Wisconsin Code § 46.277

Community integration program for persons relocated or meeting reimbursable levels of care
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(1)
LEGISLATIVE INTENT. The intent of the program under this section is to provide home or community-based care to serve in a
noninstitutional community setting a person who meets eligibility requirements under 42 USC 1396n (c) and is relocated from
an institution other than a state center for the developmentally
disabled or meets the level of care requirements for medical assistance reimbursement in a skilled nursing facility or an intermediate care facility, except that the number of persons who receive
home or community-based care under this section is not intended
to exceed the number of nursing home beds that are delicensed as
part of a plan submitted by the facility and approved by the department. The intent of the program is also that counties use all

existing services for providing care under this section, including
those services currently provided by counties.
(1m) DEFINITIONS. In this section:
(a) “Medical assistance” means aid provided under subch. IV
of ch. 49, except ss. 49.468 and 49.471.
(ag) “Delicensed” means deducted from the number of beds
stated on a facility’s license, as specified under s. 50.03 (4) (e).
(am) “Plan submitted by the facility” means an individual relocation plan under s. 50.03 (14).
(at) “Private nonprofit agency” means a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 181.0103 (17), that provides a program of
all-inclusive care for the elderly under 42 USC 1395eee or 1396u4.
(b) “Program” means the community integration program for
which a waiver has been received under sub. (2).
(2) DEPARTMENTAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The department
may request a waiver from the secretary of the federal department
of health and human services, under 42 USC 1396n (c), authorizing the department to serve medical assistance recipients, who
meet the level of care requirements for medical assistance reimbursement in a skilled nursing facility or an intermediate care facility, in their communities by providing home or communitybased services as part of medical assistance. The number of persons for whom the waiver is requested may not exceed the number of nursing home beds that are delicensed as part of a plan submitted by the facility and approved by the department. If the department requests a waiver, it shall include all assurances required under 42 USC 1396n (c) (2) in its request. If the department receives this waiver, it may request one or more 3-year extensions of the waiver under 42 USC 1396n (c) and shall perform
the following duties:
(a) Evaluate the effect of the program on medical assistance
costs and on the program’s ability to provide community care alternatives to institutional care in facilities certified as medical assistance providers.
(b) Fund home or community-based services provided by any
county that meet the requirements of this section.
(c) To the maximum extent possible, authorize the provision
of services under this section to serve persons, except those institutionalized in a state center for the developmentally disabled, in
noninstitutional settings and coordinate application of the review
criterion under s. 150.39 (5) with the services provided under this
section.
(d) Unless s. 49.45 (37) applies, review and approve or disapprove each plan of care developed by the county department under sub. (3).
(e) Review and approve or disapprove waiver requests under
sub. (3) (c), review and approve or disapprove requests for exceptions under sub. (5) (d) 3. and provide technical assistance to a
county that reaches or exceeds the annual allocation limit specified in sub. (3) (c) in order to explore alternative methods of providing long-term community support services for persons who
are in group living arrangements in that county.
(3) COUNTY PARTICIPATION. (a) Section 46.275 (3) (a), (c),
and (d) applies to county participation in this program, except
that services provided in the program shall substitute for care provided a person in a skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility who meets the level of care requirements for medical assistance reimbursement to that facility rather than for care provided
at a state center for the developmentally disabled. The number of
persons who receive services provided by the program under this
paragraph may not exceed the number of nursing home beds,
other than beds specified in sub. (5g) (b), that are delicensed as
part of a plan submitted by the facility and approved by the
department.
(b) 1. If the provision of services under this section results in
a decrease in the statewide nursing home bed limit under s.
150.31 (3), the facility affected by the decrease shall submit a
plan for delicensing all or part of the facility that is approved by
the department.
2. Each county department participating in the program shall
provide home or community-based care to persons eligible under
this section, except that the number of persons who receive home
or community-based care under this section may not exceed the
number of nursing home beds, other than beds specified in sub.
(5g) (b), that are delicensed as part of a plan submitted by the facility and approved by the department.
(c) Beginning on January 1, 1996, from the annual allocation
to the county for the provision of long-term community support
services under sub. (5), annually establish a maximum total
amount that may be encumbered in a calendar year for services
for eligible individuals in community-based residential facilities.
(d) The county department or aging unit that administers the
program under this section shall, within the time period specified
by the department, offer counseling, that is specified by the department, concerning public and private benefit programs to
prospective residents of community-based residential facilities
who are referred to the county department or aging unit under s.
50.035 (4n).
(3m) PARTICIPATION BY A PRIVATE NONPROFIT AGENCY. A
private nonprofit agency with which the department contracts for
service under sub. (5) (c) shall have the powers and duties under
this section of a county department, as specified in sub. (3) (a).
(3r) WORKER’S COMPENSATION COVERAGE. An individual
who is performing services for a person receiving long-term care
benefits under this section on a self-directed basis and who does
not otherwise have worker’s compensation coverage for those services is considered, for purposes of worker’s compensation coverage, to be an employee of the entity that is providing financial
management services for that person.
(4) ELIGIBILITY OF RESIDENTS. (a) Any medical assistance
recipient who meets the level of care requirements for medical assistance reimbursement in a skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility is eligible to participate in the program, except
that the number of participants may not exceed the number of
nursing home beds, other than beds specified in sub. (5g) (b), that
are delicensed as part of a plan submitted by the facility and approved by the department. Such a recipient may apply, or any
person may apply on behalf of such a recipient, for participation
in the program. Section 46.275 (4) (b) applies to participation in
the program.
(b) To the extent authorized under 42 USC 1396n, if a person
discontinues participation in the program, a medical assistance
recipient may participate in the program in place of the participant who discontinues if that recipient meets the level of care requirements for medical assistance reimbursement in a skilled
nursing facility or intermediate care facility, except that the number of participants may not exceed the number of nursing home
beds, other than beds specified in sub. (5g) (b) , that are delicensed as part of a plan submitted by the facility and approved by
the department.
(5) FUNDING. (a) The provisions of s. 46.275 (5) (a), (b) 1. to
4. and 6. and (d) apply to funding received by counties under the
program.
(b) Total funding to counties under the program may not exceed the amount approved in the waiver received under sub. (2).
(c) The department may contract for services under this section with a private nonprofit agency. Paragraphs (a) and (b) apply

to funding received by a private nonprofit agency under this
subsection.
(d) 1. In this paragraph, “physically disabled” means having
a condition that affects one’s physical functioning by limiting mobility or the ability to see or hear, that is the result of injury, disease or congenital deficiency and that significantly interferes
with or limits at least one major life activity and the performance
of one’s major personal or social roles.
1m. No county may use funds received under this section to
provide services to a person who does not live in his or her own
home or apartment unless, subject to the limitations under subds.
2., 3., and 4. and par. (e), one of the following applies:
a. The services are provided to the person in a communitybased residential facility that entirely consists of independent
apartments, each of which has an individual lockable independent entrance and exit and individual separate kitchen, bathroom,
sleeping and living areas.
b. The person suffers from Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia and the services are provided to the person in a community-based residential facility that has a dementia care program.
c. The services are provided to the person in a residential
care apartment complex, as defined in s. 50.01 (6d).
d. The services are provided to the individual in an adult
family home, as defined in s. 50.01 (1).
e. Subdivision 1n. applies.
1n. A county may also use funds received under this section,
subject to the limitations under subds. 2., 3., and 4. and par. (e), to
provide services to a person who does not live in his or her own
home or apartment if the services are provided to the person in a
community-based residential facility and the county department
or aging unit has determined that all of the following conditions
have been met:
b. The county department or aging unit documents that the
option of in-home services has been discussed with the person,
thoroughly evaluated and found to be infeasible, as determined by
the county department or aging unit in accordance with rules promulgated by the department of health services.
c. The county department or aging unit determines that the
community-based residential facility is the person’s preferred
place of residence or is the setting preferred by the person’s
guardian.
d. The county department or aging unit determines that the
community-based residential facility provides a quality environment and quality care services.
e. The county department or aging unit determines that
placement in the community-based residential facility is cost-effective compared to other options, including home care and nursing home care.
1p. a. Subject to the approval of the department, a county
may establish and implement more restrictive conditions than
those imposed under subd. 1m. on the use of funds received under this section for the provision of services to a person in a community-based residential facility. A county that establishes more
restrictive conditions under this subd. 1p. a. shall include the conditions in its plan under sub. (3) (a).
b. If the department determines that a county has engaged in
a pattern of inappropriate use of funds received under this section, the department may revoke its approval of the county’s conditions established under subd. 1p. a., if any, and may prohibit the
county from using funds received under this section to provide
services under subd. 1n.
2. No county may use funds received under this section to
provide residential services in any community-based residential
facility, as defined in s. 50.01 (1g), unless the department approves the provision of services in a community-based residential
facility that entirely consists of independent apartments, each of
which has an individual lockable entrance and exit and individual
separate kitchen, bathroom, sleeping and living areas, to individuals who are eligible under this section and are physically disabled or are at least 65 years of age.
3. If subd. 2. applies, no county may use funds received under this section to pay for services provided to a person who resides or intends to reside in a community-based residential facility and who is initially applying for the services, if the projected
cost of services for the person, plus the cost of services for existing participants, would cause the county to exceed the limitation
under sub. (3) (c). The department may grant an exception to the
requirement under this subdivision, under the conditions specified by rule, to avoid hardship to the person.
4. No county may use funds received under this section to
provide residential services in a group home, as defined in s.
48.02 (7), that has more than 5 beds, unless the department approves the provision of services in a group home that has 6 to 8
beds.
(e) A county may use funds received under this subsection to
provide supportive, personal or nursing services, as defined in
rules promulgated under s. 49.45 (2) (a) 23., to a person who resides in a certified residential care apartment complex, as defined
in s. 50.01 (6d). Funding of the services may not exceed 85 percent of the statewide medical assistance daily cost of nursing
home care, as determined by the department.
(f) No county or private nonprofit agency may use funds received under this subsection to provide services in any community-based residential facility unless the county or agency uses as
a service contract the approved model contract developed under s.
46.27 (2) (j), 2017 stats., or a contract that includes all of the provisions of the approved model contract.
(g) 1. The department may provide enhanced reimbursement
for services provided under this section to an individual who, on
or after July 27, 2005, is relocated to the community from a nursing home by a county department or to an individual who meets
the level of care requirements for Medical Assistance reimbursement in a skilled nursing facility or an intermediate care facility
and is diverted from imminent entry into a nursing home. The
number of individuals served under this paragraph may not exceed the number of nursing home beds that are delicensed as part
of plans submitted by nursing homes and approved by the
department.
2. The department shall develop and utilize a formula to determine the enhanced reimbursement rate for services provided
under subd. 1. The department shall also develop and utilize criteria for determining imminent entry into a nursing home under
subd. 1. that shall include an imminent loss of current living arrangements and an imminent risk of a long-term nursing home
stay. The department need not promulgate as rules under ch. 227
the criteria required to be developed and utilized under this
subdivision.
(5g) LIMITATIONS ON SERVICE. (a) The number of persons
served under this section may not exceed the number of nursing
home beds that are delicensed as part of a plan submitted by the
facility and approved by the department.
(b) This section does not apply to the delicensure of a bed of
an institution for mental diseases of an individual who is aged 21
to 64, who has a primary diagnosis of mental illness and who otherwise meets any of the following requirements:
1. A person who resided in the facility on the date of the
finding that a skilled nursing facility or intermediate care facility
that provides care to Medical Assistance recipients is an institu-

tion for mental diseases whose care in the facility is disallowed
for federal financial participation under Medical Assistance.
2. A person who is aged 21 to 64, who has a primary diagnosis of mental illness, who would meet the level of care requirements for Medical Assistance reimbursement in a skilled nursing
facility or intermediate care facility but for a finding that the facility is an institution for mental diseases, and for whom services
would be provided in place of a person specified in subd. 1. who
discontinues services.
(5m) REPORT. By October 1 of each year, the department
shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance and to the
chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the
appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3), describing
the cost and quality of services used under the program and the
extent to which existing services have been used under the program in the preceding calendar year.
(5r) RULE MAKING. The department shall promulgate rules
that specify conditions of hardship under which the department
may grant an exception to the requirement of sub. (5) (d) 3.
(6) EFFECTIVE PERIOD. The effective date provisions of s.
46.275 (6) apply to this section.

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