Nursing Homes: Redistribution of Closed Beds

When a nursing home closes, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) determines if those nursing home beds should be redistributed to other nursing homes in the county. If the beds are eligible to be redistributed, nursing homes in the county of the closure can apply for some or all of the closed nursing home beds. DHS will post requests for applications twice per year, typically in January and July.

Criteria for redistribution

When a nursing home closes, it does not necessarily mean that those beds will be redistributed. There must be a determined need to redistribute those beds, eligible applicants must apply, and applicants must demonstrate that they meet the statutory review criteria and standards.

DHS redistributes the nursing home beds made available within a county as a result of a nursing home closure within that county if all of the following apply at the time of the closure (Wis. Stat. § 150.40(1)):

• The number of other nursing home beds for each 1,000 persons 65 years of age or over in the county is less than 80% of the statewide average of nursing home beds for each 1,000 persons 65 years of age or over.
• The total occupancy level for the other nursing homes in the county is equal to or more than the statewide average nursing home occupancy rate.

Application requirements

• Complete and submit the Application for Redistribution of Closed Nursing Home Beds, F-03406 (Word)
  • Optional supplemental materials
• Complete and submit the Recommendation from Affected Party Redistribution of Closed Nursing Home Bed, F-03405 (Word) form
• Fee
  • Applicants must pay an applicant fee equal to 0.37% of the estimated project cost. All applicants must pay at least $1,850 and may not pay more than $37,000.
  • No application is complete without payment of the correct fee.
  • Fees are non-refundable.

  • Fees may be submitted by mail to:

    Division of Quality Assurance
    PO Box 93679
    Milwaukee, WI 53293-0679

All electronic materials must be submitted to dhsdqabnhrclicensing@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Eligibility

• Only licensed nursing homes in the county where the nursing home closed are eligible to apply.
• Facilities primarily serving the developmentally disabled under Wis. Admin. Code DHS 134 are not eligible to apply.
• Nursing homes may apply for the exact number of beds available or fewer beds than what’s available. DHS will only grant or deny the exact number of beds requested by the applicant.

Application process

Applications will be reviewed for completeness. A complete application is when DHS receives all the required information. If the application is incomplete, DHS will notify the applicant to submit any missing information.

Then, DHS will issue a notice in the newspaper and post on this webpage within 20 days after the date it declares all applications complete. The notice will list all applications and describe their applications in accordance with Wis. Stat. § 150.33(4).

DHS will use the criteria in Wis. Stat. § 150.39 to review each application.

DHS will send a letter to the applicant with a decision to approve or deny the application within 75 days after the date it publishes the notice. Approvals are conditional. The applicant must get their construction plan approved from the Office of Plan Review and Inspection (OPRI) in order to receive an updated license with the new licensed bed capacity. Applicants who are approved for the redistribution of closed beds must receive OPRI initial conditional plan review approval within one year.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Contact us

If you have questions about this process, please email dhsdqabnhrclicensing@dhs.wisconsin.gov.