

TODAY is the beginning of early and in-person voting here in Wisconsin. Be sure to bring an ID and double check your local voting hours at https://myvote.wi.gov before you go. Find more about voting safely at https://www.wpha.org/mpage/VoteSafeWisconsin2020 @WIPublicHealth #VoteSafeWI2020

NAHC & CellTrak Sponsoring Scholarships for Home Care Aides

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 19:49:15 GMT

National Association for Home Care & Hospice

APPLY NOW or pass it on to a worthy candidate!

November is National Home Care Month, a special time to recognize and celebrate the practice of home care and all of the individuals who make it possible. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is excited to partner with CellTrak to award deserving home care aides with the opportunity to pursue their educational goals and advance their careers.

Read Full Article

Vote Safe Wisconsin 2020 - Don't Forget to Register Online to Vote!

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 15:39:27 GMT

TODAY is the last day to register to vote online. You can then receive your ballot by mail or vote early in the upcoming election! Voting absentee and returning by mail or drop-off is the best way to exercise your right to vote while also staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Register and request your absentee ballot here: https://myvote.wi.gov.

Find more about voting safely at https://www.wpha.org/mpage/VoteSafeWisconsin2020 @WIPublicHealth #VoteSafeWI2020

Discount Code for NAHC’s Conference

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 21:00:00 GMT

The 2020 Home Care and Hospice Conference and Expo is a virtual conference taking place October 19-21. There are more than 30 education sessions, general sessions and keynotes, as well as daily roundtable discussion and more than 30 sessions available on-demand in the Learning Lab and Wellness Lobby. The conference theme is Our Health: Caring for the Caregiver, and the featured keynote speaker is Leon Logothetis of Netflix’s The Kindness Diaries. Learn more and register for the conference at 2020Annual.NAHC.org, and use the discount code NAHC2020WI to get $100 off your registration (discount can only be used for new registrations).

State Launches EVV Newsletter

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 19:47:44 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has launched a newsletter to explain electronic visit verification in a clear and conversational way. The first issue contains information about the provider and worker identification processes and getting ready for Day 1 of EVV. Further issues of Your Key to EVV will be posted to the newsletter’s library page.

Register Today for the WiAHC Virtual Fall Conference

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 14:00:00 GMT

The conference will be a mix of live presentations and recordings. On Tuesday, November 3, the conference kicks off with live presentations featuring:

William A. Dombi, Esq.
President
National Association for Home Care & Hospice

Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD
Enterprise Epidemiologist, Professor of Medicine
Department of Medicine-Division of Infectious Diseases Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin

M. Aaron Little, CPA
Managing Director
BKD

Register today!

Full session list coming soon!

Vote Safe Wisconsin 2020

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 13:48:02 GMT

Our organization has joined the Vote Safe Wisconsin 2020 Coalition! We are committed to sharing with our community partners about encouraging safe voting! We encourage you to vote absentee, early, or with a mask and social distance at the polls! Join us and learn more: https://www.wpha.org/mpage/VoteSafeWisconsin2020.

2020 Election Outlook Update - Early Fall Edition

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:35:06 GMT

As many political spectators say, campaign season ramps up after Labor Day. Candidates are in a sprint to the finish just over six weeks to go until the November 3 general election. We issued an initial election outlook in June. After a summer of social unrest in cities across the country, an ongoing pandemic, and two national political conventions, one thing remains certain: voter preferences have not changed significantly since June.

Presidential Election Analysis

A Marquette University Law School poll from September 9 shows Democrat and former Vice President Joe Biden holds a four-point lead over Republican incumbent President Donald Trump in Wisconsin. A Washington Post poll from September 16 shows Biden holds a six-point lead in the state. Biden has held a four to six point in nearly every statewide poll since May. With neither candidate able to gain any ground, this could indicate a lack of a substantial set of swing voters in the state.

Discouraging to the Trump campaign, the President’s approval ratings in Wisconsin have consistently been below 50 percent while his disapproval ratings have consistently exceeded 50 percent in the Marquette University Law School polls this election season.

In a somewhat different take on gauging support for candidates, the September 9 poll asked participants if they believe each candidate cares about people like them. 41 percent said they believe Donald Trump cares about people like them, versus 56 percent who said he does not. Conversely, 48 percent said they believe Joe Biden cares about people like them, versus 45 percent who said he does not.

State Legislative Races

Meanwhile, in the state legislative races, it seems to be a tale of two houses. Assembly Republicans are playing more defense to protect current members while Senate Republicans are able to go on offense to try pick up some seats. While it is likely the Republicans will maintain majorities in both houses, insiders will be watching so see how many seats the Assembly Republicans may lose and how many the Senate Republicans may gain.

State Assembly Election Analysis

There are several somewhat vulnerable Republican Assembly seats in western Wisconsin. These include the 51^st District held by Todd Novak, the 96^th District held by Loren Oldenburg, and the 50^th District held by Tony Kurtz. However, these are seats Republicans traditionally expect to be contested and defend in campaign cycles.

This year, Assembly Republicans are also focusing their attention on defending seats in higher population areas in the Milwaukee suburbs and Green Bay area. Polling nationally has found that suburban women who have traditionally supported Republicans do not support Donald Trump. Should enough of that demographic abandon not just Trump but Republicans in general, that could spell problems for some suburban Republicans in relatively vulnerable seats. In particular, considerable efforts are being made to hold on to the 13^th District held by Rob Hutton, the 24^th District held by Dan Knodl, and 23^rd District held by Jim Ott.

Assembly Republicans currently hold a 27-seat majority, 63 to 36 seats. Even if they lose five to seven seats, they still maintain control of the Assembly. At this point, it seems likely they may lose a handful of seats. However, in 2018, many expected Assembly Democrats to flip several seats and they won just one in the Milwaukee suburbs, which was an open race.

State Senate Election Analysis

In contrast, Senate Republicans, who held 19 of the 33 Senate seats in the 2019-2020 legislative session are aiming to pick-up three seats. Doing so would provide them with 22 seats, enough to override any vetoes from Democratic Governor Tony Evers. A veto-proof majority in the State Senate would spell serious problems for the Evers Administration.

In the open 30^th Senate District in Green Bay, Democrat Jonathan Hansen is facing off against Republican Eric Wimberger. Both are political newcomers. The seat is being vacated by Democrat Senator Dave Hansen, who held the seat since 2000.

Looking at the performance of Republican presidential candidates in the last two elections, Romney lost the 30^th Senate District with 47.7% of the vote and Trump won it with 55.6%. If Trump performs well in Green Bay again, then it is conceivable Wimberger could win the district.

The open 32^nd Senate District is also a possible pick-up for Republicans. Former State Senator and Republican Dan Kapanke is running against former Secretary-designee of the Department of Agriculture, Tradem and Consumer Protection and Democrat Brad Pfaff.

The seat was left open following the resignation of Democratic Senator Jennifer Shilling, who narrowly defeated Kapanke in 2016. While the 32^nd Senate District in LaCrosse is typically a strong Democrat district, Trump did significantly better than Romney. Should Trump increase support in the LaCrosse area, Kapanke may have a chance.

Finally, political spectators are also keeping a close eye on the 10th Senate District in northwest Wisconsin, which is held by Democrat Patty Schachtner. Schachtner handily won the seat by 10-percentage points in special election in 2018. Schachtner is running against current area Republican State Representative Rob Stafsholt.

Republicans currently hold all three Assembly seats that comprise the Senate district, and Trump won the district with 55.6% of the vote in 2016. Again, Stasholt’s success may rely on the district’s support for Trump.

With the Office of the President being the only statewide race on the ballot, success for Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature could rely solely on attitudes in the presidential race.

However, while Wisconsin is considered one of the foremost battle ground states this year and Biden leads Trump in recent polling, the vast majority of Democratic voters reside in Milwaukee County and Dane County (Madison). Democrats already hold the legislative seats in these two areas. The reality of how voters are distributed in the state lends itself to the possibility that the Democratic nominee for president wins the state and legislative Republicans return with large majorities again.

Stay tuned for developments in what is sure to be an eventful fall.

State Agencies Submit Budget Requests

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:34:49 GMT

On September 15, Wisconsin’s state agencies submitted 2021-23 budget requests to the state budget office at the Department of Administration. From these documents, Governor Tony Evers will begin framing his own 2021-23 biennial budget proposal, which he will send to the legislature in February 2021.

While these documents are helpful in gaining insight into what the Governor’s budget may look like in terms of general spending levels, they lack the policy and new big-ticket funding initiatives we typically see unveiled in the executive budgets.

In the letter Evers sent to state agencies in June, he directed agencies to devise their requests with the assumption there will be zero growth in appropriations. Essentially, he requested agencies to develop budgets based on current funding letters. This is typical of the agency budget request exercise.

One of the few exceptions to the direction is for the Department of Health Services, which can propose a budget based on forecasted cost-to-continue needs for Medicaid spending. To that end, DHS is requesting a 16.4% increase in total department funding. Much of that increase comes from future Medicaid expenditure projections. However, the increase also assumes and budgets for accepting federal Medicaid expansion dollars, which would provide over $1.5 billion in new revenue for state Medicaid programs.

While Medicaid expansion will likely be included in Evers’ February proposal, it is unknown what in Evers will draw from across all the agency budgets.

Once Evers introduces his proposal in February, the legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance will commence a series of hearings and debates that will likely take place March and May. Then the legislature will look to pass a final proposal in June 2021.

HHS COVID-19 Testing Webinar

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:18:54 GMT

National Association for Home Care & Hospice

You are invited to join a webinar this Friday September 25, 2020 from 12:00PM-1:30PM EST for Home Health and Hospice Facilities presented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to discuss the Abbott BinaxNOW™ test.

On August 27, 2020, the Trump Administration announced the purchase of 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests to be distributed across the country. You are receiving this email because your organization could receive Abbott BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card Point of Care (POC) SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), if you meet HHS criteria regarding testing prioritization. Training videos, modules, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) for the BinaxNOW™ test can be accessed here on Abbott's website. For questions regarding the BinaxNOW™ test, please call Abbott Technical Services at 1-800-257-9525 or email ts.scr@abbott.com. For shipment issues or questions, email ARDxUSGovernmentSupport@abbott.com.

To assist states, home health agencies, and hospice facilities, HHS will host a webinar with Abbott on September 25, 2020 from 12:00PM-1:30PM EST to walk through the HHS BinaxNOW program, manufacturer's training and introduce the product. The webinar will have a training from Abbott to demonstrate the training tools available and answer questions and representatives from the U.S. Government to speak about the program. Use the following link to register for the training: click here to register

If you are unable to attend the webinar the session will be recorded and available for review and shared soon. You can also access the Abbott BinaxNOW™ training portal using this link: click here to access training portal

William A. Dombi, Esq.
President
National Association for Home Care & Hospice

State Launches EVV Newsletter

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 13:49:03 GMT

2020 Call for WiAHC Board Nominations Now Open!

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 14:58:25 GMT

Nominate a yourself or a colleague to serve on the WiAHC Board of Directors today!

WiAHC is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board members are elected annually to staggered three-year terms. Board members develop and manage the affairs of the Association and are supported by Committee Chairs and staff. Positions include Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and Regional and At-Large Representatives.

Positions serve a three-year term, starting January 2021. Those elected will also be invited to attend the final Board meeting of 2020.

To be eligible, a nominee's home health agency must be a current member of WiAHC.

How to Nominate

Nominating is easy, quick and simple!

Submit a nomination by completing the call for nominations form here.

The deadline to submit nominations is October 2, 2020.

DHS Opens Second Round of Applications for Funds to Support Health Care Providers Affected by COVID-19

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 13:53:21 GMT

WI Department of Health Services

Wisconsin Makes CARES Act funds available to home and community-based service providers, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, emergency medical services, and clinics

Starting Friday, September 4, the Department of Health Services (DHS) will once again be accepting applications for Wisconsin’s program to provide relief for specific types of health care service providers to offset losses or expenses they incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding being used was allotted to the state under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The second round of the CARES Act Provider Payment (CAPP) Program will use the same application as the first round and will be open to the same provider types with one addition:

Home and community-based service providers, including providers for 1-2 bed adult family homes, day services, home health, personal care, pre-vocational and supported employment, respite care, supportive home care, and daily living skills training for children
Assisted living facilities, including community-based residential facilities, 3-4 bed adult family homes, and resident care apartment complexes
Nursing homes, including skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities
Emergency medical services providers
(new) Emergency physician independent practice groups*

New MU Law School Poll Numbers

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 16:34:13 GMT

Yesterday also marked the release of a new Marquette University Law School poll, which provides the latest insight on voter preferences on the presidential election as well as opinions on handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and popularity of masking.

Here are some topline results:

Preference in the Presidential Election

Biden: 49%

Trump: 44%

Trump Approval Rating

Approve: 44%

Disapprove: 54%

Trump Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic

Approve: 40%

Disapprove: 58%

Evers Approval Rating

Approve: 57%

Disapprove: 37%

Evers Handling of COVID-19 Pandemic

Approve: 61%

Disapprove: 35%

Masks Should Be Required in Public Places

Agree: 69%

Disagree: 29%

Legislative Primary Roundup

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 16:33:41 GMT

On August 11, Wisconsin held its partisan primaries for state legislative offices. These elections determined which two major party candidates will square off against each other in November.

While most sitting legislators were either unchallenged or were expected to handily win their primaries, political spectators had their eyes on the following races:

· 60th Assembly District GOP Primary - Ozaukee County: Rep. Brooks v Chris Reimer

· 82nd Assembly District GOP Primary - Franklin: Rep. Skowronski v Theodore Kafkas

· 90th Assembly District Dem Primary - Green Bay: Rep. Staush Gruszynski v Kristina Shelton

· 6th Senate District Dem Primary - Milwaukee: Sen. LaTonya Johnson v Michelle Bryant

· 10th Senate District GOP Primary - Northwest Wisconsin: Rep. Stafsholt v Cherie Link

After votes were totaled, the only incumbent to lose was Democrat Representative Staush Gruszynski, who faced a tough reelection bid following sexual harassment allegations from a legislative staffer earlier this year.

Also of note, State Senator and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald won the Republican Primary in the 5th Congressional District. Fitzgerald is seeking to replace longtime Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, who is not seeking reelection. Fitzgerald's primary victory essentially guarantees his seat in Congress as the 5th District is overwhelmingly conservative. With Fitzgerald officially leaving the Senate, the Republican caucus are in search of a new Majority Leader, the most powerful position in the State Senate.

The state is now set for the November 3 general election. All 99 Assembly seats are up for election as well as 16 of the 33 Senate seats. For complete primary results, please see here.

Electronic Visit Verification

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 13:54:53 GMT

Wisconsin Department of Health Services

What is Electronic Visit Verification?

The federal 21st Century Cures Act requires all states to put Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) into effect. This applies to all Medicaid-covered personal care and some supportive home care services.

EVV uses technology to make sure members and participants get their personal care or supportive home care services. EVV will not change your care. You will continue to receive the care you need.

Starting in November 2020, workers must use EVV for each visit. During each visit, six pieces of information will be recorded.

Wisconsin EVV Trainings Offered

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 13:41:29 GMT

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) training is being offered for personal care provider agencies, supportive home care agencies, and program payers. The intended audience for these trainings is provider agency and program payer administrative staff. The goal is for these staff to be trained on EVV so that they in turn can train other agency staff, including workers. DHS will provide an EVV system free of charge. However, provider agencies may choose to purchase an alternate system that meets DHS requirements. DHS will offer EVV-system trainings for administrative staff, specific to the EVV system being used:

DHS EVV training (for the Sandata system provided by DHS) will include general EVV functionality, Sandata technology, and Wisconsin-specific information.
Sandata Aggregator training (for EVV systems not provided by DHS) will cover Sandata’s aggregator, the technology that integrates information from alternate or third-party EVV systems with the DHS EVV solution.

The trainings are offered to assist with agency compliance before DHS’ scheduled implementation of the electronic visit verification (EVV) on November 2. EVV will be required for Medicaid-covered personal care and supportive home care services that include personal care. EVV uses technology to verify that billed services were provided. Refer to the July 2020 ForwardHealth Update (2020-31), titled “Implementation of Electronic Visit Verification for Personal Care and Supportive Home Care Services,” for detailed information on EVV policy, technology, and validation.

Additional information is available on the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s website (link) for updates and information. This site includes an informational video on the program, and summary of key policy decisions.

Certified Home Care & Hospice Executive (CHCE)

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:58:31 GMT

National Association for Home Care & Hospice

The Certified Home Care & Hospice Executive (CHCE) certification is available to eligible individuals in home care/hospice leadership positions. This includes executives and managers in provider organizations and those serving in related organizations such as consultants, accreditation and regulatory surveyors, and state home care associations.

Certification is a sign of commitment to your profession as a home care or hospice executive. It communicates pride in your work and dedication to being fully versed in all of the areas of executive management required to effectively run a home care or hospice agency.

In order to receive your CHCE certification you must complete a few steps.

Step 1. Submit your application. The application fee for NAHC members is $20, for nonmembers it is $50

Step 2. Once approved you may register to take the CHCE Exam and will receive access to the CHCE Study Guide. The certification exam for NAHC members is $200, and $500 for nonmembers. The timed exam consists of 223 questions covering the following topics Legal Requirements, Financial Operations, Payment Source, Regulatory Compliance, Strategic Planning and Operations, Human Resources, Quality and Performance Improvement, Risk Management, Marketing and Public Relations, Training and Continuing Education, Ethics, Technology Application, and Policy and Advocacy. You will have one year to prepare for the exam.

Step 3. Once you pass the exam, you will receive your certification materials. Your CHCE certification will be valid for 4 years.

Ready to become a Certified Home Care & Hospice Executive. Get started today!

Helpful Links

State Supreme Court Issues Ruling in Medicaid Cost Recoupment Case

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 14:41:44 GMT

This month, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court issued an opinion in the case of Papa v Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The case, brought by Professional Homecare Providers, Inc., sought to resolve an issue in which the Department of Health Services was recouping Medicaid payments made to private-duty nurses after auditing their records.

DHS recouped between $15,000 and $48,000 each from four separate private-duty nurses after audits found errors in notes and medical records. In other, DHS recouped costs for the way records were written, not because of fraudulent claims. Professional Homecare Providers, Inc. sued the state because of this documentation “perfection policy” created by DHS.

The State Supreme Court sided with the nurses, stating in the ruling, “There is no legal basis for the perfection policy.”

Writing the unanimous opinion, Justice Annette Ziegler said, “We conclude that…DHS may recoup Medicaid payments from service providers only in cases where DHS cannot verify one of the following: (1) the actual provision of covered services; (2) that the reimbursement claim is appropriate for the service provided; and (3) that the reimbursement claim is accurate for the service provided.”

While the case was brought by private-duty nurses, the ruling applies across the board to all Medicaid providers and clarifies the only justifications for DHS to recoup payments as stated by Justice Ziegler.

WiAHC in the News

Mon, 03 Aug 2020 14:41:07 GMT

The following article was originally published this month by NBC-affiliate WTMJ4 in Milwaukee:

MILWAUKEE — As nursing homes have become hot spots for COVID-19 outbreaks, home health care may become a more popular avenue for those who are able to receive it, but the industry is currently facing a shortage of registered nurses in Wisconsin, according to a state agency.

"When it comes point to make a decision for our loved ones we're going to want to keep them in their homes," said Leah Perras, the executive director of Transitions at Home.

Perras is also a member of the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care, or WiAHC. She says home health care was already growing in popularity and anticipates additional clients because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The pleasing factors of home health is that you have [fewer] people coming into your home," Perras said. "So, you have a decreased risk factor of getting that virus."

Making the transition could be tough based on the number of registered nurses in the field in Wisconsin.

Citing state and federal data, the WiAHC said 6 percent of Wisconsin RNs are working in home health care, compared to the national average of 13 percent.

We asked fellow WiAHC member Greg Von Arx why there's such a gap, and he said it's because of the way the state pays providers for Medicaid patients.

"The Medicaid rates for home care for seniors in Wisconsin haven't changed since we've been in business for 11 years and we've never had a rate increase in Wisconsin," Von Arx said.

The state reimburses providers for caring for Medicaid users based on a fixed rate. Because that rate hasn't changed, Von Arx said it's hurting their bottom line, making it more difficult to recruit, hire and retain nurses.

"The Medicare rates have continued to increase in the Medicaid rates just haven't, haven't kept up," he said. "So we've had to do one of two things. And that is either do more Medicare or turn away some Medicaid business."

"We need that money in order to hire retain recruit those you know great qualified nurses and other caregivers," Perras said.

Without it, the shortage of nurses could grow.

"It's hard to find nurses that want to be in the home health industry," Perras said. "So once you find a good one that you truly want to retain and have represented your company, you don't want to overwork them. You don't want to do anything to run them out the door."

Lawmakers proposed a plan to increase the Medicaid rate last September. The proposal never made it out of committee.

Hospice PEPPER Available & Key CMS Updates for Hospice & Home Care in New Open Door Forum

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 20:37:48 GMT

NAHC Report for July 30, 2020

Hospice PEPPER Available

The Hospice PEPPER, a data report that contains a single hospice’s claims data statistics (obtained from the UB-04 claims submitted to the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC)) for areas targeted by CMS as being at risk for improper Medicare payment, is now available.

Each Medicare certified hospice has access to a PEPPER (Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report), which contains statistics for these target areas, regardless of whether the hospice’s data are of concern. The report shows how a hospice’s data compares to national, MAC jurisdiction and state statistics for the three most recent years. Hospices must download their PEPPER via the PEPPER Portal.

Hospices can also access a User’s Guide and other PEPPER resources from the PEPPER Resources webpage.

NAHC is planning for a Hospice PEPPER webinar to be held in the near future.

***

Key CMS Updates for Hospice & Home Care in New Open Door Forum

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held a Home Health, Hospice, & DME Open Door Forum (ODF) on July 29. This is the first ODF held since the current Public Health Emergency (PHE) began. A summary of this ODF is below.

Read Full Article

For Your Information: Protect & Support Home Care Workers on the Front Lines

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 14:10:22 GMT

NAHC Report for July 29, 2020

Home care and hospice workers are on the front line of the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and they face more risks to their own health than almost anyone. These heroes deserve more than our thanks – they deserve our support and protection. As Congress crafts additional legislative responses to the pandemic, it is imperative that a set of core principles be considered for an equitable, effective, and efficient deployment of programs. Tell Congress to give our front line workers in the home the protection and compensation they deserve. Take action now!

Electronic Visit Verification Updates and Next Steps

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 19:03:19 GMT

From the Wisconsin Department of Health Services - July 22, 2020

ForwardHealth Updates

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has released two new ForwardHealth Updates that explain Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) policy and training:

Next Steps

Non-Medicaid-Enrolled Providers

The EVV soft launch starts November 2, 2020, in Wisconsin. To prepare, provider agencies that do not have a Medicaid ID will need to obtain a unique provider agency ID. This includes provider agencies that plan to use an alternate EVV system and those who operate a self-employed business.

The provider agency ID is generated in real time and will display once you have finished submitting your information.

Medicaid-Enrolled Providers

Review the email listed on the Mailing Address panel in the demographic maintenance tool in your secure ForwardHealth Portal account, and update the email address if necessary. DHS will use this provider agency email address for EVV communication with providers. DHS must have the correct email on file for the individual in your organization that is responsible for the administration of EVV.

Please complete the email verification by July 31, 2020, to ensure receipt of needed EVV information.

Training

For information about and to register for EVV training, go to the EVV Training webpage. Training begins mid-August and is required to access the DHS-provided EVV system.

Please send questions or comments to Wisconsin EVV Customer Care by emailing or calling 833-931-2035.

WiAHC Joins Coalition to Encourage Masks

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 13:30:22 GMT

The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care joined a coalition of medical societies in Wisconsin that created an open letter to the people of Wisconsin on the importance of wearing masks and social distancing to help curb further spread of COVID-19.

Read letter.

Wisconsin Medicaid Telehealth Expansion Webinar: Stakeholder Input Session for Providers

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 15:05:43 GMT

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) invites you to attend a Medicaid Telehealth Expansion interactive webinar.

Agenda

This webinar will seek your response to DHS’s proposed launch of Wisconsin Act 56: Telehealth Expansion, which will significantly expand Wisconsin Medicaid’s permanent telehealth policy. The presentation will include the following items:

1. General overview of telehealth expansion

2. General policy information

3. Wave 1 priority acute and primary service areas:

4. Proposed services included in telehealth

5. Proposed services excluded from telehealth

6. Input from attendees

Following the presentation, DHS will take questions from attendees via the DHS telehealth mailbox.

How to join

Thursday, July 30, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Click this URL to join; Password: 07302020

Join by phone: 646-558-8656; Webinar ID #933 1403 1869

Friday, July 31, 2:00-3:30 pm

Click this URL to join; Password: 07312020.

Join by phone: 646-558-8656; Webinar ID #999 9957 0817

Friend of Home Health Press Release

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:41:40 GMT

Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care Announces

2019-2020 “Friend of Home Health Care” Recipients

Designation bestowed on select group of legislators

(Madison, WI) – Today, the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) announced its 2019-2020 “Friend of Home Health Care” recipients. The designation is meant to publicly identify Wisconsin State Legislators that supported the expanded utilization of home health care as an effective, affordable option for post-acute care.

The 2019-20 “Friend of Home Health Care” recipients include the following legislators:

Rep. Jimmy Anderson	Sen. Dale Kooyenga	Rep. Chris Sinicki
Rep. David Bowen	Rep. Scott Krug	Rep. Ken Skowronski
Rep. Rob Brooks	Sen. Chris Larson	Rep. John Spiros
Rep. Jonathan Brostoff	Rep. Amy Loudenbeck	Rep. Mark Spreitzer
Sen. Tim Carpenter	Rep. Nick Milroy	Rep. Lisa Subeck
Rep. Dave Considine	Rep. Jeff Mursau	Rep. Rob Summerfield
Rep. Barbara Dittrich	Rep. Beth Myers	Sen. Lena Taylor
Rep. Steve Doyle	Sen. Steve Nass	Sen. Patrick Testin
Rep. James Edming	Rep. Warren Petryk	Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt
Rep. Jodi Emerson	Rep. Sondy Pope	Rep. Ron Tusler
Rep. Mary Felzkowski	Rep. Melissa Sargent	Rep. Don Vruwink
Sen. Dan Feyen	Sen. Patty Schachtner	Rep. Chuck Wichger
Rep. Cody Horlacher	Rep. Katrina Shankland

“These legislators were critical to our legislative success and championed our most important priorities,” said Lisa Kirker, Chair of the WiAHC Board of Directors. “Home health care agencies across Wisconsin are grateful for the support and partnership of these individuals.”

WiAHC was very active during the 2019-2020 legislative session in educating legislators on the workforce issues facing home health care agencies and how increasing MA reimbursement rates can alleviate financial burden as well as attract new staff. WiAHC was successful in advocating for the introduction of Assembly Bill 447/Senate Bill 416, which aimed to increase MA reimbursement rates by 10% for home health visits. The bill received a public hearing in the Senate Health Committee, and WiAHC is hopeful there will be continued interest in the legislation next session. WiAHC also successfully advocated for legislation that allowed all MA reimbursable services to be conducted via telehealth.

WiAHC is a membership-based association that represents home health care agencies and their staff. WiAHC helps to support the common interests of its members to promote home health care as a quality, cost-effective health care option in our state. Home health care services are not the same as personal care services. Home health care services are medical, skilled nursing services as opposed to personal care services administered by non-health care professionals.

Nominate a Board Member

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 16:28:30 GMT

Do you know a colleague who would be a great fit for the Board? Submit a nomination today!

WiAHC is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board members are elected annually to staggered three-year terms. Board members develop and manage affairs of the Association and are supported by Committee Chairs and staff. Positions include Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, Regional and At-Large Representatives.

Positions serve a three-year term, starting January 2021. Those elected will also be invited to attend the final Board meeting of 2020.

To be eligible, a nominee's home health agency must be a current member of WiAHC.

How to Nominate

Nominating is easy, quick and simple! Submit a nomination using the form below.

The deadline to submit nominations is August 20, 2020.

Click here

Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down “Perfection Rule” for Medicaid recoupment

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:08:28 GMT

In a 6-0 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstated a 2016 circuit court order prohibiting the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) from recouping Medicaid payments made to Medicaid providers “if the provider’s records verify that the services were provided and the provider was paid an appropriate amount for such services, notwithstanding that an audit identified other errors or noncompliance with [DHS] policies or rules.”

The Supreme Court labeled DHS’ recoupment policy for such services provided a “perfection policy” and held that such a policy was not consistent with Wisconsin’s Medicaid recoupment statute or administrative rules.

The case, Papa vs. Wisconsin Department of Health Services, involved the extent of DHS’ authority to require repayment from providers for previously paid claims based on failure to follow all documentation and other technical requirements contained in a confusing series of administrative rules in the Forward Wisconsin Provider Handbook, technical bulletins and other sources. In 2016, a Waukesha County Court found that DHS’ position that compliance with all technical and documentation requirements by providers as a prerequisite for payment amounted to a “Perfection Rule” that exceeded its authority to recoup payments otherwise properly made. However, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals overturned that decision in July 2019.

In today’s 6-0 decision, the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and restored the county court’s 2016 order limiting DHS’ authority to recoup payments, concluding that “so long as DHS can verify that a covered service was actually provided, the claim was appropriate, and the claim was accurate, DHS cannot recoup payments based on a record imperfection. A record imperfection alone is not an independent basis for recouping payments.” The decision provides clarity and greater certainty for physicians, who could otherwise face demands for repayment of thousands of dollars months or years after the fact based entirely on unintentional documentation errors.

Post-acute transitions in a pandemic: How COVID-19 disrupts hospital discharge strategy Webinar

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:01:36 GMT

Thursday, August 6, 2020
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CST

Program Description:

Post-acute care is key for accelerating hospital throughput to ensure beds are available during potential Covid-19 surges and for providing critical rehabilitation services for patients with and without a Covid-19 diagnosis. But the epidemic has upended the role post-acute should play, particularly the transition patterns between acute and post-acute providers.

Learn how each post-acute setting fits into a hospital’s updated discharge strategy and find opportunities to optimize relationships and support post-discharge care.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the webinar, attendees will be able to:

Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the role post-acute should play
Describe how each post-acute setting fits into a hospital’s discharge strategy
Identify the opportunities to optimize relationships and support post-discharge care

Intended Audience:

CMOs, CNOs, Quality Leaders, Skilled Nursing, and Home Health

Featured Presenters:

Jared Landis is the Executive Director over the Advisory Board’s post-acute research practice and a national spokesperson for the company—regularly presenting at industry conferences such as the American Health Care Association, National Association for Home Health and Hospice, and Leading Age. In 2010, he helped launch and continues to lead the Post-Acute Care Collaborative, which provides original research and dedicated resources to assist post-acute and long-term care providers, as well as hospital systems. Jared is a subject matter expert (SME) in post-acute market trends, post-discharge care management initiatives, and acute/post-acute alignment strategies. Jared is a 2005 graduate of Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Questions:

For registration questions, contact Allison Taylor at ataylor@wha.org.

Fee:

There is no cost for this webinar.

Register Here!

WiAHC Provides Testimony to Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 18:59:18 GMT

On Monday, June 29, the Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving held a public listening session to gain input from stakeholders on the task force’s draft proposals. WiAHC members Leah Perras, , Executive Director of Transitions at Home, and Greg Von Arx, CEO of Recover Health testified at the listening session. Perras’ and Von Arx’s testimony was aimed at the task force’s failure to propose a Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for home health services despite previous testimony to the task force requesting such an increase.

“Wisconsin is lagging behind the nation in ensuring home health can adequately compete for staffing against other sectors of the healthcare industry despite growing demand for home health care services,” Perras said. “Due to Medicaid rates in Wisconsin, home health agencies pay below the state average for the same position across other sectors of the medical industry. As growth in the utilization of home health care services continue, today’s workforce challenges will only get worse.”

Perras explained that Wisconsin is well below the national average when it comes to RNs working in home health settings. RNs working in home health settings make up just 6% of the total nursing workforce in the state, according to the Wisconsin Center for Nursing. Nationally, RNs working in home health settings make up nearly 13% of the total nursing workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unfortunately, home health agencies regularly lose highly skilled nurses to other sectors, mostly due to compensation potential.

According to CMS, patients’ homes are considered the ideal care setting, which is causing rapid growth in the industry, faster than most other health care categories since 2013. Increased utilization will also be necessary for the aging Baby Boomer generation.

“While healthcare inflation has grown 32.3% and Low Utilization Payment Adjustment (LUPA) rates, which are federally averaged Medicare rates, have increased by 26%, Wisconsin’s Medicaid reimbursement rate for home health services has increased 0% over the last ten years,” Von Arx told the task force.

During the 2019-20 legislative session, WiAHC worked with a large bipartisan group of lawmakers on legislation to increase the Medicaid home health visit rate by 10 percent. The bill, Senate Bill 416/Assembly Bill 447, received a public hearing in the Senate Health Committee and had considerable support in both the Senate and Assembly. WiAHC is hopeful a recommendation from the task force would assist in increasing awareness on the urgency of the issue facing Wisconsin’s home health agencies.

WiAHC lobbyists are also submitting a memo to the task force and will continue to advocate for including a rate increase in the task force’s final proposal.

2020 Wisconsin Legislative Election Outlook

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 16:39:08 GMT

June 1 marked the official start of state legislative campaign season in Wisconsin. Candidates for state office turned their nomination papers into the Wisconsin Elections Commission and will now campaign ahead of the August 11 partisan primary. Candidates who win in August will square off in the general election on November 3.

The 2020 election will produce both change and consistency in the state legislature. With 7 open Senate Seats and 13 open Assembly seats, there will be plenty of new faces. At the same time, it is likely that Republicans will maintain control of both houses, extending their ten-year majority another two years.

The following seats are open due to retirements whether leaving to pursue higher office or leaving public service:

•         SD-12: Tom Tiffany (R-Elected to Congress)
•         SD-14: Luther Olsen (R)
•         SD-16: Mark Miller (D)
•         SD-26: Fred Risser (D)
•         SD-28: Dave Craig (R)
•         SD-30: Dave Hansen (D)
•         SD-32: Jennifer Shilling (D)
•         AD-8: JoCasta Zamarripa (D)
•         AD-11: Jason Fields (D)
•         AD-17: David Crowley (D-Milwaukee County Exec)
•         AD-29: Rob Stafsholt (R-running for SD-10)
•         AD-35: Mary Felzkowski (R-running for SD-12)
•         AD-41: Joan Ballweg (R-running for SD-14)
•         AD-44: Deb Kolste (D)
•         AD-48: Melissa Sargent (D-running for SD-16)
•         AD-55: Mike Rohrkaste (R)
•         AD-57: Amanda Stuck (D-running for CD-8)
•         AD-69: Bob Kulp (R)
•         AD-75: Romaine Quinn (R)
•         AD-76: Chris Taylor (D)

The current political wisdom is that Assembly Republicans are in position to maintain control following the 2020 election due to their large majority. They currently have a 63-36 seat majority. Should the election be favorable for Democrats, there is a chance they could win nine competitive seats currently held by Democrats. However, they would still be short of obtaining the majority. The nine competitive seats currently held by Republicans include:

•         AD-21: Jessie Rodriguez
•         AD-49: Travis Tranel
•         AD-50: Tony Kurtz
•         AD-51: Todd Novak
•         AD-68: Jesse James
•         AD-85: Patrick Snyder
•         AD-88: John Macco
•         AD-92: Treig Pronschinske
•         AD-96: Loren Oldenburg

Likewise, it is expected Senate Republicans will also maintain control of that body. Until recently, Republicans had a 19-14 majority. However, following the resignations of Republican Tom Tiffany (elected to Congress in May) and Democrat Jennifer Shilling (resigned to take a job in the private sector), Republicans currently have an 18-13 majority.

Of the open seats, it is likely, Republicans will maintain control of the 12^th (Tiffany – Northern WI), 14^th (Olsen – Central WI) and 28^th (Craig – Southeast WI) Senate Districts. Likewise, it is certain Democrats will maintain control of the Madison-based 16^th and 26^th Senate Districts, which have both garnered large Democratic primaries.

Conversely, the open seats in the 30^th (Hansen – Green Bay) and 32^nd (Shilling – LaCrosse) Senate Districts could potentially go either way. Looking at the performance of Republican presidential candidates in the last two elections, Romney lost the Green Bay-based 30^th Senate District with 47.7% of the vote and Trump won it with 55.6%. If Trump performs well again, then it is conceivable a Republican State Senate candidate could win the district.

While the 32^nd Senate District in LaCrosse is typically a strong Democrat district, Trump did significantly better than Romney. Additionally, former 32^nd District Democratic Senator Jennifer Shilling narrowly defeated her opponent, Republican Dan Kapanke in 2016. Kapanke, a former Senator from the area, is running again this year. Should Trump increase support in the LaCrosse area, Kapanke may have a chance.

Political spectators are also keeping a close eye on the 10th Senate District in northwest Wisconsin, which is held by Democrat Patty Schachtner. Schachtner handily won the seat by 10-percentage points in special election in 2018. However, Republicans hold all three Assembly seats that comprise the Senate district, and Trump won the district with 55.6% of the vote in 2016. Again, a Republican candidate’s success may rely on the district’s support for Trump.

If Senate Democrats have the opportunity to flip a seat, it could be the 24th Senate District held by Republican Patrick Testin (Stevens Point). The central Wisconsin district, which includes the city of Stevens Point and surrounding areas, was once considered a Democratic district. Romney lost the district in 2012 and Trump won it with 53% in 2016. In 2018, Republicans running for statewide office lost the district. If the district continues its swing left and support for Trump decreases, Democrats could flip the seat.

The 2020 election in Wisconsin will be somewhat unique because there is no race for statewide office (Governor, U.S. Senate) for the first time in several cycles, which should mean that success for Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature will rely solely on attitudes in the presidential race. However, while Wisconsin is considered one of the foremost battle ground states this year and Biden leads Trump in recent polling, the vast majority of Democratic voters reside in Milwaukee County and Dane County (Madison). Democrats already hold the legislative seats in these two areas. The reality of how voters are distributed in the state lends itself to the possibility that the Democratic nominee for president wins the state and legislative Republicans return with large majorities again.

Application to Receive COVID-19 Funds Opens June 5

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 17:33:53 GMT

Starting June 5, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) will be accepting applications from specific types of health care providers (listed below) for $110 million of funding provided to the state under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds will be used to make payments to offset lost revenues and expenditures facilities and services incurred during March, April, and May 2020, related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Providers eligible to apply are:

Home and community-based service providers* that provide:

1-2 bed Adult Family Homes
Day services
Home health
Personal care
Pre-vocational and supported employment
Respite care
Supportive home care
Daily living skills training for children

Assisted Living Facilities, including:

3-4 Bed Adult Family Homes
Community-Based Resident Facilities (CBRFs)
Resident Care Apartment Complexes (RCACs)

Nursing Homes, including:

Skilled Nursing Facilities
Intermediate Care Facilities

Emergency Medical Service Agencies

Clinics/Health Centers, including:

Rural Health Clinics
Federally Qualified Health Centers
Tribal Health Clinics
Free and Low Cost Clinics

* Only entities/organizations may apply for funding. Individuals such as those who are participant-hired workers or paid through a fiscal agent are not eligible.

The application for these funds will be available from June 5 to June 30. For more information on eligibility, the application, and the payment process, please visit the CARES Act Provider Payments page on the DHS website.

State Supreme Court Strikes Down Safer at Home Extension Ongoing COVID-19 Strategy Left to Local Public Health Departments

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:30:42 GMT

On May 13, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court struck down the Safer at Home extension ordered by Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. While the Court did not rule on the legality of the Safer at Home policy, it did rule the process by which the policy was implemented was illegal.

The Court ruled that Secretary-designee Palm did not have the singular authority to extend the Safer at Home order to May 26 and stipulated the action required emergency rulemaking procedure, which was not executed by the Department.

At the heart of the issue was whether or not DHS can extend the Safer at Home order beyond May 11. Governor Tony Evers declared a public health emergency in March. By law, such declarations expire after 60 days. In this specific instance, the expiration date was May 11.

Emergency Order #28, issued by Palm, extended the Safer at Home order two weeks beyond the expiration date. Palm and DHS cited statute 252.02 as providing the department the authority to take actions to combat outbreaks of communicable disease outside the confines of a 60 day public health emergency declaration. Republican legislative leaders disagreed with the interpretation of that statute and filed the challenge in the State Supreme Court.

The ruling was decided on a 4 to 3 vote. One conservative member, Justice Brian Hagedorn, disagreed with his conservative colleagues, stating in his dissent, “The legislature may have buyer's remorse for the breadth of discretion it gave to DHS in Wis. Stat. § 252.02. But those are the laws it drafted; we must read them faithfully whether we like them or not.”

In the wake of the ruling, Wisconsin is now without a statewide strategy to combat COVID-19. While the Department of Health Services took direction from the ruling and submitted proposed emergency rules to the legislature for approval, it rescinded that proposal on May 18, after comments from Republican legislative leaders who want to leave ongoing strategies to local public health departments.

Dane County, for instance, issued its own Safer at Home order shortly after the Court’s ruling on May 13. Other counties followed suit, but some later rescinded after confusion over their legal authority to do so became unclear. This confusion caused Attorney General Josh Kaul to issue an opinion that nothing in the Supreme Court’s ruling affects the authority of local public health officials to issue Safer at Home orders for their jurisdictions.

There is, however, some public opposition to local orders. On Wednesday, May 20, a group of Wisconsin citizens filed a challenge against local orders on Constitutional grounds in federal court in Milwaukee. The challenge states that safer at home orders infringe upon rights to freely assembly and freely practice religion. There has yet to be any developments in the challenge beyond the initial filing.

WiAHC’s lobbyists continue to closely monitor the situation and will provide updates as they’re available.

Governor Evers Announces Over $100 Million in Grants for COVID-19 Response

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:29:59 GMT

On Thursday, May 21, Governor Tony Evers announced $100 million in grants to home and community based services, long-term care, and emergency medical services. The funds are made available from federal dollars allocated by the CARES Act.

According to the linked press release, the program will be administered in two parts: an initial release of funds to support immediate needs, and a second, targeted release for additional needs of individual providers. Both rounds of funding will be allocated to support expenses directly related to COVID-19 as well as expenses associated with the interruption of typical operations, such as overtime pay, changes to sanitation procedures, and disruption to the standard delivery of care.

“We recognize the significant burden the COVID-19 response has placed on these providers,” says Governor Evers. “We also recognize the integral role they play in ensuring the health and safety of some of our most vulnerable Wisconsinites and we want to support their efforts during this pandemic.”

WiAHC’s lobbyists have been told by DHS that additional specifics for distributing the funds are forthcoming. They will update members as more details are made available.

The WiAHC Spring Conference Has Gone Virtual!

Thu, 21 May 2020 21:15:38 GMT

The WiAHC Spring Conference has moved to virtual! This gives you and your entire agency the ability to watch all conference sessions for one price. This is the first time you do not need to choose who attends each breakout session or who attends the WiAHC Spring Conference from your agency. Everyone can benefit, firsthand!

There are experts presenting from Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Five sessions are for new nurses presented by Teresa Northcutt, BSN RN COS-C HCS-D HCS-H, Senior Associate Consultant, Selman-Holman, A Briggs Healthcare Company. We have three sessions by Larry Prince, CEO and Managing Partner, Prince Health, LLC covering motivating employees and managing performance during times of change. Phil Ward, CHA, President of Hospice Operations, Community Hospice and Palliative Care presents on improving profitability of hospice GIP facilities and the evolution of business intelligence. Other topics include PDGM, infection control, revenue cycle management and many more.

N95 Decontamination System Up and Running, Other COVID-19 Updates

Mon, 11 May 2020 15:37:41 GMT

Wisconsin Health News, May 11, 2020

A decontamination system that will allow N95 respirators to be reused up to 20 times is now up and running, Gov. Tony Evers said Saturday.

The system, developed by private nonprofit research firm Battelle Memorial Institute, will be able to decontaminate up to 80,000 respirators daily.

The services, including shipping, will be provided to Wisconsin healthcare organizations and professionals free of charge.

Caitlyn Farragher, Battelle’s Wisconsin site lead, said they plan 24-hour operations to ensure a "timely turnaround time."

Community COVID-19 testing sites are also set to open in Madison and Milwaukee this week. That builds on testing sites launched in communities in northern and central Wisconsin.

“Anyone who goes to one of these community testing sites will receive their test for free,” Evers told reporters Friday. “If you need a test, we want you to get a test.”

He said that the state is in “pretty good shape” for testing supplies, like swabs and reagents, but still needs help from the federal government.

Evers unveiled a series of guidelines Friday on best practices and safety tips for businesses looking to keep workers, customers and families safe as they reopen.

The guidelines were developed by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in consultation with other state agencies as well as industry associations and experts.

There were 629 additional cases of COVID-19 and 16 more deaths reported over the weekend. As of Sunday, there were 10,219 positive cases and 400 deaths in total.

Meanwhile, more health systems are restarting elective procedures. Ascension Wisconsin said Friday that it’ll start gradually reintroducing more services for non-urgent and medically necessary procedures as well as primary and specialty care clinic appointments. Bellin Health also said Friday it was resuming procedures and non-urgent appointments put on hold due to the pandemic.

And Marshfield Clinic Health System said Monday it has begun performing non-urgent surgeries at its hospitals in Marshfield and Eau Claire and anticipates increasing the number of procedures at its other hospitals and outpatient surgery centers in the next several weeks.

Advocate Aurora Health and other health systems throughout the state are pursuing similar efforts.

Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System Ready and Available for Use in Wisconsin

Sat, 09 May 2020 15:10:41 GMT

Governor Tony Evers today announced Wisconsin’s new Battelle Memorial Institute Critical Care Decontamination System™ is now ready and available for use by the state’s health care workers and first responders to decontaminate their N95 respirators so they can be reused up to 20 times. The Battelle system decontaminates N95 respirators by killing viruses and bacteria using hydrogen peroxide gas, and will greatly extend the life of a vital piece of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The Battelle system will be able to decontaminate up to 80,000 N95 respirators on a daily basis. It can decontaminate respirators up to 20 times without degrading filtration performance. The usual decontamination turnaround time for users is a maximum of 72 hours, plus shipping time, as long as the site is not over its capacity for use. The Battelle system can only decontaminate respirators, and not other items of PPE. It is also not authorized for use with respirators containing cellulose-based materials.

Battelle decontamination services, including shipping, will be provided to Wisconsin healthcare organizations and professionals free of charge. Eligible healthcare providers include, but are not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, public health professionals, human and child protective services offices, emergency managers, first responders, coroners, medical examiners, law enforcement and correctional institutions, home health organizations, pharmacists, rural health services and dental offices.

The new Battelle system highlights decontamination efforts ongoing throughout Wisconsin to try to ensure that health care workers and first responders can be as safe as possible when performing their duties.

With all of the decontamination efforts underway in Wisconsin, health care workers and first responders are being asked to save their used PPE supplies for decontamination. Throughout the past couple of weeks, outreach efforts were conducted to inform health care workers and first responders on how to sign up for the Battelle system decontamination service, and ensure their masks are safely returned to them.

Through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the State of Wisconsin received the Battelle system this week. Battelle developed the system in 2015 to help decontaminate PPE to prevent further spread of Ebola. The Columbus, Ohio company is currently deploying the system to 60 different sites across the nation.

Beyond the Battelle system, other decontamination efforts in Wisconsin include UV decontamination sites. These sites service N95 respirators as well as other types of PPE, such as face shields, gowns, and aprons. UV decontamination facilities are currently operating in much of Wisconsin, highlighted by sites in Brown, Dane, Kenosha, and Sawyer counties.

In addition to statewide decontamination efforts, Wisconsin continues to work on building up its stockpile of PPE supplies. Last week Wisconsin received a delivery of 230,000 N95 respirators from FEMA. Gov. Evers continues to request more of these supplies to meet Wisconsin’s pressing need.

The full press release from the Governor is available online (link).

Wisconsin Receives Delivery of 230,000 N95 Masks from FEMA

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:09:48 GMT

Governor Tony Evers today announced Wisconsin has received a delivery of 230,000 N95 respirator masks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), providing a needed boost to efforts to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) for distribution in the state. FEMA has also informed the state that it will be receiving technology in the form of a Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System™ (CCDS) to help decontaminate N95 respirator masks, which will help extend the life of these important supplies.

The delivery of masks follows a request the state made to FEMA last month for assistance with purchasing PPE to help supply workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The masks will be used to support state operations and be distributed to county and tribal emergency managers, who will allocate them to local direct care providers and first responders based on a review of their current needs.

DHS Asking Health Care Providers to Save N95 Masks

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 21:16:59 GMT

Wisconsin’s response to COVID-19 has strained supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) across the state, leading to some shortages of critical supplies including N95 respirator masks. In addition to sourcing additional N95 masks, the State of Wisconsin is exploring processes to decontaminate masks so they can be reused.

In partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the State of Wisconsin will be receiving a Battelle CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System™, which can decontaminate tens of thousands of N95 masks daily. The Battelle CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System™ decontaminates masks by killing viruses and bacteria using hydrogen peroxide gas. Battelle advises masks can be decontaminated up to twenty times without degrading filtration performance.

In Wisconsin, it is our goal to have the Battelle Decontamination System in operation by mid-May. A process is currently being developed to collect, decontaminate, and swiftly return N95 masks for users throughout the state. In the meantime, we are asking Wisconsin health care providers interested in using the Battelle CCDS, to retain and not discard used N95 masks for future decontamination.

Please note:

The Battelle Decontamination System is not authorized for use with respirators containing cellulose-based materials.
All compatible N95 respirators must be free of any visual soiling or contamination (e.g., blood, bodily fluids, makeup).
Compatible N95 respirators that are visually soiled or damaged should not be collected for decontamination and will be disposed of and not returned after decontamination.
Masks should be marked with the name of the healthcare professional to whom the mask was issued.

Learn more about the Battelle CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System™

Final questions relative to the Battelle CCDS Critical Care Decontamination System™ installation will be answered in the coming weeks. More details will be provided in the coming days.

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants May Temporarily Order Home Health Services

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:51:35 GMT

ForwardHealth recognizes that increased demand on the direct care services provided by physicians during the COVID-19 public health emergency could cause a delay in the availability of physicians to prescribe, refer, or order home health services in the normal timeframe. Therefore, during the COVID-19 public health emergency, ForwardHealth will allow Medicaid-enrolled nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe, refer, or order the following:

Home health nursing and aide services
Medical supplies and equipment
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech pathology and audiology services

Billing policy and other requirements for these service areas as described in the Claims for Services Prescribed, Referred, or Ordered topic (#15737) of the ForwardHealth Online Handbook have not changed. Prescribers should note that they cannot have any affiliation, such as personal or financial affiliations, with the member or agency they are prescribing services for.

Governor Announces Badger Bounce Back Plan

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 18:51:20 GMT

Governor Evers today announced Wisconsin's "Badger Bounce Back" plan which outlines important criteria for Wisconsin to be able to reopen its economy in phases and includes steps to make sure workers and businesses are prepared to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. In coordination with this announcement, at the direction of the governor, Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Andrea Palm issued Emergency Order #31 establishing the process and outlining the phases of the plan. The emergency order is available here.

The Badger Bounce Back plan is informed in part by the President's Guidelines for Opening Up America Again that was issued by the White House on April 16, 2020. Currently, Wisconsin does not meet the criteria the White House established to start reopening our state. The Badger Bounce Back plan takes important steps to get the state of Wisconsin there.

The goal of the Badger Bounce Back plan is to decrease cases and deaths to a low level, and increase capacity in our healthcare system so the phased reopening of businesses is possible. As part of that plan the state will be working to increase access to more testing and expand lab capacity. Under the Badger Bounce Back plan, everyone who needs a test should get a test. The state is setting a goal of 85,000 tests per week, averaging about 12,000 tests per day. More information on the state's testing efforts was released earlier today, and is available for review here.

Next, the state will be expanding contact tracing and more aggressively tracking the spread with the goal of every Wisconsinite who tests positive being interviewed within 24 hours of receiving their test results and their contacts being interviewed within 48 hours of test results.

Additionally, the state will continue to pursue every avenue to grow Wisconsin’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare and public safety entities to conduct COVID-19 testing, patient care, and public safety work. Finally, the plan works to bolster healthcare system capacity where patients can be treated without crisis care and there are more robust testing programs in place for at-risk healthcare workers.

The state will be looking for a downward trajectory of influenza-like illnesses and COVID-19 symptoms reported within a 14-day period, and a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period. When the state has seen these efforts be successful, Wisconsin can begin to turn the dial, re-open the state, and get businesses and workers back on their feet.

The Badger Bounce Back plan is available here. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s portion of the Badger Bounce Back plan aimed at helping to ensure workers and businesses are prepared and ready to bounce back is available here. The Badger Bounce Back plan in brief is also available here.

Governor Extends Wisconsin's Safer at Home Order

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 18:50:20 GMT

Governor Evers today directed Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to extend the Safer at Home order from April 24, 2020 to 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2020, or until a superseding order is issued. The order implements some new measures to ensure safety and support the progress we've made in containing COVID-19, but also allows certain activities to start up again.

The extension of the Safer at Home order includes a few changes. Some changes allow more businesses and activities to open back up, while other changes help make businesses safer for employees and customers.

The changes in this order go into effect on April 24, 2020. The order will remain in effect until 8 a.m. on May 26, 2020.

The order is available online (link). The Governor’s full press release is also available online (link).

COVID-19 Volunteer Program Announced

Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:49:18 GMT

Governor Evers announced that the state is seeking volunteers to support Wisconsin's healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Active and retired healthcare professionals and those who wish to help in non-clinical support positions are encouraged to sign up to volunteer through the Wisconsin Emergency Assistance Volunteer Registry (WEAVR).

The number of patients in Wisconsin who need to be treated for COVID-19 is expected to surge in the coming weeks. Building a network of available volunteers now will greatly reduce the hardships on hospitals and clinics that would not normally have the capacity to care for the increase in patients.

Both active and retired healthcare professionals can volunteer for critical clinical roles by entering their information into the WEAVR, a secure, password-protected, web-based volunteer registration system for healthcare and behavioral health professionals. Individuals who are not licensed professionals are also encouraged to sign up to volunteer for non-clinical support positions.

Volunteers will be assigned to locations across Wisconsin to support ongoing efforts related to the COVID-19 national emergency. Those who are willing to travel should note that when they sign up. All volunteers should also be aware that they will be required to complete a background check.

The full copy of the Governor’s press release is available online (link).

New Webinar Series on COVID-19 Legal Changes

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 14:58:15 GMT

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice will be co-hosting a weekly webinar series with Littler Mendelson and the Home Care Association of America on legal and regulatory changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the webinar series is to provide the industry with substantive updates and shed light on advocacy efforts.

This weekly webinar series will kick off this Thursday, April 9th at Noon EST and we will continue with additional webinars each Thursday at the same time for at least the next 6 weeks. These webinars will be cumulative, substantive and free for all home care providers to attend.

This week, hosts Angelo Spinola of Littler, Bill Dombi of NAHC, and Vicki Hoak of the HCAOA, will provide an update and analysis of the status of the health care provider exemption to the FFCRA, the unemployment dilemma under CARES Act, the industry coalition efforts associated with the fourth stimulus package and the work being done to develop industry best practices. The registration page includes an opportunity to submit a question or topic you would like the hosts to address in this weekly series. The webinar will also feature a live Q&A session at the end to address as many questions as possible. REGISTER NOW

You will receive a recording of the webinar if you register even if you cannot attend the webinar in real time. These webinars will be substantive in nature and cumulative, such that one will build on the other.

Wisconsin Granted Federal Disaster Declaration Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Sat, 04 Apr 2020 18:48:43 GMT

Governor Evers announced that Wisconsin has been granted a major disaster declaration for the entire state of Wisconsin, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The declaration provides access to Public Assistance programs for all 72 Wisconsin counties and the state’s federally recognized tribes.

Gov. Evers earlier this week requested that the federal government provide the following programs to support the state’s response: Public Assistance, Direct Assistance, Hazard Mitigation (statewide), and certain Individual Assistance programs; Crisis Counseling, Community Disaster Loans and the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notified the state today that it is granting the request for Public Assistance to help provide reimbursement for emergency protective measures taken by state and local governments in their response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The declaration also authorizes direct Federal Assistance which means when the State and local governments lack the capability to perform or to contract for eligible emergency work and/or debris removal, the State may request that the work be accomplished by a federal agency. The governor’s additional requests for assistance remain under review.

The major disaster declaration covers assistance to public entities, and will cover eligible projects submitted by counties, cities, townships, tribes, and certain private, not-for-profit organizations. Local governments in the declared counties are now eligible for federal assistance and should contact county emergency management directors for further information. Under the program, FEMA provides 75 percent of eligible costs, while the remaining 25 percent is the responsibility of state and local agencies.

The Governor’s full press release is available online (link).

Executive Order Suspends Rules Related to Home Healthcare

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:53:25 GMT

Governor Evers signed Executive Order 21 on April 3. The Order suspends a number of rules related to home healthcare agencies. The order specifically:

Suspends DHS 133.18 (Supervisory Visits) in its entirety during the public health emergency;
Allows any necessary visits from RNs associated with the 60-day review process as required by DHS 133.20(3) may be completed via telephone or videoconferencing during the public health emergency; and
Suspends home health agencies' training and orientation requirements in DHS 133.06(4)(a) and 133.17(4) and orders that "every employee shall be oriented to the agency and the job for which he or she is hired."

The order also makes similar changes for Hospice Agencies in the state, including:

Suspends DHS 131.15 (inspections, investigations and enforcement) except for cases of immediate jeopardy as defined in Wisconsin Statute 50.01(1ng);
Suspends DHS 131.22 (quality assessment and performance improvement activities), with continued general requirement for staff to be oriented to their responsibilities according to DHS 131.31(2); and
Suspends DHS 131.31(3) (training and orientation program contents) with continued general requirement for staff to be oriented to their responsibilities as required in DHS 131.31(2).

The Governor’s action is consistent with the requests WiAHC has made of the Department and Governor since the start of the Safer at Home Order. The full executive order is available online (link).

New Marquette Law School Poll Finds Strong Support for Coronavirus Closings

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 21:06:23 GMT

A new Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin registered voters finds strong support for government actions to control the coronavirus pandemic, even as the poll also shows these actions to be having a substantial financial impact on voters.

The survey found:

Eighty-six percent say that it was appropriate to close schools and businesses, and restrict public gatherings, while 10 percent say that this was an overreaction to the pandemic;
A large majority of voters approve of Gov. Tony Evers’ handling of the coronavirus issue, with 76 percent saying they approve and 17 percent saying they disapprove;
A majority, 51 percent, approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the pandemic, while 46 percent disapprove;
Opinion is divided on holding the April 7 spring election as scheduled, with 51 percent saying the date should be moved and 44 percent saying it should be held as scheduled.

A full copy of the survey is available online (link).

Governor Evers Announces Second Package of Comprehensive Legislative Proposals Providing COVID-19 Relief and Support

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:03:46 GMT

Governor Evers today announced a second package of comprehensive legislative proposals that would provide critical investments in health services, support for essential workers, and assistance for Wisconsin families and businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor’s announcement today comes just days after Gov. Evers announced a first piece of legislation, which included additional funding and flexibility for public health professionals and healthcare professionals, a repeal of the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance, expanding and improving access to telehealth services, among many other proposals.

As additional needs and issues arise from agencies and stakeholders, the governor is committed to working with legislators to find bipartisan solutions. The governor’s office welcomes the opportunity to hear and consider any proposals that legislators have to address the impacts of COVID-19 on the health and well-being of Wisconsin residents, businesses and communities.

This package, among many other proposals, includes:

Increasing funding for Medicaid providers via supplemental payments and rate increases to support the healthcare system’s response to the public health emergency;
Establishing a fund to reduce providers’ uncompensated care costs targeting reimbursement for treatment-related costs for uninsured individuals;
Establishing a COVID-19 reinsurance program to reduce health insurance premiums;
Providing grant funding to provide food assistance and meal delivery;
Prohibiting utility cooperatives from disconnecting customers and prohibiting land-lord directed disconnections from rental units during a public health emergency;
Ensuring workers receive back payment for any lost unemployment insurance benefits as a result of the delay in suspending the one-week waiting period;
Providing supplemental payments to child care providers, if that provider needed to shut down during the public health emergency;
Allowing households to apply for heating assistance under the low-income energy assistance program anytime during the 2020 calendar year;
Increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families;
Providing municipalities the flexibility to implement multiple installments of three or more payments for 2020 property taxes;
Waiving interest and penalties on delinquent property taxes included in the 2019 payable 2020 tax roll, on and after April 1, 2020;
Creating a fund through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Association to provide 6 months of support for prevention of single-family foreclosures and providing refinancing opportunities to current borrowers; and
Providing grant funding for small businesses and workers through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

The Governor’s first COVID-19-related legislation was introduced last week as LRB-5920 and is available here for review. A brief explanation of LRB-5920 is available here. A brief explanation of the governor’s second round of proposed legislation announced today is available online (link).

ForwardHealth Expands List of Drugs Available Through Expedited Emergency Supply

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:03:11 GMT

Effective for dates of service on and after April 1, 2020, ForwardHealth, which has an expedited emergency supply policy dispensing option available for certain drugs, has expanded the list of drugs available through expedited emergency supply and will allow most drugs to be dispensed in up to a 100-day expedited emergency supply.

A table with the expanded list of drugs available by expedited supply is included below and is also available on the Pharmacy Resources page of the ForwardHealth Portal. Pharmacy providers should continue to follow the current processes for requesting an expedited emergency supply of drugs detailed in the Emergency Medication Dispensing topic (#1399) of the ForwardHealth Online Handbook.

This Action Alert 10 and others are available on the ForwardHealth website (link).

Wisconsin LFB Published Report on State Funding in CARES Act

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 21:01:45 GMT

Wisconsin nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) published an analysis of the approximately $2.2 billion Wisconsin is expected to receive from the from the Coronavirus Relief Fund created by the CARES Act. About $1.8 billion would go to the state government while the remaining funds would go to the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County and Dane County. The LFB has also provided Wisconsin-specific estimates for some of the programmatic increases provided by the stimulus package. That report is available online (link).

The report includes a summary on all programs funded in the Act, including:

Public Health Emergency Preparedness funding from CDC;
Administration for Community Living
Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund
Direct Payments to State and Local Governments
Transportation, Housing and Unemployment Programs

Details on the full $2 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package are also available in the full bill available online (link). The following is a summary of some of the healthcare related provisions in the bill.

Health and Long-term Care

Grants to Hospitals and Health Care Providers: Provides $100 billion to reimburse, through grants or other mechanisms, eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus. Medicaid and Medicare providers are included in the definition of health care provider. To apply, providers must submit an application to the Secretary of Health and Human Services that includes a statement justifying their need.

Delay of Disproportionate Share Hospital Reductions. Delays scheduled reductions in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments through November 30, 2020.

Increasing Provider Funding through Immediate Medicare Sequester Relief. Temporarily lifts the Medicare sequester from May 1 through December 31, 2020, boosting payments for hospital, physician, nursing home, home health, and other care by 2%. The Medicare sequester would be extended by one-year beyond current law to provide immediate relief without worsening Medicare’s long-term financial outlook.

Medicare Add-on for Inpatient Hospital COVID-19 Patients. Increases the payment that would otherwise be made to a hospital for treating a patient admitted with COVID-19 by 20%. It would build on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) decision to expedite use of a COVID-19 diagnosis to enable better surveillance as well as trigger appropriate payment for these complex patients. This add-on payment would be available through the duration of the COVID-19 emergency period.

Grants to the V.A.: Provides $14.4 billion to the Veteran’s Administration for medical services.

CDC: Provides $4.3 billion to the CDC. Of these funds, $1.5 billion is set aside for grants to states, territories and tribes to help carry out surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity, infection control, mitigation, communications, and other preparedness and response activities.

Strategic National Stockpile: Provides $16 billion in funding for the Strategic National Stockpile to procure personal protective equipment, ventilators and other supplies.

Hospital Preparedness: Provides $250 million for grants to improve the capacity of healthcare facilities to respond to medical events.

Rural Health: Provides $180 million to expand services and capacity for rural hospitals, telehealth, poison control centers.

Health Savings Accounts for Telehealth Services. Allows a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) with a health savings account (HSA) to cover telehealth services prior to a patient reaching the deductible.

Providing Hospitals Medicare Advance Payments. Expands, for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency period, an existing Medicare accelerated payment program. Specifically, qualified facilities would be able to request up to a six month advanced lump sum or periodic payment. This advanced payment would be based on net reimbursement represented by unbilled discharges or unpaid bills. Most hospital types could elect to receive up to 100% of the prior period payments, with Critical Access Hospitals able to receive up to 125%. Finally, a qualifying hospital would not be required to start paying down the loan for four months, and would also have at least 12 months to complete repayment without a requirement to pay interest.

Extension of Physician Work Geographic Index Floor. Extends payments for the work component of physician fees in areas where labor cost is determined to be lower than the national average through December 1, 2020.

National Academies Report on America’s Medical Product Supply Chain Security: Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to enter into an agreement with the National Academies to examine and report on the security of the United States medical product supply chain. Part of the report requires the examination of the United States’ dependence on critical drugs and devices that are sourced or manufactured outside of the U.S.

Requiring the Strategic National Stockpile to Include Certain Supplies: Requires the strategic national stockpile to include personal protective equipment, ancillary medical supplies, and other applicable supplies required for the administration of drugs, vaccines and other biological products, medical devices, and diagnostic tests.

Preventing Medical Device Shortages: Requires manufacturers of medical devices that are critical during public health emergencies to notify the federal government of any discontinuance or interruption to manufacturing of the device that could disrupt the supply of the device in the U.S. The information will be used to compile a list of devices that are determined to be in short supply.

Rapid Coverage of Preventive Services and Vaccines for Coronavirus: Requires insurers to cover without cost-sharing any qualifying coronavirus preventive service. Qualifying preventive services include any evidence-based item, service, or immunization that is intended to prevent or mitigate coronavirus disease.

Increased Funding for Health Centers: Provides $1.3 billion in additional funding to community health centers in fiscal year 2020.

Telehealth Network and Resource Center Grants: Provides $29 million per year through 2025 and reauthorizes Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant programs that promote the use of telehealth technologies for health care delivery, education, and health information services.

Rural health care services outreach, rural health network development, and small health care provider quality improvement grant programs. Provides $79.5 million per year through 2025 and reauthorizes HRSA grant programs to strengthen rural community health by focusing on quality improvement, increasing health care access, coordination of care, and integration of services.

Limitation on liability for volunteer health care professionals during COVID-19 emergency response. Makes clear that doctors who provide volunteer medical services during the public health emergency related to COVID-19 have liability protections. In order to have the liability protections provided by the bill, a volunteer provider must be acting within the scope of their license, registration or certification as defined by the state.

Health Care Workforce

Reauthorization of health professions workforce programs.

Provides $51.4 million per year between 2021 and 2025 for scholarships to health care students. The funding is given to eligible entities, which includes schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, optometry, public health, etc.

Provides $48.9 million per year for the primary care training and enhancement program. Adds language prioritizing grant awards to programs that train physicians in rural areas.

Provides $41.2 million for eligible entities to establish health care workforce educational programs.

Provides $1.1 million per year for a loan repayment program for medical, dental and nursing students who agree to serve as faculty following graduation.

Provides $15 million per year to provide educational assistance to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue health care education.

Extension of Demonstration Projects to Address Health Professions Workforce Needs: Extends the Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program through November 30, 2020 at current funding levels. This program provides funding to help low-income individuals obtain education and training in high-demand, well-paid, health care jobs.

Education and training relating to geriatrics. Provides $40.7 million per year and reauthorizes and updates Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), which pertains to programs to support clinician training and faculty development, including the training of practitioners in family medicine, general internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, and other medical specialties. It emphasizes integration of geriatric care into existing service delivery locations and care across settings, including home- and community-based services. The Secretary may provide awardees with additional support for activities in areas of demonstrated need, which may include education and training for home health workers, family caregivers, and direct care workers on care for older adults. Eligible entities could receive awards of at least $75,000.

Economic Relief

Recovery Rebates for Americans: Provides a one-time payment of $1,200 to individuals with incomes below $75,000 or a one-time payment of $2,400 for joint filers with incomes below $150,000. Payments are increased by $500 per child. The bill requires the one-time payments to be made as soon as possible.

Relief Payments to States, Tribal Governments and Local Units of Government: Provides $150 billion in direct payments to states, tribal governments and local units of government with. To qualify, local governments must have populations of more than 500,000 people. Payments are required to be used to cover expenditures related to COVID-19 that occur between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020. Expenditures must not have been accounted for in the state or local government’s most recent budget. The bill requires the Treasury Secretary to make these payments within 30 days of enactment.

Loans for Small Businesses, Non-profits, Contractors and Self-Employed Individuals. Allows nonprofits and other businesses with less than 500 employees to get loans from the Small Business Administration if they were adversely impacted by COVID-19. Loans can be used to cover payroll costs, health care benefits, mortgage or rent payments, utilities or interest on debt. Borrowers will be eligible for loan forgiveness if they maintain employees and their salaries. The eligibility period runs from February 15, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Maximum loan amounts will be determined using the organization's average monthly payroll amounts over a one year period. The bill appropriates $349 billion for this loan program.

Employee retention credit for employers subject to closure due to COVID-19. Provides a refundable payroll tax credit for 50% of wages paid by employers to employees during the COVID-19 crisis. The credit is available to employers whose (1) operations were fully or partially suspended, due to a COVID-19-related shutdown order, or (2) gross receipts declined by more than 50 percent when compared to the same quarter in the prior year.

Small Business Administration Disaster Loans: Provides $562 million to the Disaster Loan Program.

Broadband and Telehealth

Rural Utilities Service--Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband Program: Provides $25 million for telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas.

Reconnect Pilot: Provides $100 million for grants for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas.

Federal Communications Commission Telehealth: Provides $200 million to the FCC to respond to COVID-19. This includes supporting health care providers by providing telecommunications services, information services, and devices necessary to enable the provision of telehealth services.

Higher Education and Student Loans

Temporary Relief for Federal Student Loan Borrowers: Requires the Secretary to defer student loan payments, principal, and interest for 6 months, through September 30, 2020, without penalty to the borrower for all federally owned loans.

Adjustments of Subsidized Loan Limits. For students who dropped out of school as a result of COVID -19 excludes the term from counting toward lifetime subsidized loan eligibility.

Exclusion from Federal Pell Grant Duration Limit. For students who dropped out of school as a result of COVID -19 excludes the term from counting toward lifetime Pell eligibility.

Institutional Refund and Federal Student Loan Flexibility. For students who dropped out of school as a result of COVID -19, the student is not required to return Pell grants or federal student loans to the Secretary. Waives the requirement that institutions calculate the amount of grant or loan assistance that the institution must return to the Secretary in the case of students who dropped out of school as a result of COVID-19

Exclusion for certain employer payments of student loans: Allows employers to provide a student loan repayment benefit to employees on a tax-free basis. Under the provision, an employer may contribute up to $5,250 annually toward an employee’s student loans, and such payment would be excluded from the employee’s income. The $5,250 cap applies to both the new student loan repayment benefit as well as other educational assistance (e.g., tuition, fees, books) provided by the employer under current law. The provision applies to any student loan payments made by an employer on behalf of an employee after date of enactment and before January 1, 2021.

New Coverage Policy for Enteral Nutrition Formula and Enteral Feeding Supplies

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 17:20:32 GMT

Effective for dates of service (DOS) on and after April 1, 2020, ForwardHealth introduces new coverage policy for enteral nutrition formula and enteral feeding supplies to improve and increase member access and to reduce administrative burden to providers through the following changes:

Prior authorization (PA) for enteral nutrition formula will be approved in real time when submitted on the ForwardHealth Portal for members who receive all nutrition administered through a gastric or jejunostomy tube.
For all PA submission types, the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code for enteral nutrition formula will be approved, not the specific enteral nutrition formula brand name.
Coverage for enteral nutrition formula consumed orally has been expanded for members with diagnoses of failure to thrive, malnutrition, and/or inborn errors of metabolism.
Coverage for enteral nutrition formula consumed orally and for members transitioning from tube feeding to an oral diet has been expanded. Requests will be reviewed on an individual basis and will not be subject to predetermined quantity or time limitations.
Coverage of syringe-fed enteral feeding supply kits will be added.

The full update is available online (link).

Wisconsin Partnership Program Releases RFP for $1.5 Million in COVID-19 Grant Funding

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 21:01:12 GMT

The Wisconsin Partnership Program released an RFP Tuesday for a new $1.5 million grant program to support projects that “aim to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin by lessening the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

About $750,000 will be available for programs led by Wisconsin-based nonprofits, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations or tribal/government entities. Special emphasis will be given to projects that target vulnerable populations.

Grant applications are due April 15, 2020.

Governor Evers Sets Up State COVID-19 Voluntary Isolation Facilities

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 20:59:50 GMT

Governor Evers today announced the State of Wisconsin Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) is opening two state-run voluntary isolation facilities in Madison and Milwaukee and is providing guidance to local communities throughout Wisconsin. The two sites are set to open April 1, 2020 are at Lowell Center in Madison and a Super 8 hotel in Milwaukee.

These facilities are for symptomatic individuals suspected to be infected with COVID-19 or who have a confirmed case of COVID-19. Individuals will not be permitted to register at the facility unless referred by a medical provider or public health official. Individuals register and stay at the isolation facility on a voluntary basis. The expected length of stay will be about 14 days, or 72 hours after symptoms dissipate. At any time, either the individual or the facility may terminate the individual’s presence at the site. Those staying at the facility will have wellness checks by phone every four hours during the day and if needed at night.

Additionally, the SEOC also issued guidance for communities seeking to open their own voluntary self-isolation centers. This guidance will aid local communities with the following:

How do we select, set up, and staff an isolation site?
How does a person get referred to and checked into the isolation site?
What happens while occupants are at the isolation site? Including details about medical monitoring/wellness check calls and other on-site services.
When do occupants leave the site? Including details about discharge and involuntary check out from the isolation site.

The full press release is available online (link).

Governor Evers Asks for Presidential Disaster Declaration

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 20:59:20 GMT

Governor Evers today sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requesting that the president issue a major disaster declaration for the entire state of Wisconsin, as a result the COVID-19 pandemic. The request covers all 72 counties and the state’s federally recognized tribes.

Having determined that Wisconsin met all of the criteria required to receive a major disaster declaration, Gov. Evers in his letter requested that the federal government provide the following programs to support the state’s response: Public Assistance, Direct Assistance, Hazard Mitigation (statewide), and certain Individual Assistance programs; Crisis Counseling, Community Disaster Loans and the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Program.

Gov. Evers declared a public health emergency on March 12 in response to the outbreak, which directed the Department of Health Services to take all necessary and appropriate actions to help combat the spread of the virus. On March 14, the governor directed Wisconsin Emergency Management to activate the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to provide additional coordination in support of the state’s response.

A copy of the governor’s letter (link) and the full press release are available online (link).

Governor Evers Announces Additional Shipment of Personal Protective Equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 20:58:45 GMT

Governor Evers today announced that Wisconsin has received its second phase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and is in the process of distribution. The second phase of supplies from the SNS are being delivered to healthcare workers, emergency medical services, and medical facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and clinics across Wisconsin.

The State Emergency Operations Center and Department of Health Services continue working to supply medical facilities with supplies requested from the Strategic National Stockpile. The second phase includes approximately 51,880 N95 respirators, 130,840 face/surgical masks, 23,400 face shields, 20,226 surgical gowns, 96 coveralls, and 79,000 pairs of gloves. Today’s shipment comes as Governor Evers announced Wisconsin’s first delivery of SNS supplies which included approximately 52,800N95 respirators, 130,000 face/surgical masks, 24,768 face shields, 20,286 surgical gowns, 96 coveralls, and 61,750 pairs of gloves. In total Wisconsin has received approximately 104,680 N95 respirators, 260,840 face/surgical masks, 48,186 face shields, 40,512 surgical gowns, 192 coveralls, and 140,750 pairs of gloves from the SNS.

The SNS supply shipments do not include supplies the governor has requested from FEMA for non-medical personnel or supplies being aggressively pursued through procurement, donations, or the governor’s buyback program.

ForwardHealth Announces New Policies for Telehealth Reimbursement

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 20:58:01 GMT

ForwardHealth will allow telehealth services utilizing interactive synchronous (real-time) technology, including audio-only phone communication, for currently covered services that can be delivered with functional equivalency to the face-to-face service. This applies to all service areas and all enrolled professional and paraprofessional providers allowable within current ForwardHealth coverage policy.

Please refer to the Forward Health Update 2020-15 (link) for a comprehensive explanation of the update.

Governor Announces New Public-Private Partnership to Increase COVID-19 Laboratory Testing Capacity

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 20:57:09 GMT

Governor Evers announced a new public-private partnership among Wisconsin industry leaders to increase Wisconsin's laboratory testing capacity for COVID-19. Prior to today's announcement, the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene and the Milwaukee Public Health Lab were leading the Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network labs to bring additional COVID-19 testing online.

The new partnership now includes laboratory support from Exact Sciences, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Promega, and UW Health. These organizations, along with the Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network, will now share knowledge, resources, and technology to bolster Wisconsin’s testing capacity.

The Wisconsin Clinical Lab Network labs have been averaging completion of 1,500-2,000 COVID-19 tests per day. The expanded capacity from the state’s new public-private partnership is expected to double that capacity initially and continue to expand as additional platforms and supplies become available.

Residents who are seeking a COVID-19 test are still required to receive an order from a doctor. These labs are not testing sites.

The full press release is available online (link).

Forward Health Publishes Changes to DME and Disposal Medical Supply Face-to-Face Requirements

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 20:56:13 GMT

ForwardHealth has published Alert 009, titled "Temporary Changes for Durable Medical Equipment and Disposable Medical Supplies Face-to-Face Requirements," to the ForwardHealth COVID-19 Portal Page (link). Beginning March 12, 2020, ForwardHealth will not require a face-to-face visit with a physician or authorized non-physician practitioner for an initial prescription of any durable medical equipment or disposable medical supplies. A prescription will continue to be required for durable medical equipment and disposable medical supplies.

Now Accepting Nominations for WiAHC Nurse of the Year

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 19:47:45 GMT

Colleagues, leaders, patients, and their families are invited to nominate a home care nurse for the “Wisconsin Home Care Nurse of the Year Award”. The award recognizes the accomplishments of an individual nurse and provides a way to celebrate the work of all home care nurses in Wisconsin.

This award will be presented during the Wisconsin Association of Home Health Care Spring Conference in June to one outstanding nurse who demonstrates excellence in home care nursing practice.

The annual award is designed to recognize the outstanding skills and contributions of individual Wisconsin home care nurses who are the heart of patient care. Recognizing an individual nurse allows WiAHC to honor nurses and their profession. Candidates for the award are individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the delivery of quality care.

The nominee must be a WiAHC member and currently employed within Wisconsin home care as a Registered Nurse for a minimum of one year.

Learn more and submit a nomination here.

ForwardHealth Announces Delay in Launch of Electronic Visit Verification

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 17:35:21 GMT

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services is delaying the start of training and the soft launch date (formerly September 1, 2020) requirement to use EVV for personal care services. A new timeline will be announced when it is available.

Various dedicated EVV webpages, including a new Training Information page, are where you can view current EVV information. Providers are encouraged to join the email list in order to receive updates on EVV.

Governor Releases COVID-19 Legislation

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 20:53:01 GMT

Governor Evers released a 65-page draft piece of legislation and a draft joint resolution on Saturday night aimed at addressing COVID-19. The Governor also released a chart outlining the proposal. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau also provided a Summary of provisions of Governor Evers’ proposed legislation and Joint Resolution indefinitely extending public health emergency to state legislators.

The bill includes several healthcare provisions, including language related to out-of-network bills that occur during the public health emergency. The language caps physician payment rates at 250% of the Medicare rate.

Insurance

Prohibits health plans from charging patients more for out-of-network services related to the diagnosis and treatment of the condition for which a public health emergency has been declared than they do for in-network services (if an in-network physician is not available).
The bill requires the plan to reimburse the out-of-network provider at 250% of the Medicare rate. Providers and facilities are prohibited from charging patients more than what they are reimburse by the plan.
Creates a process for out-of-state physicians to have liability coverage in Wisconsin during a public health emergency. They would need to provide OCI with a certificate of insurance for a policy of health care liability insurance issued by an insurer that is authorized in a jurisdiction accredited by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Requires health plans to cover without cost-sharing any testing, treatment or vaccines related to COVID-19.
Requires health plans to cover any services provided via telehealth if they cover that service when it is provided in-person.
Prohibits health plans from canceling policies due to non-payment during the COVID-19 emergency
Prohibits health plans and pharmacy benefit managers from requiring prior authorization for any early refills of prescriptions or restricting the period of time in which a drug may be refilled.
Creates a process for pharmacists to extend prescription orders by up to 30 days during public health emergencies.

Emergency Preparedness

Provides $300 million to the Department of Military Affairs to respond to the public health emergency.
Provides $200 million to the Department of Administration to respond to the public health emergency.

Health

Creates a public health emergency fund for the Department of Health Services.
Provides $100 million for a new health care provider grant program specific to planning, preparing for and responding to COVID-19.
Provides $17.4 million to local health departments.
Creates 64 positions within the Department of Health Services’ Division of Public Health.
Allows DHS to suspend any premium or cost-sharing requirements for childless adults on BadgerCare in order to qualify for enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds related to COVID-19.
Exempts the Department of Health Services, during a public health emergency, from the current law legislative review requirements for submitting waiver requests to the federal government, amending the state Medicaid plan or raising Medicaid reimbursement rates.
Expands the definition of public health emergency to include toxins or other threats to health.

Health Care Workforce

Allows former health care providers to receive a temporary license to provide services during a public health emergency. This would apply to physicians, nurses, PAs, dentists, pharmacists, phycologists, social workers and other health providers who have practiced within the last 5 years but do not currently have a license. The temporary license would be valid until 90 days following the conclusion of the health emergency.
Allows out-of-state health care providers to receive a temporary license to practice in Wisconsin. The temporary license would be valid until 90 days following the conclusion of the health emergency.
Allows the state to waive licensure fees for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, and certain behavioral health providers.
Exempts certain health care provider credentials issued by credentialing boards in DSPS from having to be renewed during the public health emergency.

Unemployment Insurance

Eliminates the one-week waiting period for Unemployment Insurance

Voting

The bill contains several provisions related to voting during public health emergencies. Specifically, for elections held during a declared public health emergency, it would:

Require elections held during public health emergencies to be held by mail.
Waive the state’s Photo ID requirement.
Waive the requirement that mail-in absentee ballots need a witness signature.
Allow mail-in ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.
Allow voters to register electronically until 5 days before the election.

Governor Issues Order to Expedite Expansion, Enhance Efficiency of Healthcare Workforce

Sat, 28 Mar 2020 20:36:52 GMT

Governor Evers and Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm today exercised their authority under Article V, Section 4 of the Wisconsin Constitution and Sections 323.12(4) and 252.02(6) of the Wisconsin Statutes to simplify healthcare license renewals during the COVID-19 public health emergency and to encourage recently retired professionals with expired licenses to re-enter practice. This full order is available online (link).

The order includes the following policy changes:

Interstate Reciprocity: allows any out-of-state health can provider licensed and in good standing to practice in Wisconsin without a Wisconsin credential. The order requires the out-of-state physician to apply for a temporary or permanent Wisconsin license within 10 days of first working at a Wisconsin health care facility; and the health care facility must notify DSPS within 5 days. The order temporarily suspends the visiting physician practice limitations in Med 3.04.

Temporary License: Any temporary licensed to an out-of-state provider during the emergency will be valid until 30 days after the conclusion of the emergency.

Telemedicine: Allows physicians licensed and in good standing in Wisconsin, another U.S. state or Canada to provide telemedicine services to Wisconsin residents.

Physician Assistants: Suspends several current rules regulating the practice of PAs in Wisconsin. This includes: the requirement of PAs to notify the MEB of changes to their supervising physician within 20 days (order changes it to 40 days); the requirement that PAs limit their scope of practice to that of their supervising physician (the order allows them to practice to the extent of their experience, education, training and abilities. It also allows them to delegate tasks to another health provider); the physician to PA ratio of 4:1 (the order allows a physician to oversee up to 8 on-duty PAs at a time, but there is no limit on how many PAs a physician may provide supervision to over time. It also allows a PA to be supervised by multiple physicians while on duty).

Nurse Training and Practice: The order suspends many rules related to nursing. This includes suspending a rule that prohibits simulations from being utilized for more than 50% of the time designated for meeting clinical learning requirements. It also suspends the requirement for nurses to submit an official transcript in order to get a temporary license and allows a temporary license to remain valid for up to 6 months. In addition, it suspends the rule requiring license renewal within 5 years.

Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers: Temporarily suspends the requirement that Nurse Prescribers must facilitate collaboration with other health care professionals, at least 1 of whom shall be a physician or dentist.

Recently Expired Credentials: Requires the state to reach out to individuals with recently lapsed credentials about renewal options. The order also suspends many of the late renewal fees and continuing education requirements for most health professions. The order temporarily suspends MED 14.06(2)(a) to allow a physician whose license lapsed less than 5 years ago to renew without fulfilling the continuing education requirements. It also suspends RAD 5.01 (1) and (2) to allow radiographers or LXMO permit holders who have let their license lapse renew without completing continuing education.

Fees: The order also gives DHS the ability to suspend fees or assessments related to health care provider credentialing.

The order is effective immediately and will remain in effect through the duration of the public health emergency.

The full version of the Governor’s press release is available online (link).

ForwardHealth Update on Urgent Prior Authorization Requests

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 20:52:12 GMT

For urgent prior authorization requests for fee‐for‐service members, contact ForwardHealth Provider Services at 800‐947‐9627 for assistance with expediting the prior authorization process. An urgent, medically necessary situation is one where a delay in authorization would result in undue hardship for the member or unnecessary costs for Wisconsin Medicaid as determined by the Division of Medicaid Services. In general, urgent requests will receive a response within five business days. Additional information regarding urgent services is available (link).

Note: Prior authorization is not required for emergency services, defined as services that are necessary to prevent the death or serious impairment of the health of the individual. Reimbursement is not guaranteed for services that normally require prior authorization that are provided in emergency situations; those services still must meet all ForwardHealth coverage requirements, including medical necessity.

This Action Alert 08 and others are available on the ForwardHealth website (link).

Temporary Change for Urgent Prior Authorization Requests

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 20:51:04 GMT

In response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, ForwardHealth is temporarily altering certain procedures in order to prevent further spread of the disease and effectively treat existing cases. These altered procedures will only be in effect during the public health emergency declared by Governor Tony Evers for the State of Wisconsin under Executive Order 72.

Temporary Phone Number Change for Urgent Prior Authorization Requests

Note: Prior authorization is not required for emergency services, defined as services that are necessary to prevent the death or serious impairment of the health of the individual. Reimbursement is not guaranteed for services that normally require prior authorization that are provided in emergency situations; those services still must meet all ForwardHealth coverage requirements, including medical necessity.

Governor Suspends Evictions and Foreclosures During Public Health Emergency

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 20:34:22 GMT

Governor Evers directed the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to temporarily order the suspension of evictions and foreclosures amid the COVID-19 public health emergency. The full order is available online (link).

The order prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for any reason unless failure to proceed with the eviction will result in an imminent threat of serious physical harm to another person and mortgagees from commencing civil action to foreclose on real estate for 60 days. Wisconsinites who are able to continue to meet their financial obligations are urged to do so. This order does not in any way relieve a person's obligation to pay their rent or mortgages.

The full press release is available on the Governor’s website (link).

Wisconsin Drafts 1135 Waiver

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 18:07:08 GMT

Erik Kanter, Hoven Consulting

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has drafted an 1135 waiver to submit to CMS requesting the federal government make allowances for the state to comprehensively address COVID-19. While the contents of the full waiver can be found in the link above, Tim and I wanted to share the following highlights:

· 13.1 42 C.F.R. § 484.55(a). Allow home health agencies to perform certifications, initial assessments and determine patients’ homebound status remotely or by record review.

· 2.2 Waive pre-enrollment criminal background checks for Medicare-enrolled providers to temporarily enroll a provider for ninety (90) days or until the termination of the novel COVID-19 declaration of emergency, whichever is longer. (42 C.F.R. § 455.434); Following this temporary enrollment, DHS will complete the complete enrollment process, including conducting a criminal background check, within 90 days of this temporary enrollment.

· 2.3 Waive site visits to temporarily enroll a provider for ninety (90) days or until the termination of the novel COVID-19 declaration of emergency, whichever is longer. (42 C.F.R. § 455.432).

· 2.5 Waive the requirement that physicians and other health care professionals be licensed in the state in which they are providing services, so long as they have equivalent licensing in another state or are enrolled with Medicare (42 C.F.R.§ 455.412).

· 2.6 Allow providers to receive payments for services provided to affected beneficiaries in alternative physical settings, such as mobile testing sites, temporary shelters or other care facilities, including but not limited to, commandeered hotels, other places of temporary residence, and other facilities that are suitable for use as places of temporary residence or medical facilities as necessary for quarantining, isolating or treating individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or who have had a high-risk exposure and are thought to be in the incubation period or to expand overall capacity to meet high demand.

· 4.1 Suspend cost sharing for all Wisconsin Medicaid participants for the duration of the declared emergency.

· 4.2 Broadly waive any face-to-face requirements.

· 6.5 Waiver CMS Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM) and Quality Control (QC) requirements to allow some flexibility regarding errors during the duration of the declared emergency.

· 6.6 Allow flexibility for the submission of electronic signatures on behalf of a member by application assistors if a signature cannot be captured in person. This would be in the case of individuals who are non-merit staff assisting individuals through the application process over the phone (who normally would be doing this assistance in-person).

· 8.8 Allow the State to waive requirements prohibiting the provision of home and community-based services to affected beneficiaries who are being served in an inpatient setting in order to enable direct care workers or other home and community-based providers to accompany individuals to any setting necessary (42 C.F.R. § 441(b)(1)(ii)).

· 8.13 Allow the State to restrict freedom of choice of provider (§ 1902(a)(23)(A)).

· 10.2.1.1 Approve the use of technology and physical barriers that limit exposure and potential spread of the virus, such as use of video and audio resources for limiting direct contact between physicians and other providers in the same clinical facility.

· 10.2.1.2 Permit treatment to occur in patient vehicles, assuming patient safety and comfort. Many facilities are standing up drive through specimen collection sites, we’d like to request basic evaluation and treatment be allowed in patient vehicles in order to prevent potential spread of the virus to the facility.

· 10.2.6 Medical Staff. 42 C.F.R. § 482.22(a); A-0341 So that physicians whose privileges will expire and new physicians can practice before full medical staff/governing body review and approval. This will keep clinicians on the front line and allow hospitals and health systems to prioritize patient care needs during the emergency.

· 10.3 Physician referral. Waive sanctions under section 1877(g) of the Social Security Act (relating to limitations on physician referral). This will allow hospitals to compensate physicians for unexpected or burdensome work demands (e.g., hazard pay), encourage multi-state systems to recruit additional practitioners from out-of- state, and eliminate a barrier to efficient placement of patients in care settings.

DHS has submitted the waiver to the legislature's Joint Committee on Finance for its approval, which is the normal process for submitting an 1135 waiver. We're trying to gain some information on the legislature's timeline. It is our understanding that due to certain requirements in statute, it may take a bill to actually allow DHS to submit the waiver, rather than just approval by the Joint Committee on Finance. We're doing our best to understand the full scope of the situation and will provide updates when we know more.

Any questions or follow-up on this or any other COVID-19 issues can be sent to wiahc@badgerbay.co.

Gov. Evers Launches Wisconsin's COVID-19 PPE Program

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:51:02 GMT

Governor Tony Evers, March 26, 2020

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today launched an initiative designed to get more personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gowns, gloves and masks, to those working on the frontlines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is absolutely imperative that our healthcare workers and first responders have the equipment they need to stay safe and healthy as they care for our communities. As we face a global shortage of PPE, and are competing with other states to acquire limited resources, I am calling on companies, schools, and other organizations that may have unused protective equipment sitting in their facilities to make those materials available to those who need it most,” Gov. Evers said. “The state appreciates any donations, but we are also prepared to pay a fair market value for large quantities of this equipment that are offered.”

Wisconsinites can now go to https://covid19supplies.wi.gov/Donations to either donate or sell large quantities of PPE to the State of Wisconsin. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) will then work with distribute the PPE to communities that need it the most.

First responders and other non-medical organizations should communicate their PPE needs to their county or tribal emergency management office, which will then forward those requests to the SEOC for fulfillment. Medical facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and clinics, should continue using the established process for requesting supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).

“We are amazed at the outpouring of offers from businesses and other organizations who have already told us they want to help fill the critical need for this equipment across the state,” said Dr. Darrell L. Williams, Wisconsin Emergency Management administrator. “Our staff has already been working to review those offers of support, and our hope is this site will help to streamline that process going forward.”

“Wisconsin, like many other states, has a shortage of personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm. “We are doing everything we can to get more protective equipment so our health care workers, first responders on the frontlines can protect themselves from COVID-19, and in turn, help keep all Wisconsinites safer.”

The state is currently seeking the following items:
• Surgical Gowns (S, L, XL, and XXL)
• Face/Surgical Masks (adult, pediatric)
• Gloves (Nitrile, Vinyl, or Butyl)
• N-95 Particulate Respirators
• Isolation Gowns
• Face Shields
• Tyvek Coveralls
• Thermometers
• Foot Coverings

If organizations or businesses have quantities of fewer than 50 of any of these items, they are encouraged to donate them to local health organizations instead of going through the buyback website.

The SEOC and Department of Health Services continue working to supply medical facilities with supplies requested from the SNS. So far, the state has received about 104,680 N95 respirators, 260,840 face/surgical masks, 48,168 face shields, 40,512 surgical gowns, 192 coveralls, and 70,375 pairs of gloves from the SNS. The state has also requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with purchasing supplies for use by first responders.

Wisconsin Safer at Home Order

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 15:48:58 GMT

Today Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers issued a shelter in place order to be in effect from Wednesday, March 25 at 8:00am until Friday, April 24 at 8:00am. This means all non-essential in-person services will stop and Wisconsinites are discouraged from leaving their homes except for essential activities and to conduct work at essential business and operations as defined below. Note: The following is a summary. For exact language, please refer to the linked order.

Essential Activities

Individuals may leave homes or residences to perform any of the following:

· Health and safety.

· Obtain Necessary supplies and services.

· Outdoor activity.

· Certain types of work at essential business and operations.

· Take care of others.

Essential Business and Operations

Individuals may leave their homes or residences to work at the following:

· Healthcare and Public Health Operations - Includes, but is not limited to: home health agencies and providers; hospitals; medical facilities; clinics; ambulatory surgery centers for response to urgent health issues or related COVID-19 activities;manufacturers, technicians, logistics, and warehouse operators and distributors of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE),medical gases, pharmaceuticals, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel products; dental offices; pharmacies; public health entities, pharmaceutical, pharmacy, medical device and equipment, and biotechnology companies; healthcare information technology companies; organizations collecting blood, platelets, plasma, and other necessary materials; obstetricians, gynecologists, and midwife practices; eye care centers, including those that sell glasses and contact lenses; mental health and substance abuse providers; detoxification and alcohol or drug treatment programs and facilities; syringe access programs, and naloxone distribution programs; other healthcare facilities and suppliers and providers of any related or any ancillary health care services; entities that transport and dispose of medical materials and remains; personal care agencies; hospices; allied health providers;acupuncturists; massage therapists; chiropractors; and adult family homes.

· Essential Governmental Operations.

· Human Service Operations

· Essential Infrastructure

· Many others to be found in the order language

All previous emergency executive orders also remain in effect. Those can be found here.

We will continue to provide updates.

NAHC President Bill Dombi on the COVID-19 Impact on Home Health

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 21:30:00 GMT

NAHC, March 23, 2020

Listen to NAHC President William A. Dombi discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the Disrupt podcast from Home Health Care News. Bill talks about what home health care workers need right now (PPE!) and what NAHC is doing to make sure our people are safe and quality care in the home remains at the center of the effort to slow and stop the spread of the coronavirus.

:: Listen now!

WiAHC Request - Safer at Home Order

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:56:33 GMT

March 23, 2020

The Honorable Tony Evers

Governor, State of Wisconsin

115 East, State Capitol

Madison, WI 53702

Secretary-Designee Andrea Palm
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson St, Room 650
Madison, WI 53703

Dear Governor Evers and Secretary-designee Palm,

First, thank you for the measures you have taken so far to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Your actions have pragmatically addressed this growing problem in the best interest of Wisconsin.

As you prepare to issue tomorrow's Safer at Home order, the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care, Inc. (WiAHC) urges you to allow home health care agencies to continue to provide our essential, life-sustaining services throughout the public health emergency. Home health care agencies and the RNs and LPNs who deliver home health care services must be considered essential services under the order. The home health patients who rely on our services simply cannot afford to be without care during this time and our skilled nursing staff needs to continue to provide that needed care.

While we request home health care services be considered essential services, we also request you allow for following two changes to DHS 133 administrative code that will allow our skilled nursing staff to conduct certain home health visits telephonically:

· DHS 133.18 Supervisory visits.

o Current rule language: (1) If a patient receives skilled nursing care, a registered nurse shall make a supervisory visit to each patient's residence at least every 2 weeks. The visit may be made when the home health aide is present or when the home health aide is absent. If the patient is not receiving skilled nursing care, but is receiving another skilled service, the supervisory visit may be provided by the appropriate therapist providing a skilled service.

o Current rule language: (2) If home health aide services are provided to a patient who is not receiving skilled nursing care, or physical, occupational or speech-language therapy, the registered nurse shall make a supervisory visit to the patient's residence, when the home health aide is present or when the home health aide is absent, at least every 60 days to observe or assist, to assess relationships, and to determine whether goals are being met and whether home health services continue to be required.

o Our request is to allow for a grace period of an additional 14 days to conduct supervisory visits for both the 14-day requirement under sub. sec. 1 and the 60-day requirement under sub. sec. 2 while the state is under a public health emergency. Additionally, we request DHS allow agencies to conduct supervisory visits via telephone or videoconferencing while the state is under a public health emergency.

· DHS 133.20 Plan of care.

o Current rule language: (3) Review of plan. The total plan of care shall be reviewed by the attending physician, advanced practice nurse prescriber, or physician assistant, and appropriate agency personnel as often as required by the patient's condition, but no less often than every 60 days. The agency shall promptly notify the physician, the advanced practice nurse prescriber, or the physician assistant of any changes in the patient's condition that suggest a need to modify the plan of care.

o We request DHS allow home health care agencies to conduct any necessary visits from RNs associated with the 60-day review process to be done via telephone or videoconferencing while the state is under a public health emergency.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. If you have any questions, please contact Tim Hoven ( tim@hovenconsulting.com) and me (erik@hovenconsulting.com).

Thank you,

Erik Kanter
Hoven Consulting, Inc.

COVID-19 Update: Governor Announces Stay at Home Order

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:51:01 GMT

Governor Evers announced today that he be issuing a “Safer at Home” order effective Tuesday, March 24. Organizations and individuals providing essential care and services will be allowed to continue travelling to and from work. This includes healthcare professionals, grocers and family caregivers. The full details of the order to be announced by the Governor’s office. Everyone else is asked to not take any unnecessary trips, and to limit travel to essential needs such as getting medications and groceries.

This order is based on the advice and counsel of public health experts, healthcare providers and first responders on the front line of our state’s response to the pandemic. These unprecedented measures are necessary to reduce rate of spread in COVID-19 cases. We must do everything we can to keep our healthcare systems from becoming overwhelmed, and protect both the public and essential healthcare workers who are taking care of the critically ill.

CMS COVID-19 Call Covers Waivers, Q&A

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:30:02 GMT

NACH, March 20, 2020

On Friday, March 20, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held a call with home health organizations to discuss recent developments related to the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Even though the call was specific to home health agencies there hospice questions addressed, as well.

CMS indicated it plans to hold similar calls weekly, but these have not yet been scheduled. Stay tuned to NAHC Report for additional information.

This was a short 30-minute call in which CMS briefly summarized recent activity related to the 1135 waivers and home health providers and then responded to questions from callers. The questions and answers are below. “We” in the answers is CMS.

Q: Do our agencies need to submit 1135 waiver requests or is a request submitted by a department of health or association on our behalf sufficient?

A: If your concerns are listed on the waiver requests it is fine. No need to send another. When we look at specific provider requests, we do look at whether it would be good to have it applicable to all.

Q: Does the 1135 waiver that allows telehealth for F2F visits include both home health and hospice, and if included will there be a code added for COVID19 to allow for billing?

A: Telehealth for the F2F encounter for home health is allowed under the existing waiver. We are looking to update this on our website and FAQ pages and should see this later today. We are continuing to look at what additional flexibilities that we have in regard to hospice, but we are not able at this time to make additional waivers in regard to the 1135 process. We are looking closely and very seriously to these concerns . Also, by regulation, the cost of remote patient monitoring, if used to augment the patient care process, is allowed on the home health cost report.

Telehealth cannot be used to substitute for an in person visit – statute prohibits this, but we are still looking closely to see what flexibilities we have.

Q: I think I can infer from your last statement that hospice is not part of the 1135 waiver and I am puzzled by this because it is inconsistent with social distancing guidance and I am curious if soon we can anticipate a waiver covering these F2F visits for certification, and if it does occur will it be retroactive?

A: The statute under which we operate is very different between home health and hospice. It relates to section 1834(m) which does not include hospice telehealth. The 1135 waiver specifically references our ability to provide telehealth waivers specific to 1834(m). We are thinking as creatively as we can as to whether we have additional flexibility under this authority or other types of authorities.

Q: So in order for our medical directors to feel like we are providing care responsibly we feel it is mandatory that we forgo F2F visits to protect the health of our patients and our staff when we already have a staff person on site who can give the information to the physician for a hospice certification decision.

A: This is along the lines of our thinking and we continue to look at this scenario.

Q: Do you think hospices will be penalized for trying to protect the safety of their staff and their patients?

A: We certainly understand the need for safety and we are making efforts to try to align the payment policies, processes and regulations with this need.

Q: Please reiterate what you are saying about telehealth for F2F for home health and home health homebound status – will it be extended to cover COVID-19?

A: Homebound – in regard to individuals contraindicated to leave their home in this COVID emergency, we are looking to see what additional flexibilities we might be able to grant. With regard to the F2F visit, it can be performed by teleahtlh in accordance with the 1135 waiver. With regard to aspects of other telehealth visits – telehealth cannot be substituted for other in-person visits.

Q: Providers are increasingly low on masks and other supplies. Will you change regulations as they get increasingly lower?

A: We understand the concern across all settings about this shortage and we are working with the CDC to look at guidelines and see how they can be modified. We do encourage you to look at state and local systems as they have the ability to manage the stockpile.

Additional questions can be submitted to 1135waiver@cms.hhs.gov.

Posted in NAHC ReportTagged 1135 waiver, CMS, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Face-to-Face, waivers

President Signs Coronavirus Response Act with Emergency Paid Sick Leave

Governor Evers Vetoes Republican Tax Cut Bill

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 16:51:37 GMT

On February 26, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed Senate Bill 821, which passed both the State Senate and State Assembly on February 20. Just two Democratic lawmakers, Rep. Steve Doyle of Onalaska and Nick Milroy of South Range, voted for the bill. Every Republican lawmaker supported the legislation.

The bill aimed to cut taxes by $250 million, which, according to estimates, would have reduced the average tax bill by over $100. The cut would have been funded by the positive revenue numbers reported earlier this year.

On February 26, Governor Tony Evers vetoed the legislation on February 26 citing concerns that the tax cuts were made at the expense of further investment in public schools.

In his veto message, Evers stated, “…[T]his bill fails to acknowledge or address the continued, inordinate burden that has been placed on our public schools, local governments, and Wisconsin families. Since 2011, nearly one million Wisconsinites have voted to raise their own taxes to support local schools. In 2018 alone, voters approved more than $2 billion in debt and revenue increases for local schools. This is not sustainable.”

The statement went on to say, “We do not have to choose between funding for our kids and our schools and providing property tax relief—we can and should do both.” The move was expected and consistent with Evers’ prioritization of education funding.

The Governor’s veto was met with criticism from Republican legislative leaders. “It seems that Governor Evers is obsessed with growing government more than addressing the needs of the middle class. This was a missed opportunity to do the right thing,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald also expressed discontent, saying, “While I’m disappointed in the governor’s actions, I’m not surprised – this is the second income tax cut he’s vetoed as governor.”

The State Assembly planned to make its February 20 floor date its last of the 2019-2020 session. As of this writing, there has been no indication that will change. The State Senate is planning on holding its last floor session in March. It’s unclear if the State Senate will attempt to override the veto. A successful override would be extremely difficult. It would take 22 votes to successfully override a veto. The Republicans currently have 19 seats. It’s doubtful they could pick up three Democratic votes.

Legislators Announce They Will Not Seek Reelection

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 16:31:08 GMT

Since the start of the year, a number of legislators have stated they will not be seeking reelection to their current positions. As of this writing, twelve legislators have announced they will not seek reelection. Six of those are retiring. The other six are running for higher office.

The six retiring are as follows:

Sen. Dave Hansen (D – Green Bay): 30th Senate District
Sen. Mark Miller (D – Monona): 16th Senate District
Sen. Luther Olsen (R – Ripon): 14th Senate District
Rep. Deb Kolste (D – Janesville): 44th Assembly District
Rep. Bob Kulp (R – Stratford): 69th Assembly District
Rep. Mike Rohrkaste (R – Neenah): 55th Assembly District

The six seeking higher office are as follows:

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R – Juneau): Running for Congress in the WI 5th Congressional District.
Sen. Tom Tiffany (R – Minocqua): Running for Congress in the WI 7th Congressional District.
Rep. Joan Ballweg (R – Markesan): Running for State Senate in 14th Senate District
Rep. Melissa Sargent (D – Madison): Running for State Senate in 16th Senate District
Rep. Rob Stafsholt (R – New Richmond): Running for State Senate in 10th Senate District
Rep. Amanda Stuck (D – Appleton): Running for Congress in WI 8th Congressional District

These twelve announcements signal significant turnover in the next legislative session. More announcements are likely to come before legislators begin filing for candidacy in April.

Putting Home Care First with the Power of One

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 16:52:29 GMT

Putting Home Care First with the Power of One

Sign Up!

2020 is still in its infancy, but this year will be historic for policy advocacy here in our nation's capital and around the country.

Big issues on the table concerning everything from immigration to health care and home health care and hospice services are an integral part of that debate. More and more Americans are choosing to receive care and services in the comfort of their own homes and to age in place. The home health care and hospice communities are struggling to meet the ever growing demand amidst nursing and caregiver shortages. For those of us in the Home Care and Hospice Party, our attention will be focused like a laser on solutions to the problems faced by the millions of Americans who provide and depend on quality health care in the home.

Here at the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), advocacy never sleeps AND never has it been more important for individuals to exercise their constitutional right to participate in the democratic process through advocacy; especially when it concerns the ability to receive quality health care and hospice services in the home.

We need you to join us in our advocacy effort to put
"Home Care First" with the
Power of One!

Forward this email today to ONE friend, or colleague, and ask them to sign up as an advocate by clicking:
HERE

If every person gets ONE other person to sign up, we will be more than 100K strong in just a week's time.

2020 is new and full of possibilities and you can play an integral role helping us to build our army, strengthen our voice and the heartbeat of the industry.

COS-C Certification Questionnaire

Sun, 05 Jan 2020 16:55:52 GMT

Is your agency interested in COS-C Certification for your staff? WiAHC is exploring this potential interest for our members. Please share your feedback by January 31.

Take the Questionnaire Here

This potential workshop is designed to

· Support the educational needs of home health clinicians in achieving comprehension and accuracy in OASIS data collection using guidelines established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

· Provide a preparatory review for candidates for the COS-C (Certificate for OASIS Specialist-Clinical) examination. Please note that if you plan to take the COS-C Exam, it requires an additional fee.

· Supply the knowledge and tools necessary to boost clinical confidence while building a foundation of data collection precision.

· Provide relevant nursing Continuing Education credit required for license renewal

New Marquette University Law School Poll Numbers

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 16:12:25 GMT

Marquette University Law School released a new poll yesterday. The new numbers illustrate trends in Wisconsin voters’ opinions on the impeachment proceedings, thoughts on the Democratic presidential primary candidates, and approval of state elected officials.

The impeachment of President Donald Trump continues to be unpopular among Wisconsin voters. Fifty-two percent of respondents said the president should not be impeached. This is consistent with the November 20 Marquette University Law School Poll numbers. Despite weeks of impeachment proceedings, it seems Washington Democrats have not been able to move the needle on public opinion. Once again, however, fifty-two percent of respondents also said they do believe Trump asked Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rivals, and forty-four percent believe he did something “seriously wrong” while only thirty-seven percent believe he did “nothing wrong.”

The poll does indicate some positive trends for Democratic primary candidates. In November, Trump lead the top four potential Democratic contenders in the 2020 election by three points or more. Yesterday’s poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden leads Trump by one point, and Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg trail Trump by two points or less.

The Democratic field also seems to be tightening in Wisconsin. In November, Biden lead Sanders by thirteen points, Warren by fifteen, and Buttigieg by seventeen points in the race for the Democratic nomination. Yesterday’s poll shows Biden now leads Sanders by four points, Warren by seven points, and Buttigieg by eight points.

The new poll numbers also indicate Governor Tony Evers’ job approval rating is back at the fifty percent mark after dipping below that number last month for the first time.

Other data includes:

President Donald Trump Approval Rating:

· Approve: 47%

· Disapprove: 50%

Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin Favorability Rating:

· Favorable: 42%

· Unfavorable: 39%

Republican Senator Ron Johnson Favorability Rating:

· Favorable: 36%

· Unfavorable: 34%

The economy has:

· Gotten Better: 44%

· Gotten Worse: 21%

· Stayed the Same: 37%

In 2020, the economy will:

· Improve: 32%

· Worsen: 25%

· Stay the same: 37%

The poll, conducted among 80 registered Wisconsin voters, has a margin of error of +/- 4.2 percentage points.

Sneak Peak at 2020 WiAHC Education

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:14:36 GMT

The WiAHC education committee is busy making plans for 2020. Webinar topics that are being considered include telehealth, PDGM, medication diversion and various hospice topics. Conference topics may include PDGM, Medicare Advantage changes, care planning, profitability, back office structure, business intelligence, revenue cycle management and motivating employees.

Save the dates!

WiAHC Spring Conference, June 4-5, 2020, Wilderness Resort, Wisconsin Dells

WiAHC Fall Conference, November 5-6, 2020, Holiday Inn, Stevens Point

Evers Signs Telehealth Legislation

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:17:57 GMT

Earlier this month, the State Senate and Assembly passed legislation to allow Medicaid providers to seek reimbursement for services provided via telehealth. Telehealth, sometimes called telemedicine, is a healthcare delivery model in which technology is utilized for healthcare providers to remotely speak to, treat, and monitor patients.

The legislation passed both houses of the legislature earlier this month on unanimous voice votes. The bill was heavily bipartisan from its inception.

WiAHC actively lobbied in support of the legislation. The bill innovatively assists in addressing nursing workforce issues. Utilizing telehealth could increase access and utilization of home health care, which means agencies could take on more patients. Additionally, due to the ability to deliver services remotely, nurses could see more patients daily without the burden of drive-time.

On November 25, Governor Tony Evers signed the legislation into law at a bill signing ceremony in Richland Center. While the bill was signed into law, it will not go into effect until the Department of Health Services is able to begin making such reimbursements. The legislation provides DHS with a year to implement the reimbursements. However, DHS can begin payments as soon as it is logistically able to. Please stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, the legislative language can be found here.

New Marquette University Law School Poll Numbers

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:16:52 GMT

On November 20, Marquette University Law School released its newest poll numbers forecasting the 2020 elections and gauging the state’s attitudes on a variety of issues and public figures.

The most significant numbers provide a glimpse into Wisconsin voters’ opinions on the impeachment proceedings. The new poll numbers found 40 percent of respondents favor impeachment of President Donald Trump while 53 percent do not. However, 52 percent of respondents said they do believe Trump asked Ukraine to investigate Trump’s political rivals.

Additionally, the poll indicates 42 percent of respondents say Trump did “something seriously wrong” while 38 percent say he “did nothing wrong.”

While the numbers indicate a majority of respondents believe Trump asked Ukraine to investigate political rivals and a plurality believe he did “something seriously wrong”, a majority of respondents still do not support impeachment.

In other presidential data, Trump now leads the top four potential Democratic contenders in the 2020 election. Previously polls showed him trailing former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. However, Trump now leads Biden by 3 points, Sanders by 3 points, and Warren by 5 points.

According to the poll, 28 percent of respondents indicated they usually think of themselves as Republicans, 28 percent said they think of themselves as Democrats, and 38 percent said they consider themselves Independent. Given the breakdown, this week’s poll numbers could indicate Trump seems to be polling better amongst self-described independents.

While Trump’s numbers are rising, Biden still remains the first choice for many Democratic Primary voters in Wisconsin. He leads Sanders by 13 points and Warren by 15 in the race for the Democratic nomination.

The new poll numbers also indicate Governor Tony Evers’ approval rating has dipped below 50 percent for the first time. The November data shows 47 percent of poll respondents approve of Evers’ job performance.

Other data includes:

The economy, over the last year, has:

· Improved: 42 percent

· Worsened: 18 percent

· Stayed the Same: 37 percent

In 2020, the economy will:

· Improve: 35 percent

· Worsen: 24 percent

· Stay the same: 37 percent

Chronic wasting diseases is a threat to the future of deer hunting:

· Deer Hunters Responding: Agree – 65%, Disagree – 31%

· Non-Deer Hunters Responding: Agree – 62%, Disagree – 18%

The poll, conducted among 801 registered Wisconsin voters, has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points.

Evers Vetoes CNA Training Bill

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 16:22:32 GMT

Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bipartisan plan Wednesday that would have reduced the number of required training hours to become a certified nursing assistant in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin requires 120 hours of training to become a CNA, including 32 hours of clinical training. The bill would have reduced that to the federally required minimum of 75 hours of training, including 16 hours of clinical experience.

Evers said he objected to providing less training for those caring for the state's most vulnerable.

“Research has shown that higher training standards result in better outcomes for patients, lower staff turnover and higher job satisfaction," Evers said in his veto message. "There are better ways to address the shortage of nurse aides than reducing the quality of training programs.”

Evers noted that he directed the Governor’s Task Force on Caregivers to develop strategies to attract and retain a strong direct care workforce.

Bill author Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, said he doesn't believe that reducing training hours to the federal minimum would diminish quality.

"The governor disagrees with that, so we move on," he said in an interview Thursday. "That's the way it is."

He said he believes the nursing homes that told him the federally required minimum would be sufficient and help recruit more young people into the field.

"Having been in numerous homes, I believe the people around those facilities have credibility and they have passion and they're not trying to skirt anything," Cowles said. "They care about elderly, frail people."

Cowles also said that a bigger issue in addressing the workforce shortage is pay, noting that Republican lawmakers pushed for higher Medicaid rate increases that were included in the current budget.

"Hopefully that's enough to stem the loss and generate more people in the field," Cowles said.

A coalition of long-term care providers said in a statement that the state is facing a critical caregiver workforce shortage.

"This policy would have helped facilities have the staff to maintain and advance care quality," they said in a statement.

Mindy Meehean, director of nursing at Wausau Manor, said the bill would have made the CNA profession "more financially available for potential applicants."

"The current CNA hourly training requirement creates a financial obstacle that leads many interested candidates to look for jobs elsewhere," Meehean said in a statement. "It is disappointing that this bill was vetoed, as it was a needed change to help providers maintain quality care for our residents."

LeadingAge Wisconsin CEO John Sauer said having a higher required amount of training "stings a bit" for nursing homes along the Minnesota, Iowa and Michigan borders. Those states are at the federal minimum, making recruitment efforts more difficult for Wisconsin facilities, he said.

"We're facing unprecedented times in competing for workforce," Sauer said. "What we were hoping is that if we went to the national standard for training, that we might be able to attract and compete with other non-healthcare employers."

The bill faced opposition from advocates for seniors and those with disabilities, who warned it could hurt the quality of care.

"We think that a reduction in hours leads to a reduction in quality of care," said Helen Marks Dicks, state issues advocacy director for AARP Wisconsin. "This is not a solution to the problem of the workforce crisis."

She said that the Governor's Task Force on Caregiving is charged with addressing the workforce crisis and will probably discuss training.

Disability Rights Wisconsin warned the bill could have led to “unintended long-term consequences" that would diminish quality care.

The task force may recommend a reduction in training requirements, but at that point “it will be part of a carefully considered comprehensive plan to address the larger issue," the statement noted.

While the task force could take up the training requirements, pay is the number one thing, Cowles said.

"I think this whole field is going to be going through a lot of trauma in the years ahead," Cowles said. "There's going to be more closures, there's going to be more pain and more difficulty for families trying to figure out where grandma and grandpa are going to go. And that's something we have to pay attention to."

Sauer said the task force should consider innovative ways to address the caregiver shortage, including allowing people with prior experience as a caregiver count some of their hours served toward the required training.

"We need a lot of innovation," he said. "This is going to be a multi-faceted solution."

Marquette University Law School Releases New Poll Results

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:28:46 GMT

On Wednesday, October 23, Marquette University Law School released its most recent poll results. The poll, which was conducted between October 13 and October 17 among 799 Wisconsin voters, sought public opinion on a range of state and federal topics. The poll indicated good news for Democratic Governor Tony Evers and less optimistic results for Republican President Donald Trump.

Evers’ job approval remains at relatively high at 52% with 34% disapproval. This number is down slightly from August, which indicated a 54% job approval rating. However, the new number is within the margin of error. Additionally, 53% of respondents said the state is headed in the right direction.

Meanwhile, public support in Wisconsin for impeaching Trump continues to rise. In April, 29% of respondents said there was enough cause to impeach. Wednesday’s poll indicates 46% now believe there is enough cause. The number is certainly trending in a direction unfavorable to the President.

Additionally, the poll found Trump loses in head-to-head matchups with Democratic primary candidates former Vice President Joe Biden (Biden 50% - Trump 44%), Senator Bernie Sanders (Sanders 48% - Trump 46%), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (Warren 47% - Trump 46%).

However, Trump’s job approval ratings has held relatively stagnant at 46% approval and 51% disapprove.

Other poll findings include:

Q: Do you support or oppose having a national health plan, sometimes called Medicare-for-all, in which all Americans would get their insurance from a single government plan?

· Support: 51%

· Oppose: 42%

Q: In 2018, Wisconsin lost nearly 700 dairy farms. Do you think the federal government should financially support small farms that are struggling to stay in business, or is this not the job of the federal government?

· Support small farms: 63%

· Not the job of the federal government: 30%

Q: Would you support or oppose a mandatory buy back program in which the federal government would require assault weapon owners to turn in those weapons in exchange for payment?

· Support: 42%

· Oppose: 54%

Senate and Assembly Back in Session

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:27:49 GMT

Earlier this month, both the State Senate and State Assembly were on the floor voting on a wide range of legislation. The activity marked the first floor days after the summer break. In total, the two houses took up over eighty bills and resolutions.

Both houses worked diligently throughout August and September in the committee process to prepare much of the legislation voted on this week.

The State Senate was in session on Tuesday, October 8. Debate was generally uneventful with much of the legislation passing on bipartisan voice votes or unanimously. Among the highlights was a bill from Republican Senator Patrick Testin regarding industrial farming of hemp. Specifically, the bill, Senate Bill 188, aims to take the state’s current hemp cultivation pilot program to a permanent program. The bill’s authors cited the 2019 numbers that show over 1,400 growers and 700 hemp processors applied for permits from the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. The bill passed 30-2 with Republicans Steve Nass and Duey Stroebel voting in opposition.

The Senate also took up a piece of legislation known as the Lemonade Stand Bill, which seeks to legalize minors being able to sell certain non-hazardous foods. The legislation was introduced following some stories in Wisconsin and other states about children being cited by local law enforcement for operating food stands without permits. The bill, Senate Bill 170, passed on a unanimous voice vote.

The State Assembly convened on Thursday, October 10. Like much of the Senate calendar, many bills passed on simple bipartisan voice votes. However, the calendar included a somewhat controversial resolution that sought to change Assembly rules. The controversy stemmed from events last year in which Representative Jimmy Anderson (D – Fitchburg) sought changes to Assembly rules which would allow him to call into committee meetings. Anderson, a paraplegic, sought the rule change in order to participate in committee meetings while also tending issues related to his disability.

Assembly Republican port forth the bill, Assembly Resolution 12, to change the rules to allow an accommodation for Anderson. However, the resolution also included other substantive rule changes which Assembly Democrats called a “power grab.” For instance, the resolution included a provision which would allow the Assembly unlimited veto override attempts.

In comments to the media, Anderson said, “We’re on the cusp of providing these accommodations and what does [Speaker Robin Vos] do? A political stunt that’s going to force me to vote against my own accommodations, I think that’s ridiculous.”

Following hours of debate on the resolution and an impassioned speech by Anderson, Assembly Republican leadership introduced an amendment to remove most the language not regarding accommodations for Anderson. Anderson said in another floor speech he would extend an “olive branch” and vote in favor of the amendment. The amendment was adopted and the resolution passed.

The Senate and Assembly will meet again in November.

Two Home Health Bills Making Way Through State Legislature

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:23:52 GMT

This month, two bills aimed at helping home health agencies saw significant process in the legislative process. Senate Bill 416, which raises skilled nursing home health rates by 10%, received a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health. Senate Bill 380 its companion bill Assembly Bill 410 both passed their respective committees this month. WiAHC actively engaged in lobbying and advocating for both initiatives.

On Wednesday, October 23, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony on Senate Bill 416, which seeks to raise Medicaid reimbursement for home health skilled nursing visits by 10%. Medicaid rates for home health care have not been raised in over a decade, which has ultimately led to a workforce shortage crisis. Proponents argue the rates must be raised to attract more nurses to work in home health care. Additional workforce will be vital as home health utilization rates continue to increase.

WiAHC members Lisa Kirker and Colleen Shade testified before the committee in support of the bill. Kirker and Shade provided integral testimony on the financial strain placed on Wisconsin’s home health agencies due, in part, to insufficient Medicaid rates. They explained the intricacies of how Wisconsin’s rates are contributing to a nursing workforce shortage for agencies.

Committee members greatly appreciated their testimony and asked inciteful questions to gain additional information and clarification. By the end of their testimony, it was clear committee members understood the workforce shortage is real and the Medicaid rates are antiquated. WiAHC leaders are hopeful it will receive a vote in the coming weeks.

The Senate Committee on Health also unanimously passed Senate Bill 380, authored by Senator Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) and Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton), allows any Medicaid provider to seek and receive reimbursement for services provided via telehealth technology. The Assembly Committee on Medicaid Reform and Oversight passed the Assembly version, Assembly Bill 410, on October 30. WiAHC’s lobbyist advocated for the bills before the committee members throughout October.

The next step for Senate Bill 380 and Assembly Bill 410 would be to receive votes in their respective houses. WiAHC’s lobbying team is working with legislative leaders to try to schedule those bills.

Wisconsin Home Health Industry Testifies on Medicaid Rates

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 15:44:03 GMT

On Wednesday, October 23, the State Senate Committee on Health and Human Services held a public hearing on Senate Bill 416, which seeks to increase Medicaid rates for home health care services by 10%. Members of the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) provided crucial testimony on the need for high Medicaid rates to address the home health care workforce shortage.

WiAHC members Lisa Kirker and Colleen Shade testified before the committee. Both Kirker and Shade are home health care agency administrators with backgrounds in nursing. Their crucial testimony illustrated the workforce crisis Wisconsin’s home health care agencies face.

In Wisconsin, Registered Nurses (RNs) are disproportionately represented in nearly all other areas within the healthcare industry. RNs working in home health settings make up just 6% of the total nursing workforce in the state, according to the Wisconsin Center for Nursing. Nationally, RNs working in home health settings make up nearly 13% of the total nursing workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This is caused, in part, by outdated Medicaid reimbursement rates. Home health agencies have not received a Medicaid reimbursement increase for skilled nursing visits in ten years. When home health agencies do not receive adequate reimbursement, they cannot provide staff with competitive reimbursement. “It is hard to recruit a nurse and be comparable in wages to a hospital,” Kirker told legislators. “When we don’t have staff, we can’t take new patients.”

Home health agencies need Medicaid rates to keep up with healthcare costs in order to staff agencies and provide low-cost, high-quality healthcare to patients in need. The demand for home health services is only going to increase.

“We know in 2025, 1.3 million people will be in need of homecare services,” Shade said. “Without an increase, [providing access to services] will continue to be a challenge.”

Kirker and Shade were grateful for the opportunity to testify and WiAHC hopes the bill will continue through the legislative process.

The Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care is a membership-based association that represents home health care agencies and their staff across the state. Wisconsin’s home care agencies provide care to Wisconsin residents throughout the year, and the more than 14,000 garners more than $386 million in wages. WiAHC members are committed to make sure home health care remains a high-quality, cost-effective health care option in our state.

2020 Call for Nominations Now Open!

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:45:43 GMT

Nominate a yourself or a colleague to serve on the WiAHC Board of Directors today!

WiAHC is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. Board members are elected annually to staggered three-year terms. Board members develop and manage the affairs of the Association and are supported by Committee Chairs and staff. Positions include Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and Regional and At-Large Representatives.

Positions serve a three-year term, starting January 2020. Those elected will also be invited to attend the final Board meeting of 2019.

To be eligible, a nominee's home health agency must be a current member of WiAHC.

How to Nominate

Nominating is easy, quick and simple!

Submit a nomination by completing the call for nominations form on the WiAHC website.

The deadline to submit nominations is October 25, 2019.

Bipartisan Group of Legislators Introduce Medical Marijuana Bill

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 15:48:21 GMT

On September 20, Senator Patrick Testin (R – Stevens Point), Senator Jon Erpenbach (D – West Point), and Representative Chris Taylor (D – Madison) introduced a bipartisan medical marijuana bill.

The legislation would legalize medicinal use of cannabis for specified diseases laid out in the bill. The legislation direct the Department of Health Services to develop a medical cannabis registry. In order for an individual to obtain cannabis, they must have a registry identification card and a recommendation from a physician.

Furthermore, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to develop a licensing system for growers, producers, and sellers in order to ensure quality and safety in medical cannabis products.

If passed, Wisconsin would join in Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan in legalizing medical cannabis. However, passage appears to be a bit of a longshot. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R – Juneau) told the media, “I don’t support this plan and I think it’s going to be a tough sell to a majority of my caucus.”

While there have been attempts in recent legislative sessions to legalize medical cannabis, this effort is somewhat different due to Republican Senator Patrick Testin being a coauthor of the bill. This is the first bipartisan attempt in recent legislative sessions.

Legislation Introduced to Raise MA Rates and Allow for Telehealth

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 15:47:41 GMT

Last month, the legislative update included an article regarding two important pieces of legislation introduced in the State Legislature. The first provides Medicaid reimbursement for services provided via telehealth. The second seeks to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for home health agencies by 10 percent. In September, both bills had some promising movement in the legislative process.

First, the Assembly version telehealth bill, Assembly Bill 410, received a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on Medicaid Reform and Oversight on September 24. WiAHC submitted written testimony to the committee in favor of the bill. In general, the hearing went very well with no testimony in opposition to the bill. The next step is for the committee to vote the bill out of committee. Doing so would allow the bill to receive a vote on the Assembly floor.

The Senate version, Senate Bill 380, was referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

The home health Medicaid reimbursement bill, Assembly Bill 447 and Senate Bill 416, were both referred to standing committees. Assembly Bill 447 was sent to the Assembly Committee on Medicaid Reform and Oversight, of which bill author Rep. Rob Brooks is the vice chairman of the committee. Senate Bill 416 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Upon official introduction, Assembly Bill 447 and Senate 416 had a bipartisan list of forty cosponsors, which, in general terms, shows significant support for the bills.

Both bills are awaiting public hearings and WiAHC’s lobbyists are working with the respective committee chairs to schedule those hearings. The lobbying team will continue to provide updates as they advocate for both bills.

State Senators Announce Congressional Bids

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 15:46:37 GMT

Earlier this month, Congressman James Sensenbrenner announced he is not seeking reelection the the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020. A few weeks prior, Congressman Sean Duffy announced he would be resigning his seat in Congress in September. Both announcements sparked a flurry of speculation about who may run to fill the positions.

Speculation has since solidified into official announcements. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R – Juneau) announced he will run to replace Sensenbrenner in 2020, and State Senator Tom Tiffany (R – Minocqua) is running in the special election to succeed Duffy. While not officially announced, State Senator Chris Kapenga (R – Delafield) is considering jumping in the Republican primary with Fitzgerald.

Sensenbrenner, who twenty terms in the House of Representatives, leaves open the 5^th Congressional district seat. The 5^th is the most conservative district in the state, which means the real race will be in the Republican primary. Should Fitzgerald, Kapenga, or another Republican challenger win the primary, they would be shoo-ins in the general election. There is currently some speculation that former Governor Scott Walker’s son, Matt Walker, may jump in the race.

Duffy’s retirement leaves the 7^th Congressional district open. Duffy, a Republican, won the seat with at least 60% of the vote in the last three elections. Political spectators believe the expect the seat to remain Republican. Governor Tony Evers announced a special election will take place on January 27 with primaries on December 30.