Despite promises to the contrary, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s newly implemented health care plan will cost taxpayers millions, to the chagrin of some state Republicans.
Since the February implementation of BadgerCare Plus, a program designed to provide affordable health care for low-income children and families, it has been projected that the plan will cost taxpayers an additional $25 million, according to the Department of Health and Family Services.
Last February, eligible Wisconsin parents could sign their children up for BadgerCare Plus, which aims to extend health care benefits to lower-income families who did not receive health care under the state’s Medicaid plan. The expansion raises the minimum income level of potential recipients, which increases the number of people eligible for benefits.
Rep. Patricia Strachota, R-West Bend, a member of the Health and Health Care Reform Committee, has opposed BadgerCare Plus since its inception. She was not shocked at the announcement that the plan would cost taxpayers more than promised.
“This news comes as no surprise,” Strachota said. “We set unrealistic expectations as to the true costs of the expansion. We need to be honest to the taxpayers about what new programs will cost.”
Stephanie Smiley, a communications specialist from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said the benefit of BadgerCare Plus outweighs the cost to taxpayers.
“The expansion’s greatest success has been enrolling these individuals due to the simplification and streamlining efforts included in the BadgerCare Plus program,” Smiley wrote in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. “Preventive care helps reduce health care costs in the long run.”
Smiley added although BadgerCare has exceeded the anticipated cost, other aspects of the state’s health care plan are under budget. She did not specify how much under budget the other programs were but added the DHFS is committed to finding ways to balance the budget while keeping the BadgerCare Plus program.
Officials say the program has insured 85,000 previously uninsured people, including 55,000 children, since its implementation in February.
