Walker Hopes To Expand Insurance To Low-Income Adults Without Children

This week state health officials will hold three public hearings on a proposal to insure more low-income adults without children.

Governor Scott Walker wants to expand coverage to this group while eliminating BadgerCare for others.

Currently the state’s Medicaid program known as BadgerCare Plus Core is capped at 20,000 childless adults. In August, Walker will seek federal approval to allow another 82,000 people in. While that BadgerCare program expands, another will shrink as eligibility rules are tightened for nondisabled, nonelderly adults.

Kevin Moore is deputy secretary at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Moore: “This is a major step in lowering the uninsured rate with a population that’s very vulnerable and was a very important part of the governor’s overall game plan to cut the uninsured rate in half.”

Walker’s administration expects most of those forced from BadgerCare will get private insurance on the federal marketplaces slated to be running January 1. Mary Michaud with Madison Dane Public Health says this population needs coverage it may not be able to get.

Michaud: “The changes in BadgerCare are going to cost us a lot in the long run in terms of disenrolling adults who have many medical needs as well as more complex mental health needs”

The first public hearing is Wednesday in Eau Claire. On Thursday, Milwaukee and Green Bay hold hearings. All are limited to 2 hours.