(Medical Assistance Reimbursement of Hospitals)
The State of Wisconsin reimburses hospitals for medical services provided to low-income persons under the authority of Title XIX of the Federal Social Security Act and ss. 49.43 and 49.47, Wisconsin Statutes. This program, administered by the State's Department of Health and Social Services, is known as Medical Assistance (MA) or Medicaid. Federal statutes require a state plan for inpatient services which provides the methods and standards for paying for hospital inpatient services.
A state plan is now in effect for the reimbursement of inpatient hospital services. The Department is proposing to make a change in this plan effective January 1, 1996. The change will modify the reimbursement methodology for a hospital operated by the state's Department of Veteran Affairs and allow reimbursement at the facility's skilled care nursing facility rate as required by the 1995-97 biennial budget for hospital patients awaiting placement to alternative care arrangements.
Implementation of this change to the inpatient state plan is expected to increase annual expenditures of the Wisconsin MA Program by $150,000 ($90,000 federal financial participation and $60,000 from general purpose revenue) for the 1996 calendar year.
Copies of Proposed Change
Copies of the proposed change will be sent to every county social services or human services department main office where they will be available for public review. For more information and copies of the proposed change, interested people may write to:
Hospital Reimbursement Unit
FAX (608) 266-1096
Bureau of Health Care Financing
Division of Health
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed change are welcome, and should be sent to the above address. The comments received on the changes will be available for public review between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily at:
Bureau of Health Care Financing
Room 265, State Office Building
One West Wilson Street
Madison, WI
Public Notice
Health & Social Services
(Medical Assistance Reimbursement of Hospitals)
The State of Wisconsin reimburses hospitals for medical services provided to low-income persons under the authority of Title XIX of the Federal Social Security Act and ss. 49.43 and 49.47, Wisconsin Statutes. This program, administered by the State's Department of Health and Social Services, is known as Medical Assistance (MA) or Medicaid. Federal statutes require state plans, one for outpatient services and one for inpatient services, which provide the methods and standards for paying for hospital outpatient and inpatient services.
State plans are now in effect for the reimbursement of outpatient hospital services and inpatient hospital services. The Department is proposing to make several changes in these plans effective January 1, 1996.
Proposed changes in the state plan for reimbursement for outpatient hospital services may include:
1. For hospitals which combine into one hospital operation either through merger or consolidation or for a hospital which absorbs the operation of another hospital through purchase or donation, establishment of a method for updating the base rate per outpatient visit for the combined operation in order to better reflect the current mix of outpatient services of the hospitals which combined.
2. Modification of the procedures for processing administrative adjustments to outpatient reimbursement rates and elimination of the administrative adjustments committee in order to promote administrative efficiency by eliminating procedural requirements which are not needed or are rarely utilized under the current rate-setting methodology.
3. To implement provision of the 1995-97 biennial budget, establishment of a methodology through which hospitals owned and operated by a county, another local government or the state may receive federal financial participation for deficits they incur when their costs for outpatient hospital services exceed the reimbursement they receive under the Medicaid payment system. Implementation of this change is expected to increase annual expenditures of the Wisconsin Medical Assistance Program by $180,000 federal financial participation with $120,000 matching funding coming from the units of government which own and operate the hospitals.
Proposed changes in the state plan for reimbursement for inpatient hospital services may include:
1. Clarification that payment for all covered services provided during an inpatient stay, except separately billable professional services, are included in the inpatient DRG reimbursement and in the inpatient reimbursement of those hospitals and those services that are not covered by the DRG reimbursement method.
2. For administrative adjustments for major capitalized expenditures and changes in medical education, modification of the criteria specified in the state plan for the cost reporting period which is to be used for updating reimbursement in order that reimbursement will reflect the current period costs of the changes for which administrative adjustments are intended.
3. Modification of the procedures for processing administrative adjustments to inpatient reimbursement rates and elimination of the administrative adjustments committee for review of these adjustments in order to eliminate procedural requirements which are not necessary and not utilized under the current rate-setting methodologies.
Implementation of the above changes to the inpatient state plan is not expected to change annual expenditures of the Wisconsin Medical Assistance Program.
Copies of Proposed Changes
Copies of the proposed changes will be sent to every county social services or human services department main office where they will be available for public review. For more information and copies of the proposed changes, interested people may write to:
Hospital Reimbursement Unit
FAX (608) 266-1096
Bureau of Health Care Financing
Division of Health
P.O. Box 309
Madison, WI 53701-0309
Written Comments
Written comments on the proposed change are welcome, and should be sent to the above address. The comments received on the changes will be available for public review between the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily at:
Bureau of Health Care Financing
Room 265, State Office Building
One West Wilson Street
Madison, WI
Public Notice
Commissioner of Banking
Commissioner of Credit Unions
Commissioner of Savings & Loan
(Notice of Required Interest Rate on
Residential Mortgage Loan Escrow Accounts)
Under s. 138.052 (5) (a), Stats., with some exceptions, a bank, credit union, savings bank, savings and loan association or mortgage banker which originates a residential mortgage loan requiring an escrow account to assure the payment of taxes or insurance shall pay interest on the outstanding principal balance of the escrow.
Section 138.052 (5) (am) 2, Stats., directs the Commissioner of Savings and Loan, with the cooperation of the Commissioners of Credit Unions and of Banking, to determine annually the required interest rate. The rate is based on the average interest rate paid by Wisconsin depository institutions on passbook savings accounts.
The Commissioner of Savings and Loan has calculated the interest rate required to be paid on escrow accounts under s. 138.052 (5), Stats., to be 2.91% per year. This interest rate shall remain in effect until the first day of the first month following publication of a new interest rate in the Wisconsin Administrative Register.
The interest rate of 2.91% per year applies to escrow accounts required for residential mortgage loans originated on or after January
1, 1996 and to escrow accounts required for residential mortgage loans originated after January 31, 1983 and before January 1, 1996 which do not specify an interest rate in the loan agreement.
Contact Information
Harold N. Lee, Jr., Commissioner
Thomas M. Boykoff, General Counsel
Telephone (608) 242-2180
Suite 202
4785 Hayes Road
MADISON, WI 53704
E x e c u t i v e O r d e r s
The following is a listing of recent Executive Orders issued by the Governor.
Executive Order 264. Relating to Calling to Active Service Elements of the Wisconsin National Guard.
Executive Order 265. Relating to Calling to Active Service Elements of the Wisconsin National Guard.
The State of Wisconsin
Department of Administration
Document Sales Unit
P.O. Box 7840
Dated Material. Please Do Not Delay!
