Back in October 2011, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) estimated that the state was facing a shortfall in the budget for Medicaid and BadgerCare of about $550 million during the 2011-13 biennium: almost $220 million in state General Purpose Revenue (GPR) and $330 million of matching federal funds. Since then, the size of the projected deficit has fallen by more than 60 percent, without accounting for the newer cost-saving measures. This short paper provides a summary of the evolving deficit estimate and offers several options for closing that shortfall.
State Budget: Worker Power
Main Takeaways Behind every workforce are individuals and caregivers working all hours to build thriving families, communities and businesses. The governor's biennial state budget is an opportunity to demand better for working families. Raising the minimum wage to $20...