DHS Extends Withhold Through 2026

More than 80% of Wisconsin hospitals have signed a contract with the Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network, Inc (WISHIN), enabling the hospitals to claw back a DHS withhold.

DHS has indicated it will extend the withhold through 2026. While it is too late to avoid the 2025 withhold if you have not already started work, hospitals that have not contracted with WISHIN can claw back the 2026 withhold by signing up with WISHIN now.

The 1.5% withhold is for all fee-for-service (FFS) inpatient and outpatient encounters through the HIE pay-for-performance (P4P) program.

WISHIN is an independent, not-for-profit, vendor-agnostic health information exchange network that differs from others in that it enables immediate and meaningful clinical and whole-person data-sharing among all participants across the entire whole-person and healthcare delivery system. There are more than 2,200 sites of care participating in the network with 14,000 users accessing 500,000+ medical records per month.

The eligible hospitals that obtain a “live” status contributing ADT, CCDA, Laboratory, Pathology and Radiology results to WISHIN are eligible to receive all of their IP/OP FFS withhold back.

In order to claw back the 2026 withhold, you must sign a contract with WISHIN and have interfaces live by the end of 2026.

WISHIN encourages all eligible hospitals to reach out today to secure the ability to claw back the 2026 withhold, and potential future withholds. Contact WISHIN today wishin@wishin.org.