HFS 83 Rewrite Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1) What is the HFS 83 rewrite?
HFS 83 are the regulations that govern operations of Community Based Residential Facilities - CBRFs. The current 10 year old regulations have been under review for many years. A large group of all major stakeholders, including WALA, have worked with the (now) Bureau of Assisted Living (BAL) to review multiple draft proposals of the rewrite. In November, 2007, DHFS announced that the current draft of the rewrite is ready for review by all interested parties, has set public hearings and is seeking comment on the draft rule.
2) What is WALA's position on the HFS 83 rewrite?
- WALA, our HFS 83 Rewrite Committee, volunteers, Executive Committee and Board of Directors have spent countless hours reviewing the proposed regulations on your behalf.
- Please review WALA Policy and Comments on HFS 83 Rewrite which includes our proposal for Administrator Qualifications for new Administrators without the proposed minimum 60 hours of post secondary course work in business or a health care related field (on pages 8-10). Also included are WALA's complete comments and recommendations on all aspects of the proposed rule.
- Research for WALA's alternative Administrator qualifications proposal is based on a number of documents including an in-depth survey of 16 states and NCAL state administrator qualifications.
- We encourage you to talk to each other, the WALA Board, Legislative Committee, other providers and those who will be impacted by the new rule to help formulate your own views and concerns about the proposed rule. The more people who review the documents the better chance there is in finding potential problematic issues now rather than wait for the rule to be in effect.
- Emailed comments to Jim Murphy at jmurphy@ewala.org from any WALA member are welcome.
- In addition, there was a story in the Wisconsin State Journal December 2, 2007 on assisted living. WALA's response to the story is posted here. You will see our suggestions for provider improvement in this letter.
3) How can I get a copy of the proposed regulations?
- Access all the DHFS pertinent rewrite documents online. At that site, the actual document with the proposed language you want to review is called the Initial Proposed Rulemaking Order. (WALA recommends that you review all the documents, though there may be some overlap between them. The earlier 2006 version on the DHFS website is no longer current - be sure to use the most current revision at this link.)
- Read them carefully and note the changes from the current regulations.
4) Can I still make comments to DHFS regarding HF 83?
No. The deadline for submitting comments was 4:30 pm Wednesday, December 26, 2007. However, WALA would still like to hear your comments on HFS 83. Please send your comments and opinions via email to WALA (info@ewala.org).