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.
The updating of ch. HFS 110 has involved modifying some current definitions and creating new definitions to reflect current practice; merging defibrillation and non-visualized advanced airways language, currently in separate sections of ch. HFS 110, into the body of the chapter; deleting or modifying some language based on experience in implementing the current rules; and renumbering some of the rules to accommodate the changes and to organize this chapter in a way similar to the other chapters of Emergency Medical Services Program rules. The updating also deletes the option of someone trained in first aid being eligible for an EMT-basic training permit and adds renewal requirements for instructor-coordinators. The entire subsection on defibrillation equipment in the current rules has been deleted because defibrillators are no longer such novelties that they need to be described in such detail.
The proposed ch. HFS 112 rulemaking order modifies ch. HFS 112, Wis. Adm. Code, to reflect changes in the practice of emergency medical services since the chapter was last revised. These changes result from extensive discussions with EMS advisory bodies and other interested parties. Significant changes to the chapter include use of the term “interfacility" to distinguish between facilities and prehospital 911 care; clarification regarding the term “medical director;" raising the minimum number of hours required for EMT-paramedic coursework from 750 to 1000; and the addition of flexibility for using fewer than 2 paramedics in certain circumstances. The updating also adds renewal requirements for instructor-coordinators and increases authority for a medical director to remove medical authority for an EMT to practice if there are concerns about the EMT's training, skills, ability or judgment.
Contact Person
To find out more about the hearings or to request a copy of either proposed rulemaking order, write or call:
Bev Jensen
Division of Public Health
Bureau of EMS and Injury Prevention
P.O. Box 2659
Madison, WI 53701-2659
(608) 266-1568 or,
if you are hearing impaired,
(608) 266-1511 (TDD)
If you are hearing or visually impaired, do not speak English, or have circumstances which 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 above. A person requesting a non-English or sign language interpreter should make that request at least 10 days before a hearing. With less than 10 days notice, an interpreter may not be available.
Written comments on either proposed rulemaking order received at the above address no later than July 7, 2000 will receive the same consideration as testimony presented at a hearing.
Fiscal Estimate
There are no additional funds associated with the rule changes. A copy of the full fiscal estimate may be obtained from Bev Jensen who may be contacted via the contact information provided in this notice.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
These rules will affect about 25 ambulance services that may be classified as “small businesses" as defined in s. 227.114 (1) (a), Stats. None of the rule changes require the acquisition of additional equipment or result in additional personnel expenses.
Notice of Hearings
Health & Family Services
(Health, Chs. HFS 110-)
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to ss. 153.75 (1) and 227.11 (2) (a), Stats., the Department of Health and Family Services will hold public hearings to consider the proposed repeal and recreation of ch. HFS 120, relating to the collection, analysis and dissemination of health care information.
Hearing Information
