Today, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced three public hearings and one tribal consultation on the proposed BadgerCare waiver, which would make the changes required by the state budget. The changes would cause nearly 100,000 adults with income above the poverty line to lose BadgerCare coverage, in order for about 82,000 adults without dependent children with incomes below the poverty line to gain BadgerCare coverage.
The public hearings are scheduled for:
- Eau Claire: July 10th from 11am-1pm in the Commons area of the Chippewa Valley Technical College’s Health Education Center at 615 W. Clairemont Ave.
- Wausau: Tribal Consultation: July 10th from 9am-1pm at the Best Western – Midway at 2901 Hummingbird Road
- Milwaukee:July 11th from 11am-1pm at the Radisson Milwaukee West at 2303 North Mayfair Road
- Green Bay: July 11th from 11am-1pm in the Walnut and Oak rooms of the Green Bay Kroc Center at 1315 Lime Kiln Road
- You will also be able to join the meetings online (see links here).
You may also submit comments online, by email, fax (608-266-1096), or regular mail (Al Matano, Division of Health Care Access and Accountability, PO Box 309, Madison, WI 53707). Comments must be received by no later than July 30, 2013. The waiver request will be submitted to the federal government on August 5, 2013.
At first glance, the waiver request looks pretty much like we would expect from the budget language. One positive note is that BadgerCare Plus would now provide Standard Plan benefits to all enrollees – including the newly eligible population and children with incomes over 200 percent of the federal poverty level (who now receive less comprehensive benchmark plan benefits). Newly eligible adults would also not be required to pay a premium or be subject to an enrollment cap.
On the negative side, the waiver would apply premiums and 12 month restrictive reenrollment to the Transitional Medicaid population all the way to the poverty line (currently premiums and restrictive reenrollment starts at 133 percent of the poverty level). DHS estimates that this will cause an additional 3,450 adults losing BadgerCare by the end of 2014.
We will continue to analyze the waiver request, and provide feedback to DHS on our suggested changes. We encourage you to do the same!
Sara Eskrich
