Wisconsin Code § 46.036

Purchase of care and services
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(1) All care and
services purchased by the department or by a county department
under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437, except as provided under subch. III of ch. 49 and s. 301.08 (2), shall be authorized and contracted for under the standards established under
this section. The department may require the county departments
to submit the contracts to the department for review and approval.
For purchases of $10,000 or less the requirement for a written
contract may be waived by the department. When the department
directly contracts for services, it shall follow the procedures in
this section in addition to meeting purchasing requirements established in s. 16.75.
(2) All care and services purchased shall meet standards established by the department and other requirements specified by
purchaser in the contract. Based on these standards the department shall establish standards for cost accounting and management information systems that shall monitor the utilization of
such services, and document the specific services in meeting the
service plan for the client and the objective of the service.
(3) (a) Purchase of service contracts shall be written in accordance with rules promulgated and procedures established by

the department. Contracts for client services shall show the total
dollar amount to be purchased and for each service the number of
clients to be served, number of client service units, the unit rate
per client service and the total dollar amount for each service.
(b) Payments under a contract may be made on the basis of actual allowable costs or on the basis of a unit rate per client service
multiplied by the actual client units furnished each month. The
contract may be renegotiated when units vary from the contracted
number. The purchaser shall determine actual marginal costs for
each service unit less than or in addition to the contracted
number.
(c) For proprietary agencies, contracts may include a percentage add-on for profit according to rules promulgated by the
department.
(d) Reimbursement to an agency may be based on total costs
agreed to by the parties regardless of the actual number of service
units to be furnished, when the agency is entering into a contract
for a new or expanded service that the purchaser recognizes will
require a start-up period not to exceed 180 days. Such reimbursement applies only if identified client needs necessitate the establishment of a new service or expansion of an existing service.
(e) If the purchaser finds it necessary to terminate a contract
prior to the contract expiration date for reasons other than nonperformance by the provider, actual cost incurred by the provider
may be reimbursed for an amount determined by mutual agreement of the parties.
(f) Advance payments of up to one-twelfth of an annual contract may be allowed under the contract. If the advance payment
exceeds $10,000, the provider shall supply a surety bond for an
amount equal to the amount of the advance payment applied for.
No surety bond is required if the provider is a state agency. The
cost of the surety bond shall be allowable as an expense.
(g) Notwithstanding pars. (b) and (d), if a county has an existing system, approved by the department, to monitor and assess
the outcomes of a contract and if the county is so authorized by
the department, the county may contract with providers to pay in
advance or after provision of services a fixed amount for each
person served by the provider in return for a defined set of expected outcomes that are determined by the county.
(4) For purposes of this section and as a condition of reimbursement, each provider under contract shall:
(a) Except as provided in this paragraph, maintain a uniform
double entry accounting system and a management information
system which are compatible with cost accounting and control
systems prescribed by the department.
(b) Cooperate with the department and purchaser in establishing costs for reimbursement purposes.
(c) Unless waived by the department, biennially, or annually if
required under federal law, provide the purchaser with a certified
financial and compliance audit report if the care and services purchased exceed $100,000. The audit shall follow standards that
the department prescribes.
(d) Transfer a client from one category of care or service to
another only with the approval of the purchaser.
(e) Charge a uniform schedule of fees as defined under s.
46.03 (18) unless waived by the purchaser with approval of the
department. Whenever providers recover funds attributed to the
client, such funds shall offset the amount paid under the contract.
(5) Except as provided under sub. (5m), the purchaser shall
recover from provider agencies money paid in excess of the conditions of the contract from subsequent payments made to the
provider.
(5m) (a) In this subsection:
1. “Provider” means a nonstock corporation organized under
ch. 181 that is a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103
(17), and that contracts under this section to provide client services on the basis of a unit rate per client service or a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437 that
contracts under this section to provide client services on the basis
of a unit rate per client service.
2. “Rate-based service” means a service or a group of services, as determined by the department, that is reimbursed
through a prospectively set rate and that is distinguishable from
other services or groups of services by the purpose for which
funds are provided for that service or group of services and by the
source of funding for that service or group of services.
(b) 1. If revenue under a contract for the provision of a ratebased service exceeds allowable costs incurred in the contract period, the contract shall allow the provider to retain from the surplus up to 5 percent of the revenue received under the contract unless a uniform rate is established by rule under subd. 4., in which
case the contract shall allow the provider to retain the uniform
percentage rate established by the rule. The retained surplus is
the property of the provider.
3. If on December 31 of any year the provider’s accumulated
surplus from all contract periods ending during that year for a
rate-based service exceeds the allowable retention rate under
subd. 1., the provider shall provide written notice of that excess to
all purchasers of the rate-based service. Upon the written request
of such a purchaser received no later than 6 months after the date
of the notice, the provider shall refund the purchaser’s proportional share of that excess. If the department determines based on
an audit or fiscal review that the amount of the excess identified
by the provider was incorrect, the department may seek to recover
funds after the 6-month period has expired. The department shall
commence any audit or fiscal review under this subdivision
within 6 years after the end of the contract period.
4. The department, in consultation with the department of
children and families and the department of corrections, shall
promulgate rules to implement this subsection including all of the
following:
a. Requiring that contracts for rate-based services under this
subsection allow a provider to retain from any surplus revenue up
to 5 percent of the total revenue received under the contract, or a
different percentage rate determined by the department. The percentage rate established under this subd. 4. a. shall apply uniformly to all rate-based service contracts under this subsection.
b. Establishing a procedure for reviewing rate-based service
contracts to determine whether a contract complies with the provisions of this subsection.
(e) Notwithstanding par. (b), the department or a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437 that purchases care and services from an inpatient alcohol and other drug
abuse treatment program that is not affiliated with a hospital and
that is licensed as a community-based residential facility may allocate to the program an amount that is equal to the amount of
revenues received by the program that are in excess of the allowable costs incurred in the period of a contract between the program and the department or the county department for purchase
of care and services under this section. The department or the
county department may make the allocation under this paragraph
only if the funds so allocated do not reduce any amount of unencumbered state aid to the department or the county department
that otherwise would lapse to the general fund.
(em) Notwithstanding pars. (b) and (e), a county department
under s. 46.215, 51.42, or 51.437 providing client services in a
county having a population of 750,000 or more or a nonstock,
nonprofit corporation providing client services in such a county
may not retain a surplus under par. (b) or allocate an amount un-

der par. (e) from revenues that are used to meet the maintenanceof-effort requirement under the federal temporary assistance for
needy families program under 42 USC 601 to 619.
(f) All providers that are subject to this subsection shall comply with any financial reporting and auditing requirements that
the department may prescribe. Those requirements shall include
a requirement that a provider provide to any purchaser and the department any information that the department needs to claim federal reimbursement for the cost of any services purchased from
the provider and a requirement that a provider provide audit reports to any purchaser and the department according to standards
specified in the provider’s contract and any other standards that
the department may prescribe.
(6) Contracts may be renegotiated by the purchaser under
conditions specified in the contract.
(7) The service provider under this section may appeal decisions of the purchaser in accordance with terms and conditions of
the contract and ch. 68 or 227.

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