Several state and Wisconsin federal legislators have reacted to Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to extend BadgerCare coverage three months in light of technical glitches in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act online health insurance marketplaces.
Walker said he would call a special legislative session to extend the BadgerCare deadline from Jan. 1 to March 31, which would allow enrollees to sign up for ACA insurance plans by the March 31 federal deadline.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., commended Walker in a statement Friday for acting “quickly and swiftly” to protect Wisconsinites’ interests.
“The governor is doing whatever he can to spare citizens of our state from the consequences of the Obama administration’s failure,” Johnson said in the statement.
In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Walker said only 877 Wisconsinites have been able to sign up for plans on the federal online marketplace, and the deadline to enroll by Dec. 15 puts too much pressure on Wisconsin residents.
Approximately 70,000 people are currently covered under BadgerCare.
“We warned you about the problems with your opaque and cumbersome regulatory approach, and now, Wisconsinites are paying the price through high premiums, limited choice, and a federal exchange website that does not work effectively,” Walker said in the letter.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind said in a statement Friday Walker’s statement was “disingenuous” because his decision to deny federal aid to expand BadgerCare required Wisconsinites to change health care plans.
