Planning Process

Milwaukee County’s Long-Term Care Planning process was designed to address the things the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) says Milwaukee County has to do to plan for long-term care services for adults under the age of 60 with disabilities within the next five or so years. The State wants all counties to provide managed care to meet people’s long-term care needs rather than providing services under the current long-term care waiver programs (COP¹, CIP², etc.).

In the early stages of planning, Milwaukee County’s overall planning process was headed by three partners: Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Disabilities Services Division (DSD), Independent Care Health Plan (iCare), and Community Care, Inc. There was a Leadership Committee, which included the three partners, as well as representatives from Milwaukee County Department on Aging (MCDA) and Milwaukee County Office for Persons with Disabilities. The State also attended those meetings. This Leadership Committee's role was to oversee and guide the planning process. The partners were only intermittently involved once the planning grant was expended and the Leadership Committee agreed to a planning model that expanded the current County-run Care Management Organization (CMO) to include adults under the age of 60 with disabilities. 

Two key components of any reformed long-term care system, as required by the State, include:

• An Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). According to the State: “ADRCs are the first place to go with aging and disability questions. ADRCs are service centers that provide a place for the public to get accurate, unbiased information on all aspects of life related to aging or living with a disability.”

• A Care Management Organization (CMO). CMOs manage and deliver long-term care benefits, which are tailored to each individual’s needs, circumstances, and preferences.

The planning process included a Resource Center Development Committee which had staff from the three partners and community stakeholders. There were also internal planning groups (originally Managed Care System Design Teams, which included the three partners), which addressed the technical and detailed aspects of expanding the existing Family Care CMO in Milwaukee County to accommodate adults under the age of 60 with disabilities. 

Helping tie the planning process together and providing input and feedback on the proposed long-term care services system was the Consumer / Stakeholder Advisory Council. The Advisory Council provided feedback to the other planning groups, who in turn often requested input on specific issues from the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council also served to help educate consumers and stakeholders about long-term care reform. 

With the submission of the DRC Application and the response to the State's RFP (Request for Proposals) for a CMO in Milwaukee County, the Long-Term Care Planning phase has ended. It has now moved into an implementation preparation phase. The Advisory Council has continued to meet to provide input on implementation related issues.

Click on the following link to view an illustration of Milwaukee County’s Long-Term Care Planning process.

To read a report that provides a high-level overview of the Milwaukee County Long-Term Care Planning process, from June 2006-July 2008, click here.

¹ The Community Options Program (COP) helps people who need long-term care to stay in their own homes and communities. Its purpose is to provide cost-effective alternatives to expensive care in institutions and nursing homes. COP serves people who need long-term support, regardless of age or type of disability, who need the same levels of physical or mental health care as nursing home residents. (Source: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/ltc_cop/copdesc.htm)
² The Community Integration Program (CIP) helps people with developmental disabilities relocate from State centers and nursing homes back to their communities. (Source: http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/bdds/cip/index.htm)