States Moving Toward Comprehensive Health Care Reform
Wisconsin
Status of reform effort: BadgerCare Plus, the state’s newly simplified Medicaid program, was launched on February 1, 2008 and 129,000 have enrolled as of March 2009.
In January 2006, Governor Jim Doyle (D) introduced Badgercare Plus, which sought to provide universal health care coverage for children and expand coverage to adults below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. BadgerCare Plus would merge three existing programs Family Medicaid, BadgerCare and Healthy Start. Children with family incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level would be able to enroll at no cost; children with higher family incomes would be charged sliding scale premiums based on income, not to exceed 5 percent of family income. In February 2007, the proposal was introduced as one component of the 2007-2009 Biennial Budget Bill, SB 40.
On October 26, 2007, Governor Jim Doyle (D) signed the state budget bill (2007 Wisconsin Act 20), which included provisions of the Governor’s BadgerCare Plus proposal. The bill provides universal health care coverage for all children, regardless of income.
The legislation does the following:
Extends SCHIP eligibility to children with family incomes up to 300 percent FPL;
Requires children in families with incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty level to pay a premium, while those in families above 300 percent of the federal poverty level will be able to buy-in to the program at full-cost, approximately $80/month/per child;
Expands health care coverage for parents and caretaker relatives up to 200 percent FPL under Medicaid and to pregnant women up to 300 percent FPL with no premium or cost-sharing requirements;
Expands coverage to childless adults with incomes up to 200% FPL.
The legislation also simplifies eligibility rules, assists employees in purchasing affordable health care coverage, and provides incentives for healthy behavior. Implementation of the expansions for children, parents, and caretaker relatives occurred in February 2008. In January 2009, childless adults enrolled in County health plans were transitioned into the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan. Full enrollment of childless adults began in mid-July 2009. BadgerCare Plus is funded with federal and state funds. As of March 2009, 80,845 children, 44,996 parents, and 3,182 pregnant women were enrolled."
