Updates

General

• Implementation of Family Care expansion, and the start of eliminating the wait list, is expected in November 2009. Click here for more information.
   
• Click here to read a report that provides a high-level overview of Milwaukee County's Long-Term Care Planning process, from June 2006-July 2008. 
   
• Click here to see a document that was put together by disability advocates on the challenges and proposed principles for Family Care expansion in Milwaukee County. 
   
• Milwaukee County has sought consumer and stakeholder input through the Consumer / Stakeholder Advisory Council (see below), listening sessions, consumer community forums, provider forums, and other meetings. To read some of the more frequently asked questions, along with answers, from the consumer community forums and provider forums, check out the FAQ page of this website. Please consider providing input on the Your Space page of this website. 

Consumer / Stakeholder Advisory Council

• The Consumer / Stakeholder Advisory Council has met seventeen times. For more information on the Advisory Council, click on the link above.
   
• The Consumer / Stakeholder Advisory Council has provided helpful input on the organizational planning models, the Disability Resource Center (DRC) Application, issues to consider in planning the expansion of the Family Care Care Management Organization (CMO), governance issues, and guidance on soliciting broader consumer and stakeholder input.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

• The current plan is that the Milwaukee County Disability Resource Center (DRC) will begin operating in August 2009.
   
• Discussions are continuing to be held with the Department of Health Services (DHS) and Disabilities Services Division (DSD) regarding the DRC Application and the DRC budget.
   
• In March 2008, The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors authorized "the Director, Department of Health and Human Services, or his designee, to prepare an application for submission to the State of Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services for certification of the Disability Resource Center." The DRC Application was submitted to the DHS on July 10, 2008. 

Milwaukee County Family Care (CMO) Expansion 

• The current plan is that consumers with Waiver-funding will be enrolled in managed care in November 2009. Multiple managed care options will be available to consumers. In preparation for implementation, Disabilities Services Division (DSD) has begun training its staff and is developing necessary policies and procedures. Click here for more detailed information.
   
• Milwaukee County responded to the State Department of Health Services (DHS) CMO RFP (Request for Proposals) at the end of October 2008 to contract as a CMO and deliver managed long-term care services to adults under the age of 60 with disabilities in Milwaukee County. 
   
• The proposed organizational model for Family Care expansion in Milwaukee County includes one County-run Family Care Care Management Organization (CMO) and other managed long-term care options, including possible private integrated health and long-term care models operated by Community Care and iCare. There would also be a Self-Directed Supports Waiver program, administered by DHS, called IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct). Medicaid card services would also be available. 
   
• Six Managed Care System Design Teams had met to address key functional areas of a managed care operation. With the revision of the proposed planning model to include one County-run Family Care CMO, the planning focus shifted to internal workgroups with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), DSD, and Milwaukee County Department on Aging (MCDA) staff to develop the operational details of the current Family Care CMO and how best to accommodate younger adults with disabilities. Click here to view A Summary of ways the Milwaukee County Family Care CMO proposes to expand to serve adults with disabilities. The work of these workgroups was incorporated into the MCDA CMO response to the DHS RFP. 
   
• An actuarial analysis for the expanded Family Care CMO was completed to help with financial and business planning. 
   
• A MCDA / DSD provider network planning group met frequently to plan how best to expand MCDA’s Family Care provider network and Care Management Units (CMUs) to accommodate persons age 18 to 59 with disabilities. A Network Capacity Analysis was developed. 

IM Support

• Meetings were held with Milwaukee County Department on Aging (MCDA), Disabilities Services Division (DSD) and Economic Support Services Division (ESD) management and staff to prepare for ESD's increased role with Family Care expansion. A Working Paper: IM Support for Milwaukee County Family Care Expansion was developed as a guide for budget development and implementation. Further workgroups have prepared a draft Enrollment Plan.

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