The hearing site is fully accessible to people with disabilities. Parking for people with disabilities is available in the parking lot behind the building, in the Monona Terrace Convention Center Parking Ramp or in the Doty Street Parking Ramp. People with disabilities may enter the building directly from the parking lot at the west end of the building or from Wilson Street through the side entrance at the east end of the building.
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Health and Family Services
The State of Wisconsin in 1981 established a Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) for the purpose of making health insurance coverage available to medically uninsured residents of the state. One type of coverage provided by HIRSP is supplemental coverage for persons eligible for Medicare. This coverage is called Plan 2. Medicare (Plan 2) has a $500 deductible. Approximately 17% of the 7,291 policies in effect on March 31, 1999 were of the Plan 2 type.
The Department through this order is amending two sections of the HIRSP program administrative rules:
1. It is updating HIRSP Plan 2 premium rates in accordance with the authority and requirements set out in s. 149.143 (3) (a), Stats. The Department is required to set premium rates by rule and the rates must be calculated in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles. Policyholders are to pay 60% of the costs of HIRSP. There are separate sets of tables in ch. HFS 119 that show unsubsidized and subsidized Plan 2 premium rates. Both sets of tables are being updated. The Plan 2 premium rates need to be increased to cover increased costs of treatment for individuals enrolled under Plan 2. Premium rates for Plan 2 increase by about 18%.
2. It is also adjusting the total HIRSP insurer assessments and provider payment rates in accordance with the authority and requirements set out in s. 149.143 (2)(a)3. and 4., Stats. With the approval of the HIRSP Board of Governors and as required by statute, the Department approved a methodology that reconciles the most recent calendar year actual HIRSP program costs, policyholder premiums, insurance assessments and collected health care provider contributions with the statutorily required funding formula. The result of the reconciliation process for calendar year 1998 indicated that insurance assessments collected were greater than 20% of costs (net of the GPR contribution from appropriation s. 20.435(5)(af), Stats.) required of insurers. As a result, the insurer assessments for the time period beginning July 1, 1999 are reduced in order to offset the overpayment for 1998. The reconciliation process also showed that an insufficient amount was collected from health care providers for 1998. Therefore, the adjustments to the provider payment rates for the time period beginning July 1, 1999 are increased in order to recoup the provider contributions that were not collected for 1998.
Identical emergency rules were published to take effect on July 1, 1999.
Contact Person
To find out more about the hearing or to request a copy of the proposed rules, write or phone:
Randy McElhose
Division of Health Care Financing
P.O. Box 309, Room 265
Madison, WI 53701-0309
(608) 267-7127 or,
if you are hearing impaired,
(608) 266-1511 (TTY)
If you are hearing or visually impaired, do not speak English, or have other personal circumstances which might make communication at the hearing difficult and if you, therefore, require an interpreter, or a non-English, large-print or taped version of the hearing document, contact the person at the address or phone number above. A person requesting a non-English or sign language interpreter should make that request at least 10 days before the hearing. With less than 10 days notice, an interpreter may not be available.
Written comments on the proposed rule received at the above address no later than September 16, 1999 will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
Fiscal Estimate
This order updates the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP) premium rates effective July 1, 1999 for HIRSP policies that provide supplemental health insurance coverage for persons eligible under Medicare, and adjusts total HIRSP insurer assessments and provider payment rates for the 12-month period beginning July 1, 1999. This is being done in order to cover Plan costs.
The rule changes will not, by themselves, affect the expenditures or revenues of state government or local governments. They adjust premiums as permitted under the program statute to help offset increased program costs. The rule changes also adjust the insurer assessments and provider payment rates, in accordance with a statute-specified methodology, to offset program costs. There is no local government involvement in the administration of HIRSP.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The rule changes will affect Plan 2 policyholders, the Department and the Department's fiscal agent. They will not affect small businesses as “small business" is defined in s. 227.114(1)(a), Stats. Although the program statutes and rules provide for assessment of insurers to help finance the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP), no assessed insurer is a small business as defined in s. 227.114(1)(a), Stats. Moreover, s. 149.143, Stats., prescribes how the amount of an insurer's assessment to help finance HIRSP is to be determined and, similarly, how the health care provider payment rate is to be calculated.
Notice of Hearing
Public Instruction
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 121.14 (1) and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., and interpreting ss. 118.04, 121.004 (8), and 121.14, Stats., the department of public instruction will hold a public hearing as follows to consider the creation of Chapter PI 17, relating to summer school programs. The hearing will be held as follows:
Hearing Information
September 9, 1999 Conference Room
Thursday CESA 6
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 2300 State Road 44
Oshkosh
The hearing site is fully accessible to people with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation to access the hearing site, please call Larry Allen, Director, Education Options Team, at (608) 267-2402 or leave a message with the Teletypewriter (TTY) at (608) 267-2427 at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. Reasonable accommodation includes materials prepared in an alternative format, as provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Copies of Rule and Contact Person
A copy of the proposed rule and the fiscal estimate may be obtained by writing to:
Lori Slauson
Administrative Rules & Federal Grants Coordinator
Department of Public Instruction
125 South Webster Street
P.O. Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707
Written comments on the proposed rules received by Ms. Slauson at the above address no later than September 15, 1999, will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
Analysis by the Department of Public Instruction
1997 Wis. Act 240 specifies that state aid shall be paid to each district or county handicapped children's education board only for those academic summer classes or laboratory periods that are for necessary academic purposes, as defined by the state superintendent by rule.
In accordance with the Act, the proposed rules define academic purposes as summer school learning experiences that are related or similar to instruction that is offered during the rest of the school year or for which credit toward graduation is given. The proposed rules give examples of approvable and nonapprovable summer school classes.
The rules also specify:
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That a school district may operate a summer school program in cooperation with a CESA or another school district under a 66:30 agreement.
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That a summer school program report must be submitted annually to the department for approval.
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How summer school aid is to be calculated.
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What fees may or may not be charged as part of a summer school program.
Fiscal Estimate
In accordance with 1997 Wis. Act 240, the proposed rules define academic purposes as summer school learning experiences that are related or similar to instruction that is offered during the rest of the school year or for which credit toward graduation is given. The proposed rules give examples of approvable and nonapprovable summer school classes.
Because the proposed rules codify current practice, there will be no state or local fiscal effect.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The proposed rules are not anticipated to have a fiscal effect on small businesses as defined under s. 227.114 (1) (a), Stats.
Notice of Hearing
Transportation
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 85.16 (1) and 348.07(4), Stats., interpreting s. 348.07 (4), Stats., the Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing at the time and place indicated below to consider the amendment of ch. Trans 276, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to allowing the operation of double bottoms and certain other vehicles on certain specified highways.
Hearing Information
August 26, 1999 Room 144-B
Thursday Hill Farms State Trans. Bldg.
10:00 a.m. 4802 Sheboygan Ave.
MADISON, WI
The public record on this proposed rule-making will be held open until close of business, September 3, 1999, to permit the submission of written comments from persons unable to attend the public hearing or who wish to supplement testimony offered at the hearing. Any such written comments should be submitted to Ashwani K. Sharma, Traffic Operations Engineer, Bureau of Highway Operations, Room 501, P. O. Box 7986, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707-7986.
Analysis Prepared by the Wis. Dept. of Transportation
Statutory authority: ss. 85.16 (1) and 348.07 (4)
Statute interpreted: s. 348.07 (4)
General Summary of Proposed Rule. This proposed rule amends Trans 276.07 (4), (12) and (17), Wisconsin Administrative Code, to add three segments of highway to the designated highway system established under s. 348.07 (4), Stats. (The proposed rule text often achieves these objectives by consolidating individual segments into contiguous segments with new end points. In order to determine the actual highway segment added, it is necessary to compare the combined old designations with the combined new designation.) The actual highway segments that this proposed rule adds to the designated highway system are:
Hwy. From To
USH 18 USH 12 in STH 89 W.
Cambridge of Jefferson
STH 59 STH 26 in USH 12 in
Milton Whitewater
STH 89 STH 26 in IH-94 in
Fort Atkinson Lake Mills
The long trucks to which this proposed rule applies are those with 53-foot semitrailers, double bottoms and the vehicles which may legally operate on the federal National Network, but which exceed Wisconsin's regular limits on overall length. Generally, no person may operate any of the following vehicles on Wisconsin's highways without a permit: A single vehicle with an overall length in excess of 40 feet (45-foot buses are allowed on the National Network and Interstate system by Federal law. Section 4006 (b) of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.), a combination of vehicles with an overall length in excess of 65 feet, a semitrailer longer than 48 feet, an automobile haulaway longer than 66 feet plus allowed overhangs, or a double bottom. Certain exceptions are provided under s. 348.07 (2), Stats., which implements provisions of the federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act in Wisconsin.
The effect of this proposed rule will be to extend the provisions of ss. 348.07 (2) (f), (fm), (gm) and (gr), and 348.08 (1) (e), Stats., to the highway segments listed above. As a result, vehicles which may legally operate on the federal National Network in Wisconsin will also be allowed to operate on the newly-designated highways. Specifically, this means there will be no overall length limitation for a tractor-semitrailer combination, a double bottom or an automobile haulaway on the affected highway segments. There also will be no length limitation for a truck tractor or road tractor when operated in a tractor-semitrailer combination or as part of a double bottom or an automobile haulaway. Double bottoms will be allowed to operate on the affected highway segments provided neither trailer is longer than 28 feet, 6 inches. Semitrailers up to 53 feet long may also be operated on these highway segments provided the kingpin to rear axle distance does not exceed 43 feet. This distance is measured from the kingpin to the center of the rear axle or, if the semitrailer has a tandem axle, to a point midway between the first and last axles of the tandem. Otherwise, semitrailers, including semitrailers which are part of an automobile haulaway, are limited to 48 feet in length.
These vehicles and combinations are also allowed to operate on undesignated highways for a distance of 5 miles or less from the designated highway in order to reach fuel, food, maintenance, repair, rest, staging, terminal or vehicle assembly or points of loading or unloading.
Fiscal Estimate
The Department estimates that there will be no fiscal impact on the liabilities or revenues of any county, city, village, town, school district, technical college district or sewerage district.
