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BadgerCare Basic Vote

Posted by State Senator Jim Sullivan on Feb. 28, 2010 | 9 comments

Sullivan, BadgerCare Basic, Vote, Federal Poverty Level, Health Care, Department of Health Services

I voted for BadgerCare Basic because it was the right thing to do, and ultimately, I do not think that it is right to ignore our fellow citizens in need.

Last year, BadgerCare Core was created to provide health care coverage to low-income adults without children. Within months, need for the program exceeded enrollment limits, and individuals had to be put on a waiting list. Today, there are around 25,000 individuals on the waiting list. 

BadgerCare Basic is the plan that was designed to provide some relief to the individuals on the waiting list. It is a bare bones plan providing catastrophic coverage and basic primary and preventive care. To be eligible for the program, individuals must be on the Core waiting list, have incomes below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level ($21,660 for individuals and $29,129 for married couples), and must have been uninsured and with no access to employer health insurance for the 12 months prior to enrollment.

BadgerCare Basic is designed to be self-funded. Enrollee premiums are $130 per month, and are the premiums that were set by the state’s actuaries, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

I do not think it is right to deny even minimal coverage to people in need, especially when a federal grant and a self-funding program are available to provide this minimal level of coverage. While I felt that it was crucial to pass this bill without delay, my role as a steward of public resources led me to institute amendments to ensure the program would be run efficiently. The amendments I supported (which passed) require:

• The Department of Health Services to send quarterly reports to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on the solvency of the plan.
• The Department of Health Services to confirm participant eligibility on a monthly basis.
• The Department of Health Services to notify potential enrollees of other programs that may be available to them (including coverage under a parent’s policy, COBRA coverage, HIRSP coverage, and coverage in the individual market).   
• The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau to do a full audit of the plan. 

As we help people access health care, we will also help the community save money. We all pay for the uninsured already, in unfunded health care and ER care expenses that are shifted to the public when those in need have no coverage. Hopefully, with the addition of BadgerCare Basic, more people will have access to a minimal level of care, allowing preventive care and screening to prevent more expensive health care or ER complications. That will result in public resources and tax dollars saved and better and healthier outcomes.

If you have any specific questions on BadgerCare Basic, I strongly encourage you to visit http://dhs.wi.gov/badgercareplus/. You can also email me directly at Sen.Sullivan@legis.wisconsin.gov.