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Family Care: Wisconsin's Managed Long-Term Care Program

Family Care is Wisconsin's managed long-term-care Medicaid program that can pay for care services -- not room and board -- inside a CBRF or RCAC.

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Family Care, explained

Short answer

Family Care is a Wisconsin Medicaid managed long-term-care program in which a Managed Care Organization coordinates a care plan and provider network for the member. It can cover care services delivered inside a CBRF or RCAC as a home-and-community-based support, but generally does not cover room and board.

  • Administered through: the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) handles enrollment for the county where the applicant lives.
  • What it covers: care services (personal care, supervision, some nursing support) inside a licensed CBRF or RCAC, and a range of other home-and-community-based supports. It generally does not cover room and board, which must be paid separately (private funds, SSI, or other income).
  • Regional coverage: Family Care has had regional rollout differences across Wisconsin historically. Whether it is available in all four core counties (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington) today was not fully confirmed in our most recent research pass -- verify current county coverage directly with DHS's Family Care program pages before relying on "available in your county" as settled fact.

Questions families ask

What VA benefits can help pay for senior care for a Milwaukee-area veteran?

The VA's Aid and Attendance pension is the most relevant benefit for many veterans and surviving spouses needing help paying for assisted living, memory care, or in-home care -- it's a needs-based benefit added on top of a wartime veteran's basic pension, using unreimbursed medical expenses to increase the benefit amount.

Is the VA's Aid and Attendance benefit the same everywhere, or does it vary by state?

It's the same everywhere. VA Aid and Attendance rates are federal and identical nationwide, including for veterans and survivors living in the Milwaukee metro -- they are not Wisconsin-specific and don't vary by county within the state either.

Can a veteran use both VA Aid and Attendance and Wisconsin Medicaid (Family Care/IRIS) at the same time?

In many cases, yes, though the specific interaction between VA pension income and Wisconsin Medicaid's income/asset eligibility rules requires individual review -- talk to your county ADRC's benefits specialist or a VA-accredited benefits counselor before assuming how the two programs interact for your specific situation.

Where is the nearest VA medical center for a Milwaukee-area veteran?

The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, part of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center campus, serves as the primary VA hospital for veterans in the Milwaukee metro. Veterans should confirm current services and any additional community-based outpatient clinic locations directly at va.gov.

Which hospital systems serve the Milwaukee metro, and why does that matter for discharge planning?

Three major systems serve the metro: Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Ascension Wisconsin (including Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital-St. Joseph and Ascension Columbia St. Mary's), and Advocate Health/Aurora Health Care (including Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center). Each has its own discharge-planning process worth understanding before a hospital stay ends.

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