The Wisconsin Medicaid answer, verified
Yes - Wisconsin's two Medicaid long-term care programs, Family Care (through a managed care organization) and IRIS (self-directed), pay for assisted living SERVICES but not room and board, which "are the responsibility of the program members who must pay these costs out of pocket"; Family Care members may live in a licensed CBRF, a licensed or certified adult family home, or a certified RCAC, while IRIS members may only use their own home, a licensed/certified AFH or a certified RCAC (CBRFs and registered RCACs are not allowable IRIS settings). Here is what that means in practice for Sauk City families - eligibility, what waivers cover, and what stays out of pocket.
Assisted living near Sauk City compares against a national median of $6,200 a month - and Wisconsin's own median of $6,540, ranked #19 of 50 states.
A semi-private nursing home room runs $9,581 a month at the 2025 national median - the number Sauk City families weighing skilled care start from.
In-home care averages $35 an hour nationally - about $80,080 a year at 44 hours a week for Sauk City households.
Yes - Wisconsin's two Medicaid long-term care programs, Family Care (through a managed care organization) and IRIS (self-directed), pay for assisted living SERVICES but not room and board, which "are the responsibility of the program members who must pay these costs out of pocket"; Family Care members may live in a licensed CBRF, a licensed or certified adult family home, or a certified RCAC, while IRIS members may only use their own home, a licensed/certified AFH or a certified RCAC (CBRFs and registered RCACs are not allowable IRIS settings). Whatever your state covers, one rule is nearly universal: waivers pay for care services, and the family still handles living costs - so a Medicaid path still needs a budget.
Medicaid is the payer of last resort for long-term care, and whether it helps with assisted living depends entirely on your state. Yes - Wisconsin's two Medicaid long-term care programs, Family Care (through a managed care organization) and IRIS (self-directed), pay for assisted living SERVICES but not room and board, which "are the responsibility of the program members who must pay these costs out of pocket"; Family Care members may live in a licensed CBRF, a licensed or certified adult family home, or a certified RCAC, while IRIS members may only use their own home, a licensed/certified AFH or a certified RCAC (CBRFs and registered RCACs are not allowable IRIS settings). Nursing home care is covered in every state for those who qualify financially - assisted living is the state-by-state question.
The 2026 numbers
| Care type | 2025 national median | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| In-home care | $35/hour | Non-medical help at home - meals, bathing, companionship |
| Adult day care | $95/day | Daytime supervision and activities, evenings at home |
| Assisted living | $6,200/month | Housing plus daily-living help; care-level fees extra |
| Memory care | typically 20-40% above assisted living | Secured dementia care with higher staffing |
| Nursing home (semi-private) | $9,581/month | 24/7 skilled medical care |
| Nursing home (private room) | $355/day | Same care, private room |
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Wisconsin: Medicaid, prices and the inspection file
| Question | Wisconsin answer |
|---|---|
| Medicaid & assisted living | Yes - Wisconsin's two Medicaid long-term care programs, Family Care (through a managed care organization) and IRIS (self-directed), pay for assisted living SERVICES but not room and board, which "are the responsibility of the program members who must pay these costs out of pocket"; Family Care members may live in a licensed CBRF, a licensed or certified adult family home, or a certified RCAC, while IRIS members may only use their own home, a licensed/certified AFH or a certified RCAC (CBRFs and registered RCACs are not allowable IRIS settings). |
| State median, assisted living | $6,540/month (#19 of 50 states) |
| Licensing & inspection records | Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Division of Quality Assurance (DQA) |
Wisconsin has no license category called "assisted living facility" - DQA licenses Community-Based Residential Facilities (CBRFs, 5+ residents, up to 3 hours of nursing care per week) and 3-4 bed Adult Family Homes, certifies 1-2 bed Adult Family Homes, and registers or certifies Residential Care Apartment Complexes (RCACs, independent apartments, max 28 hours/week of services); crucially, a merely REGISTERED RCAC may serve private-pay tenants only, so Medicaid dollars cannot follow a resident there - only a CERTIFIED RCAC can take Medicaid waiver funding.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published costs and state rules. It is not a care provider, placement agency, law firm or financial advisor - care and Medicaid decisions deserve professional advice for your family's situation.
What this means for Sauk City families
A fair comparison prices the whole picture: home care hours plus home maintenance, transport, and the family hours nobody bills. Communities bundle those in - which is why the sticker comparison understates what assisted living replaces.
This guide is research, not advice: an independent summary of published costs and state rules. It is not a care provider, placement agency, law firm or financial advisor - care and Medicaid decisions deserve professional advice for your family's situation.
Common questions
How do I check a facility's inspection record?
Every state has a licensing or certification agency that publishes inspection results and complaint histories - this guide links your state's agency on every page. Search every finalist before any deposit: violations, complaint patterns and how the operator responded tell you more than the tour.
What is the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?
Assisted living provides housing plus help with daily activities - meals, medication, bathing - at a median $6,200 a month. Nursing homes provide 24/7 skilled medical care at a median $9,581 a month for a semi-private room. The dividing line is medical need: wound care, feeding tubes and ventilators are nursing-home territory.
How much does in-home care cost?
About $35 an hour at the 2025 national median - roughly $80,000 a year at 44 hours a week. Since the 2025 survey, non-medical caregivers are tracked as a single category, so quotes for 'homemaker' versus 'home health aide' services should no longer differ much for non-medical help.
Should my parent stay home with help or move to assisted living?
Run the hours math first: in-home care at about $35 an hour serves people who need help, not round-the-clock supervision. Below about 30-40 hours a week, home usually costs less; past that - or when safety needs someone always present - assisted living's $6,200 median often buys more coverage. The right answer follows the care needs, not the buildings.
How much does assisted living cost?
The U.S. median is $6,200 a month ($74,400 a year) per the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey - before care-level fees, which add hundreds more at higher need levels. State medians vary widely; this guide shows your state's number and rank on every page.
Find senior care options near Sauk City
These platforms show communities and home-care agencies near you with pricing guidance. Advisors are free to families - providers pay them, as they do this site.
Disclosure: this is an independent guide. If you connect with a provider through a link here, the platform may pay this site a referral fee. That fee never changes your price - and it never changes what the inspection records say.
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