Increasing reimbursement for personal care services under the Medical Assistance program, Medicaid expansion and eligibility for BadgerCare Plus and BadgerCare Plus Core, and making an appropriation. (FE)

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.

Under current law, certain parents and caretaker relatives with incomes of not more than 100 percent of the federal poverty line, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied, are eligible for BadgerCare Plus benefits. Under current law, childless adults who 1) are under age 65; 2) have family incomes that do not exceed 100 percent of the federal poverty line, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied; and 3) are not otherwise eligible for Medical Assistance, including BadgerCare Plus, are eligible for benefits under BadgerCare Plus Core.

The bill also requires DHS to increase the reimbursement rates by 2.5 percent for personal care services provided under the Medical Assistance program in each fiscal year of the current fiscal biennium. To receive an increased reimbursement rate, a person who provides personal care services shall pay the reimbursement rate increase to employees or contractors who provide personal care services directly to a Medical Assistance recipient.