William H. Orth, WCHSA President
Sauk County Dept. Of Human Services
P.O. Box 29
Baraboo, WI 53913
Phone: 608-355-4212 Fax: 608-355-4299
E-mail: worth@co.sauk.wi.us
WCHSA -Wisconsin County Human Services Association
June 30, 2011
Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary, US Department of Health & Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Sebelius:
I am writing on behalf of the Wisconsin County Human Services Association (WCHSA) regarding the recent action taken by the Wisconsin Legislature and Governor Scott Walker concerning the Federal Medicaid Waiver Program, Family Care. This action, contained in the recently signed 2011-2013 state budget would end entitlement and once again establish waiting lists of vulnerable, frail elderly, physically disabled, and developmentally disabled individuals. The burden for providing necessary services for those on the waiting list would fall to local property tax payers, because all of the federal and state funding has been shifted to the managed care organizations operating Family Care.
The Wisconsin County Human Services Association is the primary organization representing county human/social service departments and boards in Wisconsin. WCHSA established a position opposing the Family Care changes several months ago in an attempt to persuade the Wisconsin Legislature and Governor to abandon the attempt to change Family Care. In spite of joining with more than 70 other state-wide and regional consumer and service provision organizations to oppose this legislation our attempts were unsuccessful.
Thus, we are asking you to deny the anticipated request from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to amend the Family Care Waiver. The changes proposed would not only hurt vulnerable Wisconsin citizens, but will also increase the burden on Wisconsin tax payers. Thank you and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
William H. Orth
WCHSA President
Cc: Senator Herb Kohl
Representative Tammy Baldwin
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