LTC LEGISLATION WATCH (Bills, Resolutions & New Legislation)
DHFS Announces Changes within Agency
DHFS Secretary Kevin Hayden announced on March 8, 2007 that several organizational and staffing changes would be taking place. The following staff changes will assume their new positions on April 2nd unless otherwise indicated.
- Fredi Bove has been appointed as the new Deputy Administrator for the new Division of Long Term Care. She will likely assume some programmatic duties (still to be defined) as well as the more traditional deputy duties of budgeting, personnel, contracting, etc.
- Chuck Wilhelm, the current Director of Bureau of Long Term Support has announced his retirement after 33 years of State service.
- Judith Frye will now lead the Bureau of Long Term Support while also leading the Family Care expansion initiative. In that role, she will continue working with Donna McDowell and her team to oversee the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) development as well as the expansion of managed care.
- Kathleen Luedtke will continue working on Family Care expansion in her policy advisor capacity.
- Dave Lund and the staff of the Bureau of Nursing Home Services will organizationally move to the Division of Long Term Care from the Division of Health Care Financing.
- Cheryl McIlquham will be appointed the Director for the Office of Policy Initiatives and Budget (formerly the Office of Strategic Finance). She is currently the Deputy Administrator in the Division of Health Care Financing.
- Jim Jones will be appointed Deputy Administrator for the Division of Health Care Financing. Jim currently serves as Director of the Bureau of Eligibility Management.
- Joanne Simpson will serve as the Interim Director of the Bureau of Eligibility Management until a new Director is recruited for this vacancy.
- Joann O’Connor has been appointed Policy Initiatives Advisor in the new Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Joann currently is the Director of Winnebago Mental Health Institute.
- Byran Bartow will serve as Interim Director of the Winnebago Mental Health Institute until a new Director is recruited.
- Tom Speech will fill in for Byran Bartow and serve as Interim Director of Wisconsin Resource Center while Byran serves at Winnebago.
- Jim Hutchison, the current Director of Southern Wisconsin Center will be appointed Management Services Director at Winnebago Mental Health Institute and the Wisconsin Resource Center effective April 15.
- Jim Henkes, currently the Southern Wisconsin Center Deputy Director will be Interim Director, until these positions are filled with permanent directors.
Budget Update: LTC Providers Must Contact Legislators and Attend Public Hearings
Wisconsin’s budget process has begun. Last month, Governor Doyle introduced his 1,757-page proposed 2007-09 Biennial Budget (Senate Bill 40). The Legislative Fiscal Bureau Budget Summary, which provides a detailed analysis of the document is now available online. The Legislature has sent the bill to the Joint Finance Committee, which began agency\department budget briefings today, Monday March 12, 2007. Committee hearings where the general public will be provided an opportunity to comment will be held on:
JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON STATE BUDGET
(Please consider having your directors and staff testify at these public hearings)
- Milwaukee: Tuesday, March 20th 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM
UW-Milwaukee Student Union Wisconsin Room, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee.
- Arlington\DeForest: Wednesday, March 21st 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Arlington Agricultural Research Station Public Events Facility, N695 Hopkins Rd., Arlington.
- Chippewa Falls: Tuesday, March 27th 12:00 PM –5:00 PM.
Chippewa Falls County Courthouse Assembly Room, 711 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls.
- Prairie du Chien: Wednesday, April 4th. 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Prairie du Chien High School Auditorium, 800 E. Crawford St., Prairie du Chien.
- Rhinelander: Wednesday, April 11th 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Nicolet College Learning Resource Center Theatre, 5634 College Dr., Rhinelander.
- Green Bay: Thursday, April 12th 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
National Railroad Museum Lenfestey Center, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay.
The Joint Finance Committee will likely begin voting on budget provisions in mid-April and finalize Committee action at the end of May. This means long-term care providers have a limited amount of time to impact the budget.
PUBLIC HEARING \ MEETING NOTICES
Joint Finance Committee
Monday, March 12, 2007 10:00 a.m. State Capitol, Room 412-East
State agency briefings on the Governor’s 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill --Senate Bill 40.
- Endowment Fund and Tobacco Financing)
- Department of Workforce Development
Senate Committee on Judiciary and Corrections
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 1:00 PM State Capitol, Room 201-Southeast
(Public Hearing)
- SB-54: Fees charged by notary publics.
Joint Legislative Council
Wednesday, March 14, 2007 8:30 AM State Capitol, Room 412-East
The Council will consider the following:
- Report on Evidence-Based Health Policy Project
Joint Finance Committee
Friday, March 16 10:00 a.m. State Capitol, Room 412-East
State agency briefings on the Governor’s 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill --Senate Bill 40.
- Department of Corrections (previously scheduled for Monday, March 12)
- Department of Health and Family Services
- Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
- Office of the Commissioner of Railroads
Joint Finance Committee – Public Hearing on the 2007-09 Biennial Budget
Tuesday, March 20th 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM MILWAUKEE
UW-Milwaukee Student Union Wisconsin Room, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee.
- Public hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill -- Senate Bill 40
Joint Finance Committee – Public Hearing on the 2007-09 Biennial Budget
Wednesday, March 21st 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM ARLINGTON\DEFOREST
Agricultural Research Station Public Events Facility, N695 Hopkins Rd., Arlington.
- Public hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill -- Senate Bill 40
Senate Committee on Health and Human Services
Thursday, March 22, 2007 4:00 PM Chippewa Valley Technical College
Business Education Center Auditorium Rm. 103
620 W. Clairemont Ave. Eau Claire, WI 54701
- SB-51: Establishing a publicly financed health care system for residents of this state, creating the Department of Health Planning and Finance, Health Policy Board, and regional consumer health councils, granting rule-making authority, and making appropriations.
- Public testimony on the following: Wisconsin Health Care Partnership Plan Wisconsin Health Plan BadgerCare Plus Smart Medicine.
Joint Finance Committee – Public Hearing on the 2007-09 Biennial Budget
Tuesday, March 27th 12:00 PM –5:00 PM. Chippewa Falls
Chippewa Falls County Courthouse Assembly Room, 711 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls.
- Public hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill -- Senate Bill 40
Joint Finance Committee – Public Hearing on the 2007-09 Biennial Budget
Wednesday, April 4th. 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien High School Auditorium, 800 E. Crawford St., Prairie du Chien.
- Public hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill -- Senate Bill 40
Joint Finance Committee – Public Hearing on the 2007-09 Biennial Budget
Wednesday, April 11th 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Rhinelander
Nicolet College Learning Resource Center Theatre, 5634 College Dr., Rhinelander.
- Public hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill -- Senate Bill 40
Joint Finance Committee – Public Hearing on the 2007-09 Biennial Budget
Thursday, April 12th 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Green Bay
National Railroad Museum Lenfestey Center, 2285 South Broadway, Green Bay.
- Public hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Biennial Budget Bill -- Senate Bill 40
STATE AGENCY MEMOS (DHFS, OQA, DDES, etc.)
DDES Memo 2007-02 (March 6, 2007)
This memo increases the maximum COP-W/CIP-II service reimbursement for persons in RCACs to $88.02 beginning January 1, 2007.
OQA Memo 07-003 (February 5, 2007)
Norovirus Recognition, Transmission Prevention, and Reporting.
The purpose of this memo is to alert healthcare facilities to the symptoms of norovirus, to reinforce appropriate measures for preventing transmission, and to clarify reporting requirements for facilities regulated by the Office of Quality Assurance.
OQA Memo 07-002 (February 5, 2007)
Community Mental Health and AODA Programs.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide clarification concerning the requests for waivers and variances submitted to the Office of Quality Assurance (OQA).
DDES Memo 2007-01 (January 8, 2007)
This Memo Series contains the criteria (statutory and policy) to make a determination of the county of residency of persons age 18 years and older in need of services under Chapters 46, 51, and 55. The county of residency is the county responsible to provide the services to the individual. Residency determinations issued by the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) will be based on the criteria herein, on other applicable statutes, and on precedents established in other formal DHFS residency determinations and court decisions.
MISCELLANEOUS LTC MEETING NOTICES
DHFS Assisted Living Forum
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 10:00 AM DHFS Building, 1 W. Wilson St. Room 750, Madison, WI
Wisconsin Council on LTC Reform – Comprehensive System Change Committee
Friday, April 13, 2007 9:00 AM Coalition of WI Aging Groups (CWAG) Building
2850 Dairy Drive - Madison
Wisconsin Council on LTC Reform
Friday, May 11, 2007 9:30 AM Coalition of WI Aging Groups (CWAG) Building
2850 Dairy Drive - Madison
DHFS Focus 2007 Conference: Coming Together: Mapping the Journey to Excellence
August 7-8, 2007 All Day Event Stevens Point, Wisconsin
LTC LEGISLATION WATCH (Bills, Resolutions & New Legislation)
Senate Bills:
SB 32: (Nursing Home Diversions) Diversions under a community integration program of Medical Assistance-eligible persons from imminent entry into nursing homes. (S-Public Health, Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy Committee)
SB 40: Wisconsin 2007-09 Biennial State Budget: finances and appropriations. (Joint Finance Committee)
Assembly Bills:
- None at this time -
LRB Co-sponsorship Memos: (Legislative Drafts Not Yet Introduced as a Bill)
LRB 0156 and LRB 2179: Requires DHFS to submit to DHHS an amendment to the state's MA plan that satisfies the requirements of the LTCP Program under federal law. If the amendment is approved, DHFS must disregard, for purposes of MA eligibility and estate recovery, the amount of qualifying long-term care insurance payments made to an individual who receives MA for long-term care.
LRB 1435 and LRB 2164: Raise Wisconsin’s minimum wage from $6.50 per hour to $7.25 per hour effective September 1, 2007. In addition, the minimum wage for separate categories of employees such as tipped employees and camp counselors would be increased by the same percentage of 11.5%. The minimum wage would be indexed to inflation annually beginning on September 1, 2008.
©
2004 Residential Services Association of Wisconsin