American Rescue Plan Act: Independent Living Supports Pilot

DHS works to strengthen the ability of Wisconsin residents to live independently for as long as they are able

From September 2023 through June 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to pilot a program in select areas of the state. The pilot, called the Independent Living Supports Pilot (ILSP) program, offered short-term, flexible, and limited services and supports for people at risk of entering Medicaid long-term care. The goal of ILSP was to improve people’s ability to stay in their own homes and decrease the burden on Wisconsin’s long-term care system.

Information for participants and providers

The program has ended. June 30, 2025, was the last day to receive services and submit claims through this program.

Program participants and providers who received payments from DHS totaling more than $600 in a given tax year will receive an IRS Form 1099. Upon receipt of a 1099 form, please consult a tax professional if you have questions regarding the need to report payments received from this program as income.

Pilot recap

To be eligible for this pilot, program participants were required to:

• Be a Wisconsin resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible immigrant (8 U.S.C. 1621(a))
• Live in pilot ADRC or Tribal ADRS agency service area
• Be over age 18
• Not be currently enrolled in Medicaid long-term care programs or living in a licensed or certified residential facility
• Earn less than 300% of the federal poverty level with no deductible or consideration of spousal income
• Have at least one eligible functional need
• Have a qualifying diagnosis (may be a long-term disability) if under age 55

Service areas

The pilot operated in 14 counties with the assistance of local aging and disability resource centers (ADRCs) to enroll participants and support the development of service plans. Participating counties included Adams, Brown, Chippewa, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Dunn, Eau Claire, Green Lake, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Sauk, St. Croix, Walworth, Washington, and Waushara.

The Independent Living Supports Pilot was not an insurance program, and it did not have a preferred provider network or use fee schedules.

Most ILSP funding stayed in the community with 97 percent of providers located in Wisconsin. More information is available on the ILSP Provider Fact Sheet, P-03574 (PDF).

Outcomes and impact

Nearly 3,000 Wisconsin residents in 14 counties participated in the program, receiving financial assistance to purchase supportive home care, home and vehicle modifications, assistive technology, and more. An evaluation of data collected during the pilot, including participant surveys, claims expenditures, and administrative processes, is currently underway and will be used to inform future programs and policies.

DHS wishes to express its appreciation to ILSP program participants, providers, and local ADRCs for their roles in this pilot to learn how we can maximize Wisconsin residents’ ability to remain healthy and independent in their homes and communities.

Funding

The Independent Living Supports Pilot was possible thanks to federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).