(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s director for Medicaid says more than 60,000 people will lose health care coverage in the state if the Republican-backed reconciliation package isn’t changed.
“It’s about 63,000 individuals that currently would not be meeting the work requirements with the data we have today,” Bill Hanna said on UpFront.
The reconciliation package includes a part-time, 20 hours weekly work requirement for able bodied adults.
“We’re not predicting on how people would change their behavior because of the bill, but they are currently not meeting that 80-hour minimum requirement that’s included in the bill,” Hanna added. “They either need to meet the work requirements, send in additional paperwork to meet one of the long list of exemptions that are in the bill, or ultimately, if they do not meet the work requirements or do not meet the exemption requirements, they would become uninsured.”
Overall, there are about 1.3 million people on Medicaid in Wisconsin.
Many of those people are women with children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who was also on UpFront, said no one in any of those groups will see any changes under reconciliation.
“I think there is so much hyperbole, an exaggeration from my friends on the left,” Vos said. “There are not cuts for anybody who’s watching. There are not cuts in Medicaid. When they tell you there are cuts, it is untrue.”
Vos added that the only people who would lose Medicaid coverage are people who refuse to work, go to school, or volunteer.
“There are work requirements, which if you’re able-bodied, you shouldn’t be on Medicaid anyways,” Vos added. “You should be out looking for a job and getting insurance through your employer or worst case scenario, buying it through the exchange like millions of people do around the country.”
Hanna said any changes to Medicaid could hurt Wisconsin hospitals, who he said depend on Medicaid dollars to serve their communities.
