Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and PACE: What’s New

Learn about program changes and new resources.

New toolkits available to help providers enroll with Medicaid

All providers of home and community-based services under an adult long-term care waiver program must enroll with Wisconsin Medicaid through the ForwardHealth Portal by January 1, 2026. A toolkit for managed care organizations (MCOs) and fiscal employer agents (FEAs) is now available with key information and resources to help providers understand the requirement.

Get the MCO toolkit
Get the FEA toolkit

Family Care and Family Care Partnership Waiver Renewal

On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid approved the Family Care and Family Care Partnership 1915(b) and 1915(c) waiver renewals submitted by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The new waivers will be in effect January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029. A waiver is a special set of rules that allows us to have Medicaid programs like Family Care. Together, the 1915(b) and 1915(c) waivers are the rules that make up the Family Care program.

Find more information about the Family Care and Family Care Partnership waiver renewal application on the Waiver Renewal webpage.

More managed care options for Family Care and Family Care Partnership

Starting in January 2025, almost 8,000 Family Care and Family Care Partnership (Partnership) members in South Central Wisconsin will have more choices in who helps manage their long-term care. Members in Adams, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green Lake, Jefferson, Marquette, Rock, and Waushara counties will be able to choose from four MCOs for Family Care. That's an increase from the two currently available. Wisconsinites in these nine counties will also all have the option to participate in Partnership—a first for residents in five of these counties. For more details, please view our news release.

Get involved in the Wisconsin IDD-MH System Improvement project

The Wisconsin Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health (IDD-MH) System Improvement Report (PDF) came out in June 2024. It gives 37 specific recommendations for improving systems and services for people with IDD-MH needs in Wisconsin. Now, the project steering committee is getting ready to choose which of the 37 recommendations to start working on, and who will work on them. Visit the Wisconsin IDD-MH System Improvement webpage to learn about upcoming opportunities to get involved.

Medicaid renewals underway

For the first time since March 2020, some members of Family Care, Family Care Partnership, PACE, and other Wisconsin Medicaid members must complete an annual renewal process. If you are a member of Family Care, Family Care Partnership, or PACE, it’s important to complete and submit your renewal as soon as you can after receiving your renewal packet in the mail. And if you plan to send in your information by mail or fax, build in extra time!

American Rescue Plan Act

Wisconsin’s commitment to home and community-based services (HCBS) received a boost, thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). An estimated $350 million in federal funding will help state residents who are elderly or have a disability receive much-needed services to allow them to live as independently as possible. This new funding supports improvements to Wisconsin’s HCBS programs that are unique to the needs and priorities of our residents.

Geographic service region (GSR) maps

• Family Care GSR map, P-01790 (PDF)
• Partnership/PACE Geographic Service Regions, P-01789 (PDF)
• GSR reconfiguration:
  • Family Care and IRIS GSR Reconfiguration Timeline, P-03225 (PDF)
  • Wisconsin Long-Term Care Advisory Council's GSR recommendations (PDF)

Program enrollment

See how many people enroll in our programs each month.

Adult Long-Term Care Update and ForwardHealth Portal enhancements

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has published the first issue of the new Adult Long-Term Care Update 2022-01 (PDF). This publication will share important information that affects service providers and other interested parties for Wisconsin Medicaid's adult long-term care programs:

• Family Care
• Family Care Partnership (Partnership)
• PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly)

In addition to the new publication, DHS is also launching enhancements to the ForwardHealth Portal to add content for adult long-term care administrators and providers. Read the Adult Long-Term Care Update 2022-01 (PDF) for more information about the new publication and enhancements coming to the ForwardHealth Portal.

Requests for proposals

We request proposals as our first step in finding MCOs for Family Care. Our web page has details about the Request for Proposal process.