FOND DU LAC, Wis. –Lakeland Care, Inc. (LCI) announced it has reinvested $7 million in its provider partners in 2023, the largest reinvestment of its kind for the organization. 396 providers including those in Transportation, Supportive Home Care, Owner Occupied Adult Family Homes, and Residential settings received stipends from LCI, which were meant to help alleviate the increased cost of running their businesses.

Providers have the freedom to use the money however they see fit for their business, and many have used it to increase employee salaries and provide more robust training for employees. With prices of many goods and services increasing, providers have been incurring expenses unlike what they have seen in the past. The reinvestment has allowed them to invest resources back into their business to curb costs that many have described as “overwhelming.”

“This year more than ever, we’ve heard from our providers that its been hard to keep up with inflated prices, so any time we see that we have a financial surplus, our first priority is to determine how we can allocate those dollars back to our providers,” said Sara Muhlbauer, CEO of Lakeland Care, Inc. “Our relationship with our provider network is stronger than it’s ever been, and ensuring their success and viability is important to us. We are constantly inspired by the work our providers do for our members each day.”

Through the Family Care Program, LCI ensures all members receive support tailored to their unique needs. The reinvestment allocation is due to funds remaining from managing the care of all members and falls underneath the threshold of what would need to be returned to the Department of Health Services, under agreements LCI has through the Family Care program.

LCI partners with over 1,000 providers across more than 50 specialties such as home care, transportation and speech/language pathology. The organization serves members across 22 counties in northeastern and central Wisconsin.

To learn more about Lakeland Care, Inc. and its services visit lakelandcareinc.com. For more information about long term care options, contact the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) in your county: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/adrc/index.htm