THE VALUED VOICE

Both houses of the Wisconsin state Legislature have now concurred in legislation that will provide additional regulatory and licensure relief for hospitals and providers, while recognizing and reimbursing hospitals for Medicaid patients who cannot be discharged from a hospital due to a lack of a suitable post-acute care setting.
 
As reported in last week’s The Valued Voice newsletter, the legislation introduced as Assembly Bill 148 was passed unanimously in the state Assembly but went back and forth between the houses earlier this week to receive concurrence on the final bill.
 
On March 23, the bill garnered broad, bipartisan agreement on the following three provisions:
 

• Permanently adopting, even beyond the public health emergency, temporary licensure processes established during COVID-19 for out-of-state providers with a valid, unrestricted license in another state;

 

• Providing payments to hospitals for Medicaid patients who are ready to be discharged from the hospital but await a post-acute care placement through Jan. 1, 2022; and

 

• Clarifying the ability for hospitals to deliver hospital services in a patient’s home consistent with a Medicare-covered service, like those approved under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Acute Hospital Care at Home program.

 
The bill now heads to Governor Evers’ desk for his signature. The governor has previously signaled his support of these provisions in standalone compromise legislation he circulated in December 2020 and in a previously negotiated agreement with the state Senate in January 2021.
 
For more information, contact Wisconsin Hospital Association Senior Vice President of Government Relations Kyle O’Brien.