• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Billion dollar cut from BadgerCare Plus

Billion dollar cut from BadgerCare Plus

December 16, 2009 By WRN Contributor

Wisconsin might have to cut over a billion-dollars from Badger-Care Plus and its other health programs for the poor-and-disabled. A shortage of tax revenues has created a huge deficit for Medicaid, at a time when more people are turning to government coverage as they lose their jobs and private insurance.

Over the last eight months, state health officials have identified over 600-million dollars in cost savings. And the Legislative Fiscal Bureau says another 450-million may have to be cut to balance the Medicaid budget by July of 2011. Medicaid administrator Jason Helgerson says every state faces these problems and the federal government has been picking up a bigger share of the tab with stimulus dollars. Other states have made across-the-board cuts in their Medicaid programs.

But health services secretary Karen Timberlake says Wisconsin has tried to find specific cost savings to preserve as much as possible and they’ve gotten help from care providers, advocacy groups, and others. They’ve taken 66 steps to cut costs including the use of generic drugs, rewriting contracts, delaying payments when possible, and cutting reimbursements to hospitals. They’ve even stopped giving full reimbursements to 59 rural hospitals for which the payments are “critical” for staying open. Helgerson says the state just couldn’t afford it anymore.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature



Featured Stories

Evers appoints Kirsten Johnson to lead Wisconsin Department of Health Services

UW System releases results of student survey on free speech and free expression

State Senate Natural Resources Committee gets PFAS update

Evers delivers State of the State address

Abortion rights rally highlights Wisconsin Supreme Court race

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

Williams likely out for the season with broken hand

Packers releasing TE Jace Sternberger

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC