Wisconsin Home Care Medicaid

Wisconsin's four adult Home and Community-Based Waiver programs — Family Care, Family Care Partnership, PACE, and IRIS — are designed to keep elderly, blind, or disabled adults living in community settings rather than a state institution or nursing home. Medicaid pays for qualifying supports through these programs that wouldn't be covered under ordinary Medicaid.

Family Care runs as managed care, with an MCO coordinating a member's services. IRIS works the opposite way: it's self-directed, meaning the participant or their legal decision-maker chooses services and providers, manages an individual budget, and works with an IRIS consultant and fiscal employer agent rather than a managed-care organization.