MONROE - The Green County Board Wednesday voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with 12 other counties to house seniors who suffer from behavioral problems.
The county has sent one resident to Clearview Nursing Home in Dodge County for six to eight years, Green County Human Services Director Greg Holcomb told the board.
Clearview receives money from Medicare to cover expenses for the Green County patient as well as the approximately 100 other patients. However, Clearview operates at a loss, Holcomb said, because Medicare dooesn't cover all expenses incurred by patients.
About 30 percent of Clearview's patients are from other counties because the facility is better equipped to handle patients with behavioral problems. The Dodge County Board decided it wouldn't continue to accept out-of-county patients because costs were too high.
The option Dodge County Human Services came up with is to enter into a consortium with 12 counties to provide services for the residents.
To be in the consortium, Green County will pay a one-time entry fee of $5,000. The county will pay $39 a day over what Medicare pays Clearview to help cover expenses.
Holcomb said the county will save money if it joins. If the Green County resident had to move to a Green County group home it would cost about $6,000 because Medicare will not pay for the group home, Holcomb said. That cost would have to be taken over by the county.
Green County will have a member on the 13-county consortium board and will be able to send more patients to Clearview in the future, if there's room, Holcomb said. If there isn't room, the county will be placed on a waiting list. However, Holcomb pointed out to the board, counties not in the consortium will not be allowed to place residents in Clearview.
The county has sent one resident to Clearview Nursing Home in Dodge County for six to eight years, Green County Human Services Director Greg Holcomb told the board.
Clearview receives money from Medicare to cover expenses for the Green County patient as well as the approximately 100 other patients. However, Clearview operates at a loss, Holcomb said, because Medicare dooesn't cover all expenses incurred by patients.
About 30 percent of Clearview's patients are from other counties because the facility is better equipped to handle patients with behavioral problems. The Dodge County Board decided it wouldn't continue to accept out-of-county patients because costs were too high.
The option Dodge County Human Services came up with is to enter into a consortium with 12 counties to provide services for the residents.
To be in the consortium, Green County will pay a one-time entry fee of $5,000. The county will pay $39 a day over what Medicare pays Clearview to help cover expenses.
Holcomb said the county will save money if it joins. If the Green County resident had to move to a Green County group home it would cost about $6,000 because Medicare will not pay for the group home, Holcomb said. That cost would have to be taken over by the county.
Green County will have a member on the 13-county consortium board and will be able to send more patients to Clearview in the future, if there's room, Holcomb said. If there isn't room, the county will be placed on a waiting list. However, Holcomb pointed out to the board, counties not in the consortium will not be allowed to place residents in Clearview.