Gov. Scott Walker announced Wednesday he would not follow a federally recommended expansion to reform BadgerCare, Wisconsin’s Medicaid system, but instead would take a different approach by shifting the demographics of Medicaid recipients, a move Democrats heavily criticized.
Under the current system, most, but not all people making less than the federal poverty level are covered under BadgerCare and parents and caretakers are included if they make less than 200 percent of the poverty level, according to Donna A. Friedsam, a researcher and health policy director at University of Wisconsin-Madison. However, the current system leaves a large amount of childless adults without coverage because of a 2009 enrollment cap on BadgerCare coverage.
The federal health-care expansion, in contrast, would maintain the current state system, while adding funds to cover all childless adults who make up to 133 percent of the poverty level.
Walker’s proposed system, instead, would maintain the current BadgerCare funding system, with 60 percent of funds coming from the federal government, while covering everyone below the poverty line, including childless adults. The proposed system would also take coverage away from parents and child caretakers who make between 100 and 200 percent of the poverty level, requiring them to buy health insurance through federally run exchanges.
The exchanges will be set up by the federal government and will allow those people left out of BadgerCare to buy their own health insurance with varying amounts of federal subsidies.
State Democrats, including Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, released statements opposing Walker’s decision, saying Walker passed on an important opportunity to help the people of Wisconsin.
“[Walker] said no to doing the right thing for people who desperately need care, no to doing the right thing for taxpayers and no to health care jobs,” Barca said in a statement.
But Walker said his plan would provide for Wisconsinites and help them to avoid making tough decisions about health care.
“Our plan safeguards Wisconsin taxpayers from unnecessary risk and builds on Wisconsin’s strong track record of providing affordable health care to our people,” Walker said in a statement.
