Under Walker's budget, 55,000 would lose health care

[cali]

Budget would make benefits cuts to Medicaid, W-2, Wisconsin Shares
About 55,000 people could lose health insurance because of lower income limits



About 55,000 people could lose their health insurance under the state's BadgerCare program, under Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan released Tuesday.

Walker's budget also would shrink aid to Wisconsin Works participants and could mean reduced state child care subsidies to low-income families.

In an effort to slow the growth in spending on Medicaid, Walker says he will seek permission from the federal government to tighten eligibility standards and would cut off people faster who are found no longer eligible. If the federal government does not give the state permission to toughen its standards in determining who gets Medicaid, the state would eliminate coverage to families that earn more than 133% of the federal poverty level on July 1, 2012. That threshold currently is $24,352 a year for a family of three.

Wisconsin is among states providing health insurance to adults with children under 19 and household income up to 200% of the poverty line, or $36,620 for a family of three.

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http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117193763.html

About 55,000 adults covered by BadgerCare Plus have household income above 133% of the poverty level, the state Department of Health Services estimates. Ending their coverage would save an estimated $90 million in state funds over two years.

[PA Democrat]

1. Republicans score another victory in their War on the Poor

41,000 low-income Pennsylvanians lost their health care coverage yesterday:

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/03/01/news/doc4d6c6cafe1e46904062706.txt

[babydollhead]

2. including me.