Aid for treatment of kidney disease
Wis. Stat. § 49.68
in effect(1) Declaration of policy. The legislature finds that effective means of treating kidney failure are available, including dialysis or artificial kidney treatment or transplants. It further finds that kidney disease treatment is prohibitively expensive for the overwhelming portion of the state’s citizens. It further finds that public and private insurance coverage is inadequate in many cases to cover the cost of adequate treatment at the proper time in modern facilities. The legislature finds, in addition, that the incidence of the disease in the state is not so great that public aid may not be provided to alleviate this serious problem for a relatively modest investment. Therefore, it is declared to be the policy of this state to assure that all persons are protected from the destructive cost of kidney disease treatment by one means or another.
(1m) Definition. In this section, “recombinant human erythropoietin” means a bioengineered glycoprotein that has the same biological effects in stimulating red blood cell production as does the glycoprotein erythropoietin that is produced by the human body.
(2) Duties of department. The department shall:
(a) Promulgate rules setting standards for operation and certification of dialysis and renal transplantation centers and home dialysis equipment and suppliers.
(b) Promulgate rules setting standards for acceptance and certification of patients into the treatment phase of the program.
(c) Promulgate rules concerning reasonable cost and length of treatment programs.
(d) Aid in preparing educational programs and materials informing the public as to chronic renal disease and the prevention and treatment thereof.
(3) Aid to kidney disease patients.
(a) Subject to s. 49.687 (1m), any permanent resident of this state who suffers from chronic renal disease may be accepted into the dialysis treatment phase of the renal disease control program if the resident meets standards set by rule under sub. (2) and s. 49.687.
(b) From the appropriation accounts under ss. 20.435 (4) (e) and (je), the state shall pay, at a rate determined by the department under par. (e), for medical treatment that is required as a direct result of chronic renal disease of certified patients from the date of certification, including administering recombinant human erythropoietin to appropriate patients, whether the treatment is rendered in an approved facility in the state or in a dialysis or transplantation center that is approved as such by a contiguous state, subject to the conditions specified under par. (d). Approved facilities may include a hospital in-center dialysis unit or a nonhospital dialysis center that is closely affiliated with a home dialysis program supervised by an approved facility. Aid shall also be provided for all reasonable expenses incurred by a potential living-related donor, including evaluation, hospitalization, surgical costs, and postoperative follow-up to the extent that these costs are not reimbursable under the federal medicare program or other insurance. In addition, all expenses incurred in the procurement, transportation, and preservation of cadaveric donor kidneys shall be covered to the extent that these costs are not otherwise reimbursable. All donor-related costs are chargeable to the recipient and reimbursable under this subsection.
(c) Disbursement and collection of all funds under this subsection shall be by the department or by a fiscal intermediary, in accordance with a contract with a fiscal intermediary. The costs of the fiscal intermediary under this paragraph shall be paid from the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (a).
(d)
1. No aid may be granted under this subsection unless the recipient has no other form of aid available from the federal medicare program, from private health, accident, sickness, medical, and hospital insurance coverage, or from other health care coverage specified by rule under s. 49.687 (1m). If insufficient aid is available from other sources and if the recipient has paid an amount equal to the annual medicare deductible amount specified in subd. 2., the state shall pay the difference in cost to a qualified recipient. If at any time sufficient federal or private insurance aid or other health care coverage becomes available during the treatment period, state aid under this subsection shall be terminated or appropriately reduced. Any patient who is eligible for the federal medicare program shall register and pay the premium for medicare medical insurance coverage where permitted, and shall pay an amount equal to the annual medicare deductible amounts required under 42 USC 1395e and 1395L (b), prior to becoming eligible for state aid under this subsection.
2. Aid under this subsection is only available after the patient pays an annual amount equal to the annual deductible amount required under the federal medicare program. This subdivision requires an inpatient who seeks aid first to pay an annual deductible amount equal to the annual medicare deductible amount specified under 42 USC 1395e and requires an outpatient who seeks aid first to pay an annual deductible amount equal to the annual medicare deductible amount specified under 42 USC 1395L (b).
3. No payment shall be made under this subsection for any portion of medical treatment costs or other expenses that are payable under any state, federal, or other health care coverage program, including a health care coverage program specified by rule under s. 49.687 (1m), or under any grant, contract, or other contractual arrangement.
(e) Payment for services provided under this section shall be at a rate determined by the department that does not exceed the allowable charges under the federal Medicare program. In no case shall state rates for individual service elements exceed the federally defined allowable costs. The rate of charges for services not covered by public and private insurance shall not exceed the reasonable charges as established by Medicare fee determination procedures. A person that provides to a patient a service for which aid is provided under this section shall accept the amount paid under this section for the service as payment in full and may not bill the patient for any amount by which the charge for the service exceeds the amount paid for the service under this section. The state may not pay for the cost of travel, lodging, or meals for persons who must travel to receive inpatient and outpatient dialysis treatment for kidney disease. This paragraph shall not apply to donor related costs as defined in par. (b).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/49.68Fetched: 10/7/2026