IRIS GENERAL INFORMATION

IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct, is a Wisconsin statewide, self-directed, home and community-based waiver program. Within their individually assigned monthly budget allocation, IRIS participants use public funds and natural supports to wisely craft creative support and service plans that meet their self identified long-term care outcomes, maximize their independence and ultimately help achieve the lives they want.

IRIS is a new Wisconsin long term care option that began July 1, 2008. Individuals who choose to participate in IRIS have more choices, control, and freedom to design their own support and service plans to meet their functional, vocational, medical and social needs. Persons using IRIS self manage their goods and services and may use IRIS to remain in their community and avoid moving into a nursing home or an institution. With IRIS, adult Wisconsinites who are elderly or those with a physical or a developmental disability have control over the type of services they receive in home and community settings. The DHS  IRIS brochure describes many IRIS details.

A key IRIS feature is the participant or their family member or representative being in charge of his/her long term care and fully self-directing his/her services, supports or goods and life. IRIS participants create a support and service plan for their long term care supports and services within an individually assigned monthly budget allocation. Individuals may hire their own service workers directly or they may purchase goods and services from an agency provider. In IRIS you choose the services you need, and decide where and how to spend your monthly IRIS budget allocation. IRIS participants self manage their chosen goods and services. Your monthly budget allocation may be adjusted based on your unique circumstances.

You select your own IRIS Independent Consultant with help from the IRIS Independent Consultant Agency. The IRIS Financial Services Agency pays the bills for services received that you authorize according to your written IRIS plan. Help from both of these IRIS agencies is provided at no cost to your plan and monthly budget. You may enlist the help of a support broker if desired, and support broker fees are paid out of your individual monthly budget allocation.

IRIS allows you to choose which services you need, when and where you receive them and will help you to attain the highest quality of life possible. The Wisconsin DHS Bureau of Long Term Support is pleased to give Wisconsinites this important opportunity. IRIS is available to Wisconsinites who are Medicaid eligible and also eligible for publicly funded long term care services that live in a county where managed care (family care) is available. Individuals are offered the choice of IRIS or managed care when they enter the state publicly funded long term care system at their local Aging and Disability Resource Center. Check the Wisconsin map by clicking the box on the right to verify that IRIS is currently available in your county. If no information is listed for the county where you live you may contact your local Human or Social Services Office for this information.

The program known as IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct) was developed with the assistance of Wisconsin Stakeholders (38K PDF) representing long term care consumers, advocacy programs, counties, tribes, state DHS staff and others. IRIS is sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and is implemented by the Bureau of Long Term Support under authorization of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. IRIS helps you self manage your chosen goods and services.
 

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