Governor Walker’s biennial budget bill proposes 10 percent cuts in most of the Department of Health Services’ appropriations of state General Purpose Revenue (GPR) and Program Revenue (PR). These cuts – totaling about $7.7 million per year – include 48 different appropriations, listed on pp. 249-250 of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau Summary of the budget bill.

In the DOA letter released last Thursday, the Walker Administration proposed a long list of mostly technical amendments, but those recommendations included exempting one of the 48 health programs from the proposed 10 percent cut. As we explained in a WI Budget Project blog post on Friday, the so-called “errata” letter recommends restoring the proposed cut of $222,800 in the Well Woman Program. While that is certainly welcome news, it served as a reminder to take a closer look at the long list of other health programs that are still slated for 10 percent cuts. The largest of those cuts are the shown below. All of these are annual figures:
   • Mental health treatment services – $1,062,800 GPR
   • DHS licensing and certification activities – $959,200 PR
   • Tobacco use control grants – $685,000 GPR
   • AIDS/HIV services – $638,700 GPR
   • Community health centers – $610,000 GPR
   • Community Support Programs and psychological services – $417,500 GPR
   • Congenital disorders – services and operations – $316,000 GPR
   • Dental Services – $300,500 GPR
   • Emergency medical service aids – $217,800 GPR
   • Rural health dental clinics – $99,500 GPR
   • Lead poisoning and exposure services – $99,400 GPR

The Joint Finance Committee will have to review these recommendations sometime in the next month or two, most likely in May. The committee is holding a briefing this Wednesday, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on the DHS budget and will begin a series of at least 4 public hearing beginning on  Thursday April 7.   You can find the JFC schedule here.

Jon Peacock