Wisconsin DHS to cover 91% of nursing home cost for Medicaid members next year

MADISON, Wis. (WKBT) — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services will increase Medicaid cost coverage for nursing homes from 77% to 91% for the next fiscal year.

According to DHS, demand for long-term care services will rise faster than the workforce will grow in the coming years. A significant amount of the increase will go toward wages and benefits, officials said.

“The people who work in and lead Wisconsin’s nursing homes are critical to ensuring quality care for residents across the state of Wisconsin,” said Karen Timberlake, DHS Secretary-designee. “Our new rate setting model allows us to prioritize funding for direct care nursing and support increased wages for health care workers to ensure continuing high-quality care.”

The state’s population over the age of 65 is projected to grow by 72% by 2040, six times higher than the state overall projected population increase over the same period.

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