Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to ss. 49.45 (10) and 49.472 (3) (h), (4) (a) (intro.) and 2. a., Stats., as created by 1999 Wis. Act 9, and ss. 227.11 (2) and 227.24 (1), Stats., the Department of Health and Family Services will hold public hearings to consider proposed amendments to amend and create chs. HFS 101-103 and 108 relating to the operation of the Medicaid Purchase Plan health insurance program, and emergency rules published on March 15, 2000 on the same subject.
Hearing Information
June 15, 2000 Room 152-A
Thursday State Office Building
Beginning at 11:00 a.m. 200 N. Jefferson Street
GREEN BAY, WI
June 16, 2000 Room 40
Friday State Office Building
Beginning at 11:00 a.m. 819 N. 6th Street
MILWAUKEE, WI
June 19, 2000 Room 751
Monday State Office Bldg.
Beginning at 11:00 a.m. 1 W. Wilson Street
MADISON, WI
June 20, 2000 Room 123
Tuesday State Office Bldg.
Beginning at 11:00 a.m. 610 Gibson Street
EAU CLAIRE, WI
All hearing sites are fully accessible to people with disabilities. For the Madison hearing, parking for people with disabilities is available in the parking lot behind the building or in the Doty Street Parking Ramp. Disabled persons may enter directly from the parking lot behind the west side of the building or from Wilson Street through the side entrance at the eastern entrance to the building.
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Health and Family Services
The order that creates the rules for which the hearing is being held specify the manner in which a new program called the Medicaid Purchase Plan, established under s. 49.472, Stats., as created by 1999 Wisconsin Act 9, will operate. Under the Medicaid Purchase Plan, working adults with disabilities whose family net income is less than 250% of the poverty line are eligible to purchase Medicaid, the name given to Medical Assistance in Wisconsin, on a sliding-fee scale. The order incorporates the rules for operation of the Medicaid Purchase Plan into chs. HFS 101 to 103 and 108, four of the Department's chapters of rules for operation of the Medical Assistance program.
The Medicaid Purchase Plan is projected to provide health care coverage to 1,200 Wisconsin residents with disabilities by the end of Fiscal Year 2001.
Health care coverage under the Medicaid Purchase Plan is identical to the comprehensive package of services provided by Medical Assistance. Persons enrolled in the Medicaid Purchase Plan would also be eligible for Wisconsin's home and community-based waivers under s. 46.27, Stats., provided they meet the functional criteria for these waivers.
The rules created and amended by this order modify the current Medical Assistance rules to accommodate the Medicaid Purchase Plan and in the process provide more specificity than s. 49.472, Stats., as created by Act 9, regarding the non-financial and financial conditions of eligibility for persons under the Medicaid Purchase Plan; define whose income is used when determining eligibility and the monthly premium amount; explain statutory conditions for continuing eligibility; explain how the monthly premium amount is calculated; describe the processes associated with the independence account; and set forth how the Department, in addition to providing Medical Assistance coverage, is to purchase group health coverage offered by the employer of an eligible person or an ineligible family member of an eligible member for the Medicaid Purchase Plan if the Department determines that purchasing that coverage would not cost more than providing Medical Assistance coverage.
The Department obtained approval for the Medicaid Purchase Plan from the federal Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) on October 27, 1999 effective March 15, 2000, and on March 15, 2000, the Department published emergency rules for the operation of the Medicaid Purchase Plan.
Contact Person
To find out more about the hearing or to request a copy of the rules, write or phone:
Melissa Wittman
Center for Delivery Systems Development
Office of Strategic Finance
P.O. Box 1379
1 South Pinckney Street
Room 340
Madison, WI 53701-1379
608-264-9964 or,
if you are hearing impaired,
608-266-1511 (TDD)
If you are hearing or visually impaired, do not speak English, or have circumstances that might make communication at a 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 shown above. Persons requesting a non-English or sign language interpreter should contact the person at the address or phone number given above at least 10 days before the hearing. With less than 10 days notice, an interpreter may not be available.
Written comments on the proposed rules received at the above address no later than June 30, 2000 will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
Fiscal Estimate
This order creates rules that specify how the Medicaid Purchase Plan, established under s. 49.472 Stats., will work. The Medicaid Purchase Plan makes eligible working adults with disabilities and net family incomes less than 250% of the federal poverty level to purchase Medical Assistance (MA) on a sliding-fee scale.
These rules will not affect the expenditures or revenues of state government or local governments. Costs of implementing the Medicaid Purchase Plan were taken into consideration by the Legislature during the development of the 1999-01 biennial budget.
A copy of the full fiscal estimate may be obtained from Melissa Wittman who may be contacted via the contact information in this notice.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The rules for the Medicaid Purchase Plan apply to the Department, individuals that are applicants or recipients of the health care coverage provided by the Medicaid Purchase Plan and to county social service or human service departments that take applications and determine eligibility for the Medicaid Purchase Plan. The rules do not directly affect small businesses as a “small business" is defined in s. 227.114 (1) (a), Stats.
Notice of Hearings
Health & Family Services
(Health, Chs. HFS 110-)
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 146.50 (6m), (13) (b) and (c) and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., the Department of Health and Family Services will hold public hearings to consider the repeal and recreation of chs. HFS 110 and HFS 112, Wis. Adm. Code, relating to the licensing of ambulance service providers, licensing of emergency medical technicians-basic, and licensing of emergency medical technicians-paramedics.
Hearing Information
June 22, 2000 Room B139
Thursday State Office Building
12:30 - 4:30 p.m. 1 W. Wilson Street
MADISON, WI
June 23, 2000 Room 40
Friday State Office Building
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 819 N. 6th Street
MILWAUKEE, WI
June 27, 2000 Room 123
Tuesday State Office Building
12:30 - 4:30 p.m. 610 Gibson Street
EAU CLAIRE, WI
June 28, 2000 Auditorium
Wednesday Wausau Public Library
5:00 - 8:30 p.m. North 1st Street
WAUSAU, WI
June 29, 2000 Room 152A
Thursday State Office Building
1:00 - 4:30 p.m. 200 N. Jefferson Street
GREEN BAY, WI
The hearing sites are fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Health and Family Services
The proposed rules that are the subjects of these hearings generally update chs. HFS 110 and HFS 112, rules for licensing ambulance service providers, emergency medical technicians-basic (EMTs-basic) and emergency medical technicians-paramedic. The updating is being done on the recommendation of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Board under s. 146.58, Stats., which is advisory to the Department. The rules are amended to incorporate current medical practices and update training requirements and to clarify, correct and improve rule language based on experience with the rules in effect since 1996.
