Contact: Bob Jacobson

December 1, 2011                                                                                                    (608) 284-0580, x303              

50 Wisconsin Groups Unite to Call Upon Federal Government to Reject DHS Waiver

Madison- In an effort to prevent more than 64,000 Wisconsinites from losing their BadgerCare coverage, 50 groups from throughout Wisconsin, call on U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius to deny the recent request from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) for a waiver of federal maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements. 

As outlined in the attached letter to HHS, a diverse and broad group of organizations urge rejection of the waiver for reasons including:

• The waiver would jeopardize the care of 168,000 Wisconsinites, including more than 64,000 who are expected to drop out of BadgerCare.
• Approving the waiver would cost 29,000 children their BadgerCare coverage.
• The waiver would have disproportionate impact on people with disabling conditions
• The waiver would harm many extremely low-income families.
• The waiver would result in cost-shifting, not cost savings.
• The waiver would increase red tape and reduce enrollment efficiency.

The Save BadgerCare Coalition also faulted the DHS process, which precluded an opportunity for meaningful public input, because the essential details of the proposal were not made available in advance of any public hearings.

Wisconsin has long been a national leader in ensuring that its residents have access to quality health care, and BadgerCare—an immensely popular and effective program--has been a major part of that success story.

Approval of DHS’ waiver proposal would reverse that progress and would conflict with the goal of the health care reform law to make health care better and more affordable.

To be connected with representatives from the signing organizations, or BadgerCare enrollees who can speak to the impact these changes will make in their lives, please contact Bob Jacobson.