Vol. 66, Issue 12
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IN THIS ISSUE
- WHA Applauds Speaker Vos, Majority Leader LeMahieu and Governor Evers for Passing and Enacting AB 960 into Law
- DHS to Study Wisconsin’s Long-Term Care System
- OCI Takes Action Against Unlicensed Business Selling Limited Term Health Plans
- WHA Health Care Workforce Forum to Seek Collaborative Solutions to Worker Shortage
- Acts of Violence Against Health Care Workers is Now a Felony in Wisconsin
- WHA Member Health Systems Urge Congress to Make Hospital at Home Program Permanent
- President Signs FY 2022 Spending Bill Including Temporary Telehealth Extensions & 340B Flexibilities
- WHA Health Care Leadership Academy Attendees Learn Value of WHAIC Data Tools to Decision Making
EDUCATION EVENTS
Apr. 9, 2025
2025 Advocacy DayApr. 22, 2025
Nursing ServicesMay. 14, 2025
2025 WHA Workforce ForumClick here to view quality event calendar
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Thursday, March 24, 2022
DHS to Study Wisconsin’s Long-Term Care System
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is planning to engage an independent organization to study Wisconsin’s long-term care. DHS recently briefed WHA on the study.
WHA expects a key issue in the study to be the current system’s inability to place a substantial number of patients who are ready to be discharged from hospitals but need post-acute care services. WHA will be providing input.
Policymakers must consider how DHS can better target the substantial reimbursement and funding increases nursing homes have and may receive in the future which, despite being substantial, did not help to avoid a backlog of hospital patients waiting for a post-acute care placement under current reimbursement methodology.
During the height of the surge, more than 600 patients each day remained in hospitals waiting for a nursing home bed, which was more than one out of every 10 hospital beds occupied by someone who did not need to be in the hospital.
WHA anticipates that the study will look beyond and in addition to funding to consider long overdue structural and regulatory reforms that would support improved access to post-acute care for patients and preserve hospital capacity for patients needing hospital care.
WHA President & CEO Eric Borgerding observed that weaknesses in the long-term care system existed prior to the pandemic and continue, affecting access to all levels of care. “We look forward to working with DHS on this crucial examination of the issues,” he said.
WHA expects a key issue in the study to be the current system’s inability to place a substantial number of patients who are ready to be discharged from hospitals but need post-acute care services. WHA will be providing input.
Policymakers must consider how DHS can better target the substantial reimbursement and funding increases nursing homes have and may receive in the future which, despite being substantial, did not help to avoid a backlog of hospital patients waiting for a post-acute care placement under current reimbursement methodology.
During the height of the surge, more than 600 patients each day remained in hospitals waiting for a nursing home bed, which was more than one out of every 10 hospital beds occupied by someone who did not need to be in the hospital.
WHA anticipates that the study will look beyond and in addition to funding to consider long overdue structural and regulatory reforms that would support improved access to post-acute care for patients and preserve hospital capacity for patients needing hospital care.
WHA President & CEO Eric Borgerding observed that weaknesses in the long-term care system existed prior to the pandemic and continue, affecting access to all levels of care. “We look forward to working with DHS on this crucial examination of the issues,” he said.