Ensure Health
No matter where we live or what we look like, we all deserve to live safe and healthy lives.
However, over decades, Wisconsin lawmakers have chosen the wealthy few over our communities. This has resulted in unprecedented disparities in education, income, housing and more—the social determinants of our communities’ health. And, some lawmakers have chosen to play politics instead of providing the health care that our communities desperately need. When we work together and address the root causes of health inequities, we give everyone the opportunity to live happier, healthier lives.
To ensure health in Wisconsin, we must…
Fully Expand Medicaid. Doing so would cover nearly 90,000 adults, 2/3 of which are parents and caregivers. The largest share of people who would be eligible for Medicaid live in rural communities. The budget should reinvest the roughly $200M in annual GPR savings back into the Medicaid system.
Extend 12 months postpartum coverage for Medicaid and BadgerCare prenatal members. Wisconsin is one of only two states that has failed to extend Medicaid coverage to one-year postpartum. Extending postpartum Medicaid and BadgerCare Prenatal coverage to one year will help address Wisconsin’s stark racial maternal and infant mortality disparities and allow birthing parents and infants to have a stable source of care.
Serve more students by reforming school-based Medicaid and investing in youth mental health. Allow more Medicaid dollars to support school-based physical and mental health services by ending the “Free Care Rule.” The budget must also substantially invest in other mental health supports for kids, especially those living in provider shortage areas in both urban and rural communities.
Improve Medicaid by allowing it to reimburse community-based health providers. Allow Medicaid to reimburse care provided by community health workers, doulas, and other workers who directly support communities to help increase access to care.
Implement a statewide language access plan. Wisconsin currently does not have a statewide language access plan, although some counties and state agencies have prepared their own. A state-level plan and office can coordinate and help fund language access services, set standards for language access services, and offer support for providers seeking to reduce language barriers.
Create or expand the Family Planning Only Services program, so that it provides family planning service benefits to all otherwise-eligible individuals regardless of their immigration status.
Extend the Medicaid emergency service benefit, so that all people otherwise ineligible due to their immigration status can better access health care in emergency situations. Currently emergency Medicaid services are not available to so-called “childless adults” who would be eligible for BadgerCare Plus if not for their immigration status.
Culturally and linguistically responsive services. Increase availability of culturally and linguistically responsive mental health and SUD services by incentivizing providers through Medicaid rates and/or changes in private health insurance.
Fully fund the Farm to School program through DATCP and DPI. This program enables communities to develop farm to school partnerships, implement farm to school initiatives, and strengthen Wisconsin’s statewide farm to school network.
Include Healthy School Meals for All in the budget. Providing school meals for every child would improve children’s health and educational outcomes, reduce stigma, and put all kids on an equal playing field.
Support healthier early childhood development. Investing in home visiting programs, such as Family Foundations, and supporting early childhood mental health through the Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation program will ensure more young children are receiving care to support socio-emotional learning and address mental health concerns.