Counties Consider Asking Voters If State Should Accept Medicaid Funds

Health care advocates say they hope as many as 20 Wisconsin counties will hold advisory referenda this fall on whether the state should accept all available federal funds for the BadgerCare health program.

So far, four counties have put such a question on the November ballot — Milwaukee, Dunn, Outagamie and Eau Claire. Robert Kraig of Citizen Action of Wisconsin said that while he believes the state will inevitably accept the funds at some point, he hopes voters can help make that happen sooner rather than later.

“It’s going to happen,” said Kraig. “The question is, how much damage is done before we do what obviously any sensible state government should do?”

Kraig said that Gov. Scott Walker, if re-elected, may drop his opposition to accepting the federal funds if he decides not to run for president in 2016. Walker has refused to accept the money because of his dislike for the Affordable Care Act and his assertion that the funds will dry up.