Most of Wisconsin's health care budget go extensively on long term care services. In fact, the 2005 budget recorded to nearly $2.2 billion expenditures on long term care; 48 percent for home and community-based services (HCBS) and 53 percent for institutional care.Informal care provided by family and friends is excluded from those expenditures. Providing informal care to elders and disabled is very important since insitutional care services are so expensive these days and they could likely double in the future.

The population of the elderly in Wisconsin soared to more than 51,000 between the year 1990 and 2000. This number is projected to increase in the next 25 years. By 2020, the senior population will have increased to to 1.02 million; meanwhile, the population by 2030 is expected to reach 1.34 milllion. Wisconsin's elderly population is slightly higher than the national average.

Long term care has been a dilemma for most Wisconsin elders and their caregiving families. People are expected to squander even their last life savings just to provide themselves and their loved ones with decent and adequate long term care services. Long-term care is very expensive that it could shove people to poverty.

Medicaid allocates nearly haf of the nation's budget on long term care services. In 2004, Medicaid paid roughly one-third of long term care expenses, whereas the 30 percent were allocated to 30 percent for nursing homes.

Based on the report from Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Wisconsin shelled out 41.8 of its total Medicaid budget on long term care in the fiscal year 2003 alone, outpacing the national expenditures of 31.6%. Long-term care does not choose whom it will save from the burdening costs in nursing homes and residential care. It is lavishly expensive for individuals and families to avail long term care in any types of settings. Seniors without a yearly budget of around $70,000 - $90,000 will not make it to avail quality long term care services. In 2003, Wisconsin got the 11th spot for the highest percentage (4.9 percent) of elderly aged 65 and above who were in nursing homes. Many elders wish to receive care in their home or community, but the availability of home care becomes less visible as family caregivers have competing priorities between work and family. Unfortunately, the percentage of available family caregivers is lagging since 2005. This can be explained by demographics: smaller families, more women in workforce, and the increasing number of divorced or divorcees. Although family members want to provide care for their aged parent or loved one, they would rather send their loved ones in nursing homes for long term care.

How do citizens plan for long term care needs? Wisconsin residents believed that they would pay long term care expenses themselves or with the help of an insurance company. Many residents can't seek help from Medicaid because the financial program requires applicants to deplete their assets before they qualify for assistance. This means that the half of the population should lead a lowly life for the sake of getting long term care assistance. It seems unfair for many taxpayers who have contributed much in the nation's budget.

However, the state of Wisconsin has a newly-found program that empowers long term care services for all residents. The institution of the Wisconsin Partnership for Long Term Care marked the progress of long term care in the state.