MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Officials say at least 200,000 more Wisconsinites will be insured under the federal health reform that’s being signed into law Tuesday. And that includes 34,000 who are on a waiting list for the state’s BadgerCare coverage for the working poor. Health Services Secretary Karen Timberlake calls it an “historic moment” – and her goal is to make sure Wisconsin realizes all the possible benefits. The state already has one of the main parts of the federal package – Medicaid coverage for low-income childless adults. That’s the BadgerCare Plus Core program that had so much demand last year, a waiting list had to be set up.
There’s a bill in the Legislature to provide bare-bones coverage to those people at their expense. But Timberlake says federal funding will eventually move those people into BadgerCare. Also, officials say they’ll get started on creating an insurance exchange where individuals and small businesses can get subsidized coverage. The subsidies won’t come until 2014, but the exchange can be set up before then. Also, Michael Heifetz of Madison’s Dean Health System says groups that provide high quality care for low cost will get more reimbursements from Medicare. He says the larger health systems in Madison, Marshfield, La Crosse, and Green Bay have been penalized for years, until now. And Phil Dougherty of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans says those with private insurance might see their premium hikes go down for at least a while. But he says those costs will rise again unless other reforms are made.
