Wisconsin Code § 49.34

Purchase of care and services
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(1) All services
under this subchapter and ch. 48 and all community-based juvenile delinquency-related services under ch. 938 purchased by the
department or by a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or
46.23 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. No contract is required for care provided by foster homes
that are required to be licensed under s. 48.62. When the depart-

ment directly contracts for services, the department shall follow
the procedures in this section in addition to meeting purchasing
requirements established in s. 16.75.
(2) All services purchased under this subchapter and ch. 48
and all community-based juvenile delinquency-related services
purchased under ch. 938 shall meet standards established by the
department and other requirements specified by the 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 the 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. This 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, the actual cost incurred by the provider
may be reimbursed in an amount determined by mutual agreement of the parties.
(4) For purposes of this section and as a condition of reimbursement, each provider under contract shall:
(a) Except as provided in this subsection, maintain a uniform
double entry accounting system and a management information
system that 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 specified under s.
49.32 (1) unless waived by the purchaser with the 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 in 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. 5., 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.
4. 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.
5. The department, in consultation with the department of
health services 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. 5. 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.
(em) Notwithstanding par. (b), 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 generated by a rate-based service or accumulate
funds from more than one contract period for a rate-based service
from revenues that are used to meet the maintenance-of-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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