Contact: Logan Vidal, (608) 266-8570
logan.vidal@legis.wisconsin.gov

Fitchburg – In yesterday’s hearing of the Committee on Federalism and Interstate Relations, Wisconsin Medicaid Director Michael Heifetz was questioned about the Medicaid expansion, the 48-month lifetime cap for Medicaid recipients, and the drug testing program for Medicaid eligibility. After the hearing, Rep. Anderson released the following statement about the proposed changes and Director Michael Heifetz’s testimony:

“I have grave concerns with many of these proposals, particularly the 48-month cap on Medicaid benefits, which will effectively deny thousands of Wisconsinites health coverage simply because they run up against some arbitrary deadline. This will put further burdens on emergency care providers and will drive up hospital costs and insurance premiums for everyone else. This proposal essentially costs us a dollar to save a quarter.”

Rep. Anderson also questioned the morality, constitutionality, and logistics of drug testing Medicaid recipients: “What cost savings or public good comes out of drug testing our most vulnerable citizens who rely on Medicaid for healthcare? Drug testing, which is an invasive and expensive program, will not save Wisconsin taxpayers any money. States that have implemented similar programs have wasted taxpayer money chasing the low number of drug users who are on Medicaid. These are nothing more than punitive measures that will pull Wisconsinites down rather than lifting them up.”

Lastly, Rep. Anderson pushed for the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act: “I continue to be astounded by my Republican colleagues and their stubbornness over accepting the hundreds of millions of dollars available to our state. Wisconsin taxpayers already pay into the system and yet, for entirely ideological reasons, we are rejecting these funds. That just does not make sense especially considering all the good we could do for the people of Wisconsin.”

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