State Expansions: Wisconsin
In November 2007, Wisconsin lawmakers successfully enacted a bill to expand coverage to all uninsured children in the state. Governor Doyle’s BadgerCare Plus plan was passed as part of the Biennial Budget Bill. The plan expands eligibility levels for children, parents/caretakers, and pregnant women in Medicaid and BadgerCare (the CHIP program in Wisconsin). The new program, which started up in February 2008, also allows parents to get coverage for their uninsured children by buying into BadgerCare Plus, no matter what their family income is. For an in depth look at the Wisconsin expansion, see Wisconsin's 2007 Health Care Proposal: BadgerCare Plus (Families USA, July 2007).
Another proposal, called Healthy Wisconsin, would build on BadgerCare Plus to provide comprehensive, affordable health coverage to all people in the state. Healthy Wisconsin passed the Senate during the 2007 legislative session, but was not enacted. Lawmakers reintroduced the bill in 2008, and although it did not pass, Senate leaders remain supportive of the proposal and will likely hold public hearings on it during the summer of 2009. For more information about the Healthy Wisconsin proposal, see Healthy Wisconsin: Good Medicine for Wisconsin's Economy (Families USA, July 2007).
In an encouraging sign of progress, in November 2008, Wisconsin voters in 22 communities voted in favor of an advisory referendum asking lawmakers to enact health reform that provides all Wisconsinites coverage as good as lawmakers receive.
Also in fall 2008, federal officials announced preliminary approval of a Medicaid waiver to further expand BadgerCare Plus to cover non-parent adults with income below 200 percent of poverty level ($20,800 a year for an individual in 2008). In addition to meeting the income requirement, eligible adults must also have been uninsured for the past year and must not have an offer of job-based coverage. Non-parent adults will not receive the full Medicaid benefit package, but instead will receive "core" benefits such as primary and preventive care, specialty care, generic drugs, and emergency and inpatient hospital services through an HMO. To enroll, individuals must pay a $60 non-refundable fee and undergo a health assessment. The BadgerCare Plus expansion started in Milwaukee in January 2009 and will go into effect statewide on July 1, 2009.
Wisconsin Expansion Resources
For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.
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