WICS Live: Around the States

Wisconsin: HHS Extends SeniorCare Program: Governor Jim Doyle (D) and the state's congressional delegation announced August 18th that the state's prescription drug plan, SeniorCare, will be extended to 2012. SeniorCare, which was first initiated in 2002, offers a comprehensive prescription drug benefit to Wisconsin residents aged 65 and older with income at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level (FPL) and are not otherwise receiving full Medicaid benefits. SeniorCare serves nearly 90,000 Wisconsin seniors.


In other news, the state plans to require competitive bids from managed care organizations (MCOs) to oversee the BadgerCare Plus program in populous southeastern Wisconsin for the first time. It is s part of a plan to save $600 million from the program, provides health insurance primarily for low-income families with children under 19. The state also plans to use the contracts to impose stricter performance requirements for MCOs that contract with the state for the program.