Medicaid Budget Numbers Change
 

Governor Walker and Department of Health Services Secretary Dennis Smith announced new adjustments to the Medicaid budget numbers, protecting 53,000 Wisconsin adults from termination of vital health coverage available through the BadgerCare program. Originally, in March 2011, Wisconsin’s Administration introduced a budget repair and subsequent biennial budget that included a provision to terminate 53,000 childless adults and parents from BadgerCare Plus should the federal review of the MOE waiver request not be completed by December 31, 2011. In a related letter dated December 30, 2011, Smith informed the Joint Finance Committee that new budget numbers indicate that he overstated his initial projection of $554.4 million in savings required to balance the Medicaid budget. Projected budget deficits now total less that $232 million dollars, a drop of over $300 million.