Committee forwards $425,000 placement contract amendment to county board

The Richland County Community and Health Services Standing Committee voted to send an amendment to a placement contract with Dungarbin Wisconsin LLC to the full county board for approval after staff said the change is needed to secure a bed and move a county resident to a less‑restrictive setting.

Health and Human Services staff told the committee the amendment would increase payments to the vendor to cover the remaining costs for one individual and estimated the additional cost for the year at about $425,000. "So because of the procurement policy ... because it's over $250,000 this has to go to full county board for approval," staff said during the discussion.

Committee members asked whether placing the person in the new facility would reduce costs to another vendor and whether the home would need CCS credentialing to allow Medicaid billing. Staff said the move is intended to be both lower cost and less restrictive than the individual's current placement at an institution such as Winnebago, and that CCS credentialing — if obtained — can allow some services to be billed to Medicaid and reduce county costs over time. Staff also noted that some placements remain non‑reimbursable by Medicaid (for example, IMD placements) and that statewide changes to Medicaid reimbursement could take a year or longer to affect county expenses.

The committee voted to send the amendment to the county board for final approval. The committee discussion included clarifying residency rules and confirming that the county is the responsible jurisdiction for court‑ordered protective placements.