Medicaid expansion and eligibility for BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill changes the family income eligibility level to up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line for parents and caretaker relatives under BadgerCare Plus and for childless adults under BadgerCare Plus Core. BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core are programs under the state's Medical Assistance program, which provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act allows a state to receive an enhanced federal medical assistance percentage payment for providing benefits to certain individuals through a state's Medical Assistance program. The bill requires the Department of Health Services to comply with all federal requirements and to request any amendment to the state Medical Assistance plan, waiver of Medicaid law, or other federal approval necessary to qualify for the highest available enhanced federal medical assistance percentage for parents and caretaker relatives and childless adults under the BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core programs.

If DHS does not qualify for the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage or if the percentage is reduced, DHS is required to submit to the Joint Committee on Finance a fiscal analysis comparing the cost of covering parents and caretaker relatives and childless adults under the Medical Assistance program at up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line to the cost of limiting income eligibility to those adults to up to 100 percent of the federal poverty line. DHS may reduce income eligibility levels for those adults to up to 100 percent of the federal poverty line only if the Joint Committee on Finance approves.

Who's behind it

13 senators are its authors⁠. All 13 are Democrats.

33 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.