Wisconsin's Controversial Medicaid Plan Gets Federal Nod

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker won federal approval Thursday to expand Medicaid coverage to as many as 83,000 low-income childless adults while ending coverage for about 77,000 childless adults who earn between 100% to 133% of the federal poverty level.

Those taken off the state's Medicaid program, known as BadgerCare, will be directed to the new health insurance marketplace created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

However, unlike his Republican peers in states like Arkansas that have recently sought waivers to expand Medicaid eligibility, Walker declined to tailor the scope of the plan to satisfy the Medicaid provisions of the healthcare reform law. That means the state will have dramatically less federal funding for credits that will help those booted off BadgerCare afford insurance in the marketplace.

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Source: Modern Healthcare