On Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15, WHCA/WiCAL leaders and staff held a series of meetings with legislative leaders and members of the legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee to discuss current challenges of the LTC sector and to share providers’ budget priorities.

Attending meetings on behalf of WHCA/WiCAL were members of our Payment Reform Task Force, including Steve Kuranz, David Mills, and Bob Molitor. Staff included CEO Rick Abrams, VP of Government Relations Jim Stoa, and contract lobbyists Ramie Zelenkova and Dan Romportl.

WHCA/WiCAL providers and staff meet with JFC Co-Chair, Sen. Howard Marklein

Among the meetings, WHCA/WiCAL met with Speaker Robin Vos, Senate Majority Leader Devin Lemahieu, and 10 members of the Joint Finance Committee, including committee co-chairs Sen. Howard Marklein and Rep. Mark Born.

During the meetings, providers expressed gratitude for past state investments in LTC through previous state budgets, but also emphasized that funding increases in the areas of SNF Medicaid and Family Care have not kept pace with increased costs, especially in the areas of labor and supplies/equipment.

WHCA/WiCAL’s state budget requests for both SNF Medicaid and Family Care is available here. [link to pdf document]

WHCA/WiCAL providers and staff meet with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

Included in the budget requests were:

Skilled Nursing Medicaid Reimbursement Request

Nursing home reimbursement is calculated using several cost centers to ensure nursing homes can provide high quality of life, along with high quality of care:

• Support the Direct Care Nursing Cost Center at the median plus 25%. The Governor’s budget funds Direct Care Nursing at this level, which was established in the 2021-23 budget.
• Fund the Support Services Cost Center at the median plus 25%, an increase from the current standard of approximately 82% of the median.
• Include sufficient funding to:
  • • Ensure at least a 10% minimum rate increase for all nursing facilities.
    • Allow DHS to reimburse allowable property costs instead of reimbursable property costs for the purpose of determining a facility’s Support Services payment.
    • Fund Medicaid incentives as add-ons to facilities’ reimbursement rates.
      • • Incentives include: Exceptional Medicaid Utilization, Private Room, Innovative Area, Bariatric Equipment, Behavioral/Cognitive Impairment, Medicaid Access and Small Facility.

Family Care Funding Request

• Support $88 million All Funds ($30 million GPR) for the Direct Care Workforce Fund.
• Support the 5% cost-to-continue Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) rate increase, as previously supported by the Joint Finance Committee, estimated at $227 million All Funds ($81 million GPR) for 2023-25.
• Support $54 million All Funds ($24.8 million GPR) in FY25 to establish a HCBS minimum fee schedule plus related supports.

WHCA/WiCAL also used the meetings as an opportunity to talk about the potential for survey/enforcement reform in Wisconsin.

WHCA/WiCAL will be working with member providers across the state to engage with your local legislators in a number of ways, including:

• Attending legislators’ local listening sessions
• Inviting legislators to your facility for a tour and roundtable discussion on the needs of LTC providers
• Attending one of several scheduled public hearings of the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee (more information below).

Please direct any questions on WHCA/WiCAL’s budget advocacy strategy to VP of Government Relations Jim Stoa or CEO Rick Abrams.

JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES REGIONAL PUBLIC HEARINGS

The legislature’s Joint Finance Committee recently announced it will host four regional public hearings on the state budget:

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)*

Waukesha County Expo Center, Main Arena

1000 Northview Road

Waukesha, WI 53188

Tuesday, April 11, 2023 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)*

UW-Eau Claire, Davies Student Center

Ojibwe Grand Ballroom (Third Floor)

77 Roosevelt Avenue

Eau Claire, WI 54701

Public parking available at:

Human Sciences & Services Parking Lot (F and S parking spaces)

Haas Fine Arts Parking Lot (AMP parking spaces)

201 Water Street

Eau Claire, WI 54703

(Shuttle to Davies Center available)

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)*

Wilderness Resort, Glacier Canyon Conference Center

Sandstone Meeting Room

45 Hillman Road

Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 (10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)*

Lakeland Union High School (Theatre)

9573 State Highway 70

Minocqua, WI 54548

As noted above, WHCA/WiCAL will be reaching out to members in these areas to consider attending and presenting the LTC provider community’s priorities for state funding in the areas of SNF Medicaid and Family Care.