The BadgerCare Plus Core Plan has been suspended after three whole months of activity, leaving thousands wondering how the state government could make such an epic underestimation. The health insurance plan is targeted at low-income, childless adults who make under $21,000 a year. Gov. Jim Doyle mentioned at a news conference at St. Mary’s he is not surprised there is a waiting list, but rather that it grew so long soon after the start of the program. Common sense appears to have pervaded government officials, who seemingly looked past the abundance of lower-income individuals who would likely be in need of a more affordable insurance option. As thousands line up to put their name on the waiting list, it is clear that the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan was a poorly thought-out solution to the health care crisis within the state.

I find it pretty coincidental the program is being shut down due to a surge of applicants. Common sense would lead me to believe that the popularity of a program would help it thrive. But this seems to be at the core of the health care debate. The state government simply cannot afford to have a surplus of applicants, and due to financial constraints, there must be a cutoff. What is unique in this occurrence is that thousands of applicants who met the financial requirements are being put on waiting lists. And while I will put the larger arguments regarding government-run health care programs aside, what makes this case so baffling is that despite economic constraints and the increase in state unemployment, state officials simply did not see this coming.

In retrospect, the program seemed like an adequate fix for the health care problem within the state. The program covers a number of services, from doctor visits to emergency ambulance rides. And for low-income residents with no dependents, this seemed like a decent solution.

There is little question as to why so many flooded toward the program and why the program increased so quickly in popularity. Affordable health coverage is hard to come by, and that is what makes this case so sad. There are an estimated 20,000 people who meet the program requirements but will not make the state budget cutoff. A better thought-out plan would have foreseen the rise of unemployment and increasing demand for such a program and would have looked to other methods so that thousands are not displaced within the state.

As a last-minute fix, Doyle proposed the poorly thought-out stopgap program, intended to provide waiting-list applicants with limited health care options, with an arguable claim that there will be no cost to taxpayers. This leaves the low-income applicants with few options. However, there is increasing speculation as to whether the applicants will even be able to afford the health care the stopgap program offers.

The expenses will range from $600 to $1,200 a year, which will likely be substantial to a person who makes under $21,600 a year (a requirement to qualify for the program), especially in terms of it only paying for partial health care coverage. It is a payment that simply will not be an option for thousands who are on the waiting list. While the stopgap program will quickly tie up some loose ends and will likely hold temporarily, it is nowhere close to a long-term solution, and will no doubt result in confusion and paperwork for the state government and health care providers.

While neither the suspension of the program nor the scramble to fix it speaks well for Doyle, I give him credit for noting that the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan debacle suggests a more serious problem concerning health care reform. On this point, Doyle is correct in saying there is room for discussion about health care within Wisconsin and there is an impending need for the renovation of current plans. The popularity of the program is enough to suggest we have serious health care problems.

It is the responsibility of government officials to not only combat the health care crisis but foresee potential disruptions to their plans.

Emily Osborne ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism.