Our Mission

More than 70 Wisconsin Organizations Sign on to Resolution

to Lift the Cap on Community Long-Term Care

On the eve of a critical vote by the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, more than 70 statewide and regional organizations, including North Country Independent Living, have signed on to a resolution asking the Legislature to remove the caps and continue expansion of community-based long-term care in Wisconsin. The list of endorsing organizations is included below. The long-term care caps are up for a vote in the Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday.

The 2011-2013 biennial budget proposes to cap enrollment on all major long-term care programs (including Family Care, IRIS, Partnership), except nursing homes and freeze funding for legacy waivers (COP and CIP) and children’s long-term supports. The average cost of Family Care is $2,800 per month versus the average nursing home cost of $4,000. Costs in other institutional settings range from $16,500 to $40,920 a month. Under the proposed cap, the waiting list is expected to grow significantly and the Department of Health Services has predicted an increase in nursing home admissions.

The resolution by the Wisconsin Council on Long-Term Care states that a cap will result in cost-shifting in the form of increased nursing home admissions, hospitalizations, admissions to psychiatric facilities, admissions to correctional facilities, and Medicaid card costs and that Family Care has proven to be a cost-effective model.

While there are 44,631 adults and children currently enrolled in some community long-term care program, there are also 11,262 waiting, and there will be more by June 2013. Organizations that serve older adults and individuals with disabilities anticipate that the cap will have significant impact statewide – creating waiting lists in counties where people have not had to wait for supports in years. Milwaukee County has not had a waiting list for older adults since 2002, but under a cap, they anticipate the waiting list for seniors will grow rapidly at about 150 people a month. Milwaukee County also projects that 25 individuals a month or 300 a year in that county alone forced into nursing homes.

Over 70 statewide and regional agencies have signed on in support of a May 3, 2011 resolution from the Wisconsin Council on Long-Term Care which urges the Governor, the Department of Health Services, and the Legislature to lift the caps on community long-term care and continue statewide implementation of Family Care, IRIS, PACE and Partnership on its original schedule in the 2011-2013 state budget. The following agencies support the resolution:

AARP Wisconsin

Aging & Disability Professionals Association of Wisconsin

Autism Society of Wisconsin

Board on Aging and Long Term Care

Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin, Inc.

Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups

Disability Rights Wisconsin

Family Voices of Wisconsin

Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources, Inc

Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc.

Mental Health America of Wisconsin

People First Wisconsin

Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans

Wisconsin Association of Area Agencies on Aging

Wisconsin Association of Benefit Specialists

Alzheimer’s Association - Greater Wisconsin Chapter

Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Wisconsin

Arc - Winnebago County Disability Association

ARC of Greater Milwaukee

Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin

Badger Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired

Bell Therapy, Inc.

Carefinders, Inc

Catholic Charities

Community Advocates

Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin

Genesis Behavioral Services, Inc.

Geriatric Support/Pathway Care

Grand Avenue Club, Inc.

GT Independence

IndependenceFirst

Independent Living Resources, Inc.

Interfaith Older Adult Programs

Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation

Jewish Family Services

JFS Housing, Inc.

La Causa, Inc.

Legacy Center, UA - Corporate Guardianship Services

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee

Wisconsin Association of Family & Children’s Agencies

Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities

Wisconsin Branch of the International Dyslexia Association

Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers

Wisconsin Council on Children and Families

Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired

Wisconsin Council of Churches

Wisconsin Counties Association

Wisconsin County Human Services Association

Wisconsin FACETS

Wisconsin Family Care Association

Wisconsin Personal Services Association

Milwaukee County Disability Resource Center Oversight Committee

Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force

Midwest Community Services, Inc.

Milwaukee County Aging and Disability Resource Center Board

Milwaukee County Combined Community Services Board

Milwaukee County Commission on Aging

Milwaukee County Department of Family Care

Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force

NAMI Greater Milwaukee

North Country Independent living

Options for Independent Living

Project Access, Inc.

Society’s Assets

St. Croix Valley Disability Coalition

Stowell Associates SelectStaff Inc.

The Arc of Racine County, Inc.

Transit Express

Transitional Living Services

United Cerebral Palsy of Southeastern Wisconsin

Wisconsin Community Services, Inc.

Wisconsin Latino Action Coalition

Wisconsin Upside Down

Women’s Psychotherapy Centre of WI, LLC

The complete resolution as well as a comprehensive report on the status of community-based long-term care in Wisconsin is located here:

Keeping the Community Promise – Lifting the Cap on Long-Term Care in Wisconsin.

http://www.disabilityrightswi.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Keeping-the-Community-Promise.pdf

For Further Information Contact:

Barbara Beckert; 414-773-4646 Ext 15; Barbara.Beckert@drwi.org