THE VALUED VOICE

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is planning to engage an independent organization to study Wisconsin’s long-term care.  DHS recently briefed WHA on the study.
 
WHA expects a key issue in the study to be the current system’s inability to place a substantial number of patients who are ready to be discharged from hospitals but need post-acute care services. WHA will be providing input. 
 
Policymakers must consider how DHS can better target the substantial reimbursement and funding increases nursing homes have and may receive in the future which, despite being substantial, did not help to avoid a backlog of hospital patients waiting for a post-acute care placement under current reimbursement methodology.

During the height of the surge, more than 600 patients each day remained in hospitals waiting for a nursing home bed, which was more than one out of every 10 hospital beds occupied by someone who did not need to be in the hospital.

WHA anticipates that the study will look beyond and in addition to funding to consider long overdue structural and regulatory reforms that would support improved access to post-acute care for patients and preserve hospital capacity for patients needing hospital care.  
 
WHA President & CEO Eric Borgerding observed that weaknesses in the long-term care system existed prior to the pandemic and continue, affecting access to all levels of care. “We look forward to working with DHS on this crucial examination of the issues,” he said.