The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has kicked off the budget process in the legislature by holding agency briefings this week. Inviting fewer agencies than usual, JFC heard testimony from six agencies over two days, including the Department of Health Services (DHS). DHS Secretary Andrea Palm’s testimony said Gov. Evers’s budget proposal is “anchored in” Medicaid […]
Positive Medicaid Budget Projected by End of Current Biennium
April 5, 2019
On March 29, the Department of Health Services (DHS) submitted an updated projection for the state’s Medicaid budget to the Joint Finance Committee. DHS estimates the Medicaid budget will end the current 2017-19 biennium with a surplus of $233.9 million GPR. The biennium ends on June 30, 2019. This is an increase of $21.1 million […]
Wisconsin Withdraws From ACA Lawsuit
April 5, 2019
Attorney General Josh Kaul has withdrawn Wisconsin from a multistate lawsuit seeking to declare the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional. Wisconsin and Texas had originally led the litigation under former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. The lawsuit argues that the ACA’s individual mandate is unconstitutional, and, because the individual mandate is “essential” to the ACA, […]
Health Care Issues Moving in the Legislature
March 22, 2019
Although the legislature is not planning to meet in March and may not meet in April, too, for floor action, several notable health care related bills are making their way through committees. Below is an overview of major health care issues this session and their current status in the legislative process. Dental Therapists – Introduced […]
Evers Releases $43 Million Dental Plan
February 25, 2019
Gov. Evers released a dental access initiative this week that would include $43 million in funding in 2019-21 for various dental programs. The initiative would: Increase the rate for loan repayments to the dentists who serve in rural areas from $50,000 to $100,000. Allocate $39 million for increased reimbursement rates to dental providers if they […]
Floor Report: Assembly Passes Pre-existing Conditions Legislation
January 25, 2019
In their first floor session of the year on Jan. 22, the Assembly passed a bill placing a state-level prohibition on pre-existing conditions exclusions, if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed or is otherwise unenforceable. The bill, amended by Assembly Substitute Amendment 1, would exempt short-term, grandfathered, and transitional plans from these prohibitions. At the […]
Evers Issues Medicaid Expansion, Pre-existing Conditions EOs
January 11, 2019
In some of the first executive actions of his term, Gov. Evers this week signed two executive orders directing state agencies to implement plans for expanding Medicaid and prohibiting pre-existing conditions exclusions in health insurance. Executive Order 3 directs the Department of Health Services (DHS) to develop a plan for expanding Medicaid eligibility. EO 3 […]
DHS Medicaid Projections Improve
January 11, 2019
On Dec. 28, the Department of Health Services (DHS) sent the Joint Finance Committee an update on the state’s Medicaid budget that projects Medicaid benefits costs will be below budgeted levels by $212.7 million GPR by the end of 2017-19. In September, DHS had projected a $149 million difference between budgeted and projected expenditure levels […]
Federal District Court Strikes Down ACA Mandate
December 19, 2018
A federal district court in Texas has ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate is unconstitutional. The court further found that, because the individual mandate is “essential” to the ACA, the remaining provisions of the law are also invalid. Congress zeroed out the tax penalty appropriation, yet left in place the ACA’s individual […]
Legislature Passes Extraordinary Session Bills Affecting Health Care Industry
December 7, 2018
Earlier this week, the legislature held an extraordinary session. In addition to confirming over 50 appointees from Gov. Scott Walker, the legislature approved three bills, with the Senate failing to pass a piece of legislation related to preexisting conditions coverage. The Senate convened first, and the Assembly then convened early in the morning on Wednesday […]