The Bureau of Long-Term Support is responsible for developing and implementing a wide range of services and supports for the elderly, as well as people with physical or developmental disabilities who need long-term supports.

The Family Care Partnership Program is an integrated health and long-term care program for the frail elderly and people with disabilities. The Partnership Program consists of several managed care organizations located in different geographical regions of Wisconsin.

The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) ensures that the insurance industry responsibly and adequately meets the insurance needs of Wisconsin citizens. OCI's mission is to lead the way in informing and protecting the public and responding to its insurance needs.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services seeks to ensure the health, safety and well-being of Wisconsin citizens. One of the department's goals is to improve the lives of Wisconsin seniors and people with disabilities.

The Office of Policy Initiatives and Budget is a state services funding agency. It provides department-wide budgeting as well as policy and research services. This office monitors and prepares fiscal notes on proposed legislation. It also recommends policies and programs to be funded by the state of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long-Term Care oversees the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Volunteer Ombudsman, and Medigap Helpline Programs. It consists of a Board of Directors and agencies that are committed to protecting the safety and quality of life for Wisconsin seniors.

The Community Integration Program (CIP) is a Medicare/Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Waiver for seniors and adults with disabilities. The CIP Waiver helps these people to stay out of nursing homes or institutions, or to relocate them from state centers and nursing homes back to their communities.

Founded in 1977, Disability Rights Wisconsin is a private nonprofit organization that was designated by the governor to ensure the rights of all state citizens with disabilities through individual advocacy and system change.

The Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide membership organization founded in 1978. CWAG’s mission is to improve the quality of life for people of all ages through intergenerational understanding and leadership development, public education, legal and legislative advocacy, and public policy development.

The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities was established to advocate on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities and to improve the disability service system. The board's mission is to help people with developmental disabilities become independent, productive, and included in all facets of community life.

AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that advocates for people ages 50 and older. Since 1958, AARP has lobbied for senior issues, including the passage of Medicare in 1965. AARP offers support from staffed offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Disability Advocates: Wisconsin Network (DAWN) is a statewide grassroots network of people who care about disability issues. DAWN supports legislative change in the programs and systems affecting people with all disabilities. DAWN serves people with disabilities, family members, friends, service providers, and others who are committed to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. The Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities funds DAWN as part of the State Plan on Developmental Disabilities.

Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) is a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), a company contracted by the CMS to process Medicare claims. WPS processes Medicare Part A and Part B payments and claims for Jurisdiction 5, which consists of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. WPS also administers Part A and Part B legacy contracts. The Part A legacy contracts are former Mutual of Omaha providers who will eventually transition to Jurisdiction 1 (covered by Palmetto Government Benefit Administrators). They cover Hawaii, Delaware and New York. The Part B legacy contracts cover Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program helps Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. The goal is to protect older people and to preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The federal program was created in 1996 by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and amended in 2006 by Titles II and IV of the Older Americans Act.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is a national program that offers counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and to their families. Coordinators provide counseling on Medicare benefits, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Social Security, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. SHIP, formerly the Information, Counseling and Assistance (ICA) grants program, was created under section 4360 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. This act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make grants to states for health advisory services programs for people with Medicare. The local component of SHIP consists primarily of the Elderly Benefit Specialist Program and the Disability Benefit Specialist Program.

The long-term care ombudsman advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The office resolves complaints and educates seniors and long-term care providers about their rights and good care practices. The ombudsman also provides information to the public on nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and services, residents' rights, and legislative and policy issues. In 1978, an amendment to the federal Older Americans Act required every state to have an ombudsman program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA).

The Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources Inc. is a nonprofit agency committed to supporting the successful delivery of aging programs and services in 70 counties and 11 tribes in Wisconsin. The agency provides aging agencies in their local service area with training, technical assistance, and advocacy to ensure the availability and quality of programs and services to meet the changing needs of older people in Wisconsin.

MetaStar Inc. is the Quality Improvement Organization for the state of Wisconsin. QIOs are private, mostly not-for-profit organizations, staffed by doctors and other health care professionals, who are trained to review medical care, to help beneficiaries with complaints about the quality of care, and to implement improvements in the quality of care available throughout the spectrum of care. QIOs are required under Sections 1152-1154 of the Social Security Act.

Before Mark R. Taylor became president and CEO of Columbia St. Mary’s Inc., he was president and CEO of Genesys Health System in Grand Blanc, Mich. Earlier in his career he served as president and CEO of St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. He holds a master’s in health services administration from the University of Michigan and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Before becoming president and CEO, Nick Turkal held various positions with Aurora Health Care, including vice president of academic affairs, senior vice president and chief medical officer. He has been a practicing family physician for more than 20 years, and served as the 2011 chairman of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

Susan Edwards held health care leadership positions in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio before joining ProHealth Care. Earlier in her career, she was president of Banner Health System’s Arizona region in Phoenix; she was also executive vice president and chief operating officer of St. John’s Health System in Detroit. She earned a master’s in health administration from Duke University and a law degree from Wayne State University.

Donna Katen-Bahensky has served as president and CEO of University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics since February 2008. Earlier in her career, she was CEO of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and was senior associate vice president for medical affairs at University of Iowa Health Care. She has been on the board of trustees for the American Hospital Association since January 2012. She earned her master’s in public health administration, with an emphasis on health services management, from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

John D. Oliverio has served as president and CEO of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare since 2000. Before obtaining his current position, he was senior vice president of finance, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Wheaton. He is a certified public accountant and received a master’s in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois.

Before becoming CEO of Froedtert Health, William Petasnick served as the deputy director and chief operating officer for University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; director of operations and chief operating officer for University of Carolina Hospital; and senior associate director of University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. He currently chairs the American Hospital Association Long-Range Policy Committee. He earned his master’s in hospital and health administration from the University of Minnesota.

This House committee considers matters that pertain to the health of Wisconsin residents.

This House committee considers matters that pertain to the health of Wisconsin elderly residents.

This Senate committee considers matters that pertain to the health of Wisconsin residents.