While Wisconsin made the leap to consolidate its juvenile correctional institutions, Illinois is struggling with similar issues. Throughout the nation, approximately 50 secure juvenile centers/programs have closed in 18 states, and the state of Illinois and some counties are facing the tough decisions about how best to deploy resources...
Good News on Teen Birthrates and Abortion Rates – and Bills that Could Aid or Harm that Progress
Teen birthrates have been dropping in Milwaukee, and abortion rates have also been decreasing statewide. These two positive outcomes point to policies that have increased adolescents’ awareness about how to prevent unplanned pregnancies and increased access to contraception and reproductive healthcare through BadgerCare’s Family...
New Report on the State of Juvenile Justice in Wisconsin
The State of Juvenile Justice in Wisconsin: What do We Really Know?” released today examines recent trends in juvenile arrests and incarceration in the state, as well as the success of recent community-based alternatives to secure confinement of youth offenders and includes these highlights:• The number of juvenile arrests in Wisconsin...
DHS Schedules Two Town Hall Meetings on Medicaid & BadgerCare Cuts
Forums Set for Oct. 19 in Madison & Oct. 21 in West Allis The Department of Health Services announced Friday that it is holding two town hall meetings this week on the 39 initiatives the department outlined in late September for cutting a projected $554 million from Medicaid and BadgerCare. To learn more about the proposed cost-cutting...
What’s the Process for Implementing $554 Million of Medicaid Cuts?
Seven months ago, the Wisconsin Legislature hurriedly passed a bill giving the Department of Health Services (DHS) sweeping authority to rewrite the laws governing Medicaid and BadgerCare. On September 30, DHS finally unveiled a lengthy outline of its plans for cutting $554 million from the state’s Medicaid programs. Those plans include...
Check out our analysis of the proposed Medicaid and BadgerCare cuts
Sara Eskrich and I have been busy analyzing and summarizing the long list of proposals recently unveiled by the Department of Health Services (DHS) to cut $554 million from Medicaid and BadgerCare. We have completed a preliminary analysis, which you can find on the WCCF website. It outlines the changes relating to eligibility, benefits,...
Committee Vote Tuesday on Bill Remedying Wisconsin’s Noncompliance with Part of the Health Care Reform Law
The Assembly Committee on Insurance will hold an executive session Tuesday (Oct. 11) to vote on AB 210, which would put into state law a number of health insurance reforms in the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) – at least on a temporary basis. The bill was introduced by the committee chairman, Rep. Petersen, and is being pushed by...
DHS Plans First Hearing on One Part of Proposed Medicaid Changes
Oct. 12 Town Hall Meeting in Madison on “Virtual PACE” It’s still unclear if there will be any public hearings on the proposals recently unveiled by the Department of Health Services (DHS) to substantially change BadgerCare for low-income Wisconsinites. (A WCCF summary of the proposed BadgerCare and Medicaid changes was posted online...
DHS Unveils New Webpage to Solicit Comments on Medicaid Cost-Cutting
The Department of Health Services (DHS) unveiled a new webpage Monday that contains descriptions of some of their Medicaid cost-cutting plans and provides an online mechanism for the public to submit comments on the department’s proposals. Thus far, most of the measures described there are the ones approved by the Legislature in the...
Stable for Years, Poverty Skyrockets in Wisconsin
The number of Wisconsinites living in poverty jumped significantly between 2008 and 2010, new figures from the Census Bureau show. Between those years, the poverty rate in Wisconsin increased from 10 percent to 13 percent, and an additional 163,000 Wisconsinites slid into poverty. To put that number in perspective, the number of...
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