• The ADRC was universally praised for their professionalism and ability to help anyone who contacts them. Despite all the frustration going around, their office is seen as a great place to come when you need to get help and learn how to navigate the adult long-term care system.
• Reduction in transportation means individuals no longer go to church or social activities. They are becoming more isolated.
• Wisconsin State Journal reported reduced services by 60% in reimbursement for services by a Dane County MCO. 
• Disabled individuals are unfairly squeezed by deliberate cuts. We need a lot more transparency from the state on how rates are set for different MCOs and their providers. It is very unclear if rates take into account the real labor costs in Dane County.
• Individuals are informed of cuts without any notification. There is no more local control. Where is the accountability for the MCOs?
• There is tremendous fragmentation in the delivery of services.
• MCOs need to build in flexibility and staffing for crisis. They don't have any mobile prevention resources that they can apply to a situation. For example, the lack of communication between MCOs and their providers needs to improve. They need to better engage people who are providing care to the developmentally disabled population. That is not happening in a high-quality manner.
• Last year when these big changes were taking place in Dane County, parents and guardians were encouraged not to get brokers. This was a mistake. The case managers under Family Care/ IRIS make it very clear that they aren't brokers and their job is to make sure that services provided are within someone's budget.
• Because the new system is so fragmented, when a parent or guardian want to get help with a problem, it is easy for someone to say: "That is not my job, it is someone else's job".  Problems don't get resolved.
• Dane County has had a very high employment rate when compared to the rest of the state. Cuts to things like transportation may make it even more sparse, and people with disabilities in Dane County will be less involved in our community.
• Evidence of cuts is seen by appalling figures and direct measured consequences. From January through April 2019, people with disabilities in Dane County were institutionalized on an emergency basis for 148 total nights. This number surpasses the combined totals for 2017 and 2018. These in-patient costs are expensive and greater effort to prevent emergency detention in the first place would better serve the individuals along with the budget conscious MCOs.
• Getting reimbursed for durable medical equipment (DME) is problematic because of new red tape. Vendors who used to be able to provide simple things like a bed brace lift or a repair are no longer allowed by an MCO that says, "We have a new vendor", and the new vendors are not always qualified to problem solve. 
• There is no way of knowing if an MCO is providing the care they agreed to, and if they are meeting the expectations of their contracts.
• There is a real erosion of jobs, medical care, recreation time, daily living, and socialization for individuals with disabilities in Dane County. They have come to expect and enjoy a high quality of life. That is also why so many families have moved here.

Please tell The Arc-Dane County what it would take for you to be more involved in advocacy that affects your loved one, and everyone else who cares about individuals with an intellectual disability in Dane County. Tell us what it would take to get you more involved. Contact The Arc-Dane County office at: [email protected].