Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican who vehemently opposed “Obamacare,” is now looking to the federal health reform act as a cost-cutter to the state’s Medicaid system.
He’s proposed Obamacare as the solution for the state’s uninsured, according to Politico. In a Wednesday announcement, the governor said Wisconsin could halve its uninsured population by moving them onto Obamacare and simultaneously cutting Medicaid. In Wisconsin, Politico reports, even those who are above federal poverty levels are eligible for Medicaid — making it one of the more generous, and costly, programs in the nation.
Moving these Medicaid recipients into Obamacare and pushing them into federally subsidized private health plans, he said, according to Politico, would drive down the state’s Medicaid costs. Medicaid enrollment could drop by 5,400, the report said.
That would free up Medicaid dollars for those truly in need, he said, according to Politico.
“With these Medicaid reforms, we will preserve an essential safety net for our neediest, while protecting our state’s taxpayers from uncertainty,” Mr. Walker said in a statement, as reported by Politico.
Mr. Walker said he would let the federal government run the state exchange program, Politico reported.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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