Gov. Walker’s plan to drop health care for 29,000 children is “unacceptable”

Legislative Democrats urge Obama Administration to work with state officials to prevent 65,000 Wisconsinites from losing health care

Today 28 legislative Democrats sent a letter to federal Health and Human Services’ Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urging her agency to work with state officials to achieve savings in the state’s Medicaid and BadgerCare programs without Wisconsin citizens losing or being denied access to affordable health care coverage.

Last week the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approved a Medicaid savings plan from Gov. Scott Walker’s administration that would result in nearly 65,000 Wisconsinites—including 29,000 children—losing or being denied state health care coverage, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. 

“We adamantly oppose any Medicaid waiver or State Plan Amendment plan that will effectively result in thousands of children and adults in Wisconsin losing access to health care,” Democrats wrote.  “Governor Walker’s Medicaid waiver request seeks permission to ignore (a federal) requirement so his administration can drop health care coverage for 29,000 children.  While reasonable minds can disagree on how to solve problems, we believe dropping health care for children is an unacceptable option.”  

The Democrats’ letter points out that Gov. Walker inserted language into the state budget stipulating that if federal Medicaid officials don’t approve the Walker Medicaid plan by the end of the year, the state health department will effectively be required to drop state health care coverage for approximately 53,000 people.  Democrats flatly rejected that option as nothing more than a “false choice.”

Their letter concludes: “We refuse to accept Governor Walker’s politically motivated premise that either 53,000 or 65,000 Wisconsin citizens must lose their health insurance to balance the Medicaid budget.  Therefore, we encourage you to engage with Wisconsin officials soon to explore alternatives that will achieve responsible Medicaid savings while retaining our shared commitment to ensuring that children and families have access to affordable quality health care.”

   
November 17, 2011


Secretary Kathleen Sebelius

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington D.C. 20201
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

Dear Secretary Sebelius:

On November 10 the Wisconsin Department of Health Services submitted a Medicaid waiver
and State Medicaid Plan Amendment request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
If approved in its current form, the request from Governor Walker’s administration would result
in nearly 65,000 Wisconsinites—including 29,000 children—losing or being denied state health
care coverage (according to estimates by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau).

We strongly urge CMS to work with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services in a
thoughtful but expeditious manner to achieve Medicaid cost savings that will not ultimately
result in vulnerable Wisconsin citizens losing or being denied access to affordable health care
coverage. We also stand ready and are more than willing to work together with your agency,
Governor Walker’s administration and others to do anything we can to find a solution that avoids
people losing their health care coverage.

Wisconsin has been a national leader in ensuring that families and especially children have
access to affordable quality health care. We adamantly oppose any Medicaid waiver or State
Plan Amendment plan that will effectively result in thousands of children and adults in
Wisconsin losing access to health care. The federal health care reform law prohibits states from
changing their Medicaid eligibility standards for children until at least 2019. Yet Governor
Walker’s Medicaid waiver request seeks permission to ignore this requirement so his
administration can drop health care coverage for 29,000 children. While reasonable minds can
disagree on how to solve problems, we believe dropping health care for children is an
unacceptable option.

To date, Governor Walker’s administration has only offered a set of false choices to reduce
Medicaid spending in Wisconsin. As you may know, Governor Walker inserted language into
Wisconsin’s biennial budget stipulating that if CMS does not approve the Walker Medicaid plan
before December 31, 2011, the Department of Health Services will be required to drop state


health care coverage for non-disabled, non-pregnant adults with income above 133% of the
federal poverty level. Approximately 53,000 people will lose their health care coverage if this
arbitrary deadline is triggered. And, this will occur despite the fact that the state is not facing a
budget deficit.

We refuse to accept Governor Walker’s politically motivated premise that either 53,000 or
65,000 Wisconsin citizens must lose their health insurance to balance the Medicaid budget.
Therefore, we encourage you to engage with Wisconsin officials soon to explore alternatives that
will achieve responsible Medicaid savings while retaining our shared commitment to ensuring
that children and families have access to affordable quality health care.

Thank you for your prompt consideration of this request. Please feel free to contact us if we can
be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

JON RICHARDS SANDY PASCH BRETT HULSEY
State Representative State Representative State Representative
Assembly District 19 Assembly District 22 Assembly District 77

JON ERPENBACH MARK MILLER BOB JAUCH
State Senator State Senator State Senator
Senate District 27 Senate District 16 Senate District 25

DONNA SEIDEL TAMARA GRIGSBY CORY MASON
State Representative State Representative State Representative
Assembly District 85 Assembly District 18 Assembly District 62

LENA TAYLOR JENNIFER SHILLING CHRIS LARSON
State Senator State Senator State Senator
Senate District 4 Senate District 32 Senate District 7

TERESE BERCEAU GARY HEBL PENNY BERNARD SCHABER
State Representative State Representative State Representative
Assembly District 76 Assembly District 46 Assembly District 57


SPENCER COGGS
State Senator
Senate District 6

MARK POCAN
State Representative
Assembly District 78

CHRISTINE SINICKI
State Representative
Assembly District 20

BARBARA TOLES
State Representative
Assembly District 17

LEON YOUNG
State Representative
Assembly District 16

JESSICA KING
State Senator
Senate District 18

JANIS RINGHAND
State Representative
Assembly District 80

JOHN STEINBRINK
State Representative
Assembly District 65

ROBERT TURNER
State Representative
Assembly District 61

JULIE LASSA
State Senator
Senate District 24

KELDA ROYS
State Representative
Assembly District 81

CHRIS TAYLOR
State Representative
Assembly District 48

JOSH ZEPNICK
State Representative
Assembly District 9

cc:
Victoria Wachino, Director, Family and Children's Health Programs Group
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Governor Scott Walker
Dennis Smith, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Health Services