Governor Scott Walker’s administration moved quickly on Wednesday to refute a report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers, which claims expanding Wisconsin’s BadgerCare Plus program would mean health coverage for an additional 120,000 people. The study also claims Wisconsin would add more than 11,000 additional jobs and bring in more than $2.6 billion in additional federal spending.
Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said the report was “wrong.” Patrick says the Republican governor’s entitlement reforms ensure everyone in Wisconsin has access to health care and, for the first time, everyone living in poverty has access through Medicaid. “No waiting lists, no caps,” said the statement from Patrick.
Under Walker’s plan in Wisconsin, more than 81,000 adults living below the federal poverty line signed up for BadgerCare and began receiving it on April 1. At the same time, more than 62,000 people above the poverty line were dropped from BadgerCare and told to buy coverage on the federal health care exchanges.
Wisconsin is one of 24 states which have chosen not expand Medicaid programs since the adoption of the Affordable Care Act.