Wisconsin Family Care and Family Care Partnership: Wisconsin 2026 Guide
Family Care is Wisconsin’s managed long-term care program for older adults and adults with disabilities. Family Care Partnership combines Family Care with health care in one plan. Both are run by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) through managed care organizations, with entry through local Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs).
Below we cover the 2026 eligibility rules for Family Care, the services it can pay for, the steps to apply, how waiting lists work, and how the program sits alongside nursing home Medicaid in Wisconsin. For the full statewide rules on income, assets, spouses and the look-back, see our Wisconsin Medicaid guide.
Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.
What Family Care is
Family Care is available in every county, and since 2018 there has been no waiting list. A member’s interdisciplinary team, including a care manager and a nurse, works with the member to build a plan. Partnership adds medical care, combining Medicare and Medicaid for dual eligibles in some regions. IRIS is the self-directed alternative.
Under managed long-term services and supports, Wisconsin contracts with health plans, which then arrange and pay for members’ long-term care. Each plan assigns a care coordinator who builds and updates the care plan, and members usually choose among two or more plans. Financial eligibility is still decided by the state, and plan decisions can be appealed.
Who qualifies in 2026
To get Family Care, a person generally has to pass two separate tests, one about care need and one about money, and then receive an opening. In general, an applicant must:
- be 18 or older with a physical disability, or 65 or older;
- meet the functional level of care through the Long-Term Care Functional Screen; and
- meet Wisconsin Medicaid financial rules.
Financial rules. For Family Care, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services applies the long-term care Medicaid rules for income and assets, generally the same ones used for nursing home care. Countable assets include bank accounts, investments and property other than the home, while the home, one car, personal belongings and certain burial funds are usually not counted. Gifts and below-value sales in the last 60 months are reviewed, and a transfer penalty can push back the start of services.
In 2026, the special income limit is $2,982 a month (Group B), and Group B Plus allows people with higher income to qualify with a cost share. The single-person asset limit is $2,000.
Wisconsin’s 2026 long-term care Medicaid numbers, from our state guide:
| Item | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Income limit (applicant) | $2,982 a month (institutional categorically needy limit) |
| Asset limit (single applicant) | $2,000 |
| Asset limit (couple, both applying) | $3,000 |
| Home equity limit | $752,000 |
| Spouse at home: asset share (CSAS) | $50,000 if the couple has $100,000 or less; half above that; maximum $162,660 |
| Spouse at home: monthly income allocation | $3,606.66 (from July 1, 2026), plus extra for housing costs above $1,082; maximum $4,066.50 |
| Personal needs allowance (nursing home) | $55 a month |
| Look-back period | 60 months (5 years) |
Couples. Spousal impoverishment rules generally apply to waiver applicants in Wisconsin, protecting a share of assets and income for the spouse at home. The spousal allowance pages explain how these amounts are figured.
Services Family Care can cover
The plan covers long-term care services listed in the member’s plan of care, along with Medicaid medical benefits. Depending on assessed need, Family Care can include:
- care management
- personal care and supportive home care
- adult day care
- residential care in community-based residential facilities and adult family homes
- home-delivered meals
- respite
- transportation
- home modifications
- nursing and therapies
- medical care (Partnership only)
Limits to keep in mind. Family Care does not pay for rent, groceries or utilities; in residential settings, room and board is the resident’s responsibility. Plans of care are built around any unpaid help family already gives, and doctor, hospital and drug coverage continue separately.
How to apply for Family Care
The usual sequence for Family Care is below. Running the financial application and the care assessment in parallel can shorten the wait.
- Contact the local ADRC.
- Complete the Long-Term Care Functional Screen.
- Apply for Medicaid through ACCESS or the income maintenance agency.
- Choose Family Care, Partnership or IRIS.
- The team creates the plan.
Practical tips. Keep copies of everything you send and note the name of each person you speak with. Assessors only see one visit, so describe what a difficult day looks like and have a regular helper in the room. Memory problems, falls and the need for supervision all count, even when the person can still do some tasks alone. If the answer is no, the written notice explains how to request a fair hearing and the deadline.
Waiting lists and timing
There is no waiting list statewide.
Getting on a list early, before a crisis, is usually wise. Stopgaps can include state plan home care, adult day centers, PACE where it operates and local aging services. The waiver waiting lists page explains common rules.
How it relates to nursing home Medicaid
Family Care usually covers both nursing facility care and care at home through the same plan, so moving between settings does not mean starting over. The same financial rules apply in both settings, but in a nursing facility most of the member’s income is paid toward care.
Tips for families
Before choosing a plan, check which home care agencies, adult day centers, residences and nursing homes are in each network, and whether current doctors are included. Get a written copy of the care plan, and if services are reduced, get the decision in writing and note the appeal deadline. The look-back still applies, so get advice before gifts or transfers and have five years of records ready.
Because Family Care combines a care test, a money test and sometimes a wait, a Certified Medicaid Planner familiar with Wisconsin can be a real help: checking finances against the 2026 limits, flagging look-back issues and keeping the application on track. Typical fees vary widely: help with an application alone often runs about $500 to $6,000, full planning about $2,500 to $15,000 or more, and hourly advice about $150 to $600.
Related pages
- Wisconsin Medicaid guide
- Wisconsin IRIS
- Managed long-term services and supports
- Nursing home level of care
- Fair hearings
- Dual eligibility
- The five-year look-back
Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.