What Governor Walker's Budget Bill Means for BadgerCare/Medicaid

Governor Walker’s bill takes power over BadgerCare/Medicaid away from elected officials and gives it to the Department of Health Services (DHS). The bill allows the Secretary of the DHS to make broad changes to BadgerCare/Medicaid eligibility and services behind closed doors, without public comment or legislative review.

The bill allows DHS to:

• • Eliminate certain BadgerCare coverage for adults
• • Limit coverage for certain BadgerCare-eligible infants and pregnant women
• • Change current BadgerCare/Medicaid benefits
• • Create different Medicaid/BadgerCare benefit packages for different people
• • Restrict benefits to non-citizens, even those who live here legally
• • Institute more frequent eligibility reviews
• • Create more paperwork and red tape for enrollees
• • And lots more

These shortsighted decisions will cost us all more money as health care costs skyrocket! More uninsured people will be forced to use expensive and inappropriate emergency room care, and those costs are passed on to everyone else.

These policy decisions need full public and legislative debate and should not be made by a political appointee.

Open Letter to Administrator Brett Davis: Cost Saving Ideas Regarding 3rd Party Liability as it Relates to Medicaid/BadgerCare Plus and Private Insurance

What you can do to stop the bill:

• • Call the Legislative Hotline: 608-266-9960 or 800-362-9472
• • Email your elected official
• • Sign a petition
• • Distribute ABC's factsheet
• • Join HealthWatch Wisconsin to promote access to health care and coverage in Wisconsin
• • Support ABC's efforts to fight the bill

For more information:

• • Watch ABC for Health's webcast
• • Read ABC's Action Alert
• • Read the media coverage