Judge Says Walker Administration’s 130,000-Person BadgerCare Waiting List May Not Be Legal

[hue]

http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-21556-judge-says-walker-administration%25E2%2580%2599s-130000-person-badgercare-waiting-list-may-not-be-legal.html

Milwaukee women’s federal lawsuit can proceed

The Walker administration is likely breaking federal law by accepting federal Medicaid funds at the same time it’s refusing to enroll BadgerCare Core participants and creating a 130,000-person waiting list for the program, according to a federal judge’s ruling last week.

U.S. District Judge William Conley refused to dismiss a case brought by two Milwaukee women on the BadgerCare Core waiting list, striking a blow to the Walker administration’s claim that the women didn’t have a right to sue.

At issue is the agreement the federal and state governments created in 2009, under the Doyle administration, and renewed in 2012 under the Walker administration, that launched the BadgerCare Core program for low-income childless adults. The agreement capped enrollment at 48,500 individuals; Medicaid requires the state to enroll eligible participants “with reasonable promptness,” usually 60 days.

When the program began in October 2012, the Doyle administration actually exceeded the cap and let everyone on the waiting list at that time into the program, about 65,265 individuals.

But under the leadership of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the Department of Health Services (DHS) allowed people to drop out but ceased enrolling new participants.

The program currently serves a mere 17,791 participants and more than 130,000 individuals are on the waiting list, including the two women who sued the state, Teresa Charles and Susan Wagner. They’ve been on the waiting list for more than three years.

[Scuba]

1. Making his enemies suffer is music to Walker's ears.

His backers love that.

[midnight]

2. So Walker is blocking anyone from using Badger care until it expires, and then what?

"Despite the significance of Conley’s order, it may have little practical impact on low-income Wisconsinites seeking BadgerCare Core coverage.

The waiver creating the program expires at the end of this year and the Walker administration is planning to completely revamp the state’s Medicaid programs, including BadgerCare, while rejecting increased federal funds to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The Walker administration is allowing those at or below the poverty level to stay on BadgerCare, but it’s shifting everyone else currently in the program onto the not-yet-established health insurance exchanges, where they can purchase private health insurance."