Announcements
Department of Health Services and The Management Group (TMG) Announce Breach of Information
The Department of Health Services (DHS) and The Management Group (TMG) are notifying IRIS participants of a breach of information due to theft of a laptop and a work bag of a TMG IRIS consultant on February 5. For more information, view the press release.
Beware of Scam Callers
Recently spam phone calls were made to IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct) participants and participant-hired workers. The callers sought personal information about the IRIS participant or demanded the IRIS participant make payment to avoid being arrested. The callers said they were from the IRIS program, IRIS consultant agencies, or fiscal employer agents. This is a scam.
The IRIS program takes the security and confidentiality of your personal information very seriously. Your IRIS consultant agency or fiscal employer agent may sometimes call you. However, the IRIS program or your IRIS consultant agency or fiscal employer agent will never ask you for personal or financial information over the phone. They also will never claim that your information is lost or missing or threaten you with arrest.
Be wary of unsolicited calls requesting sensitive personal or financial information. If you get a phone call from someone you do not recognize or if you are not sure if you should provide information to a caller:
- Do not provide or confirm any information to the caller and hang up.
- Write down who the caller was, what the caller wanted, and the caller’s phone number (if possible). Never return a call on the number provided to you in the unsolicited call, and do not trust that the information on your caller ID is accurate. Scammers can spoof their numbers, so it looks like they are calling from a particular organization even when they are not.
- Contact your IRIS consultant or the IRIS Call Center at 888-515-4747 as soon as possible to notify them of the call.
If you have been scammed or if you think your identity has been stolen, you may also report the call to the Federal Trade Commission.
IRIS Transition for Dane County
Dane County is Wisconsin's 71st county to implement Family Care and IRIS. The state and county are committed to preserving and enhancing the long-term care services valued in Dane County, and this transition will allow about 500 people currently on a wait list to have access to needed services. Learn more about the Family Care and IRIS transition for Dane County.
IRIS 40-Hour Health and Safety Policy
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has revised the 40-Hour Health and Safety Assurance Policy related to the number of hours a caregiver may work for a participant in the IRIS program. The intention is to ensure the health and safety of IRIS participants, as well as caregivers, while protecting the integrity of self-direction and the IRIS program.
It is important to remember that this policy, as revised, does not reduce the hours of care granted to an IRIS participant.
Electronic Visit Verification
In response to the federal 21st Century Cures Act, DHS is required to implement electronic visit verification (EVV) for Medicaid-covered personal care services and home health services.
DHS has created a dedicated webpage where providers can view all current EVV information. DHS plans to update this webpage to provide current EVV information, including any updates on implementation timelines. Providers are encouraged to visit the webpage frequently.
