Senator Chris Larson - District 7 - Says "Thank you" to participants that signed BadgerCare Petition.Mary Glass, Chair/CEO, Milwaukee Professionals Association was one of the signers.
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SignOn.org
Below is a message that Sen. Chris Larson (WI-7) asked us to pass along in response to the petition “Save BadgerCare”.
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December 22, 2011
Dear Neighbor:
Thank you for signing onto a petition regarding your opposition to the recent cuts made to BadgerCare in addition to those from the 2011-2013 Biennial State Budget. I share your concerns about cuts to our health safety net, including BadgerCare, and appreciate you taking the time to contact me.
BadgerCare is a program that was created with bipartisan support under former Governor Tommy Thompson. Currently, about one out of five Wisconsin residents rely on Medicaid programs, including BadgerCare, for their health care needs. The number of individuals enrolled in the state's Medicaid programs has been steadily increasing in recent years due to the ongoing recession and increased health care costs, making it one of the worst times to consider additional cuts to our health safety net.
This October, Governor Walker and his administration decided to cut $554 million from Wisconsin’s health safety net. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has estimated that almost 65,000 Wisconsinites, including 30,000 pregnant women and children, will lose their current BadgerCare health care coverage.
Another group that will be disproportionately affected by these recently announced Medicaid cuts are children, adults and seniors with chronic illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease. Medicaid often becomes the only health care option for people with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, since they often become unable to work and eventually exhaust all of their savings, leaving them unable to cover their medical expenses without the use of Medicaid.
These cuts come in addition to the nearly $500 million that was cut from our state’s Medicaid programs in the Republican Budget and the cap on enrollment that was instituted. I strongly opposed cuts to these life-saving programs and voted against the Republican Budget in June. I continue to support initiatives that aim to restore funding and remove the troublesome enrollment cap. I will continue to fight to support basic health coverage for Wisconsin’s working families. In the face of these tough economic times, we should do whatever possible to ease the burden on Wisconsin families who depend on these safety net programs.
If the Governor insists on endangering those who rely on BadgerCare and other Medicaid programs, the least we can do is provide them adequate notice. Therefore, I am also supporting legislation that would require that individuals who would stand to lose their BadgerCare benefits or eligibility be given at least 60 days notice from DHS. Under current law, DHS is only required to give a Medicaid beneficiary 10 days notice before implementing changes to their coverage, which is simply not enough time for struggling families to try and adjust.
Again, thank you for signing onto a petition to show your support for vital Wisconsin health care programs, including BadgerCare. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other state issues important to you.
If you would like updates on community and state news, please visit www.SenatorChrisLarson.com and subscribe to my free weekly newsletter, the Larson Report.
Sincerely,
Chris Larson
State Senator
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