Funds run low for health insurance in state ‘high-risk pools’

"Tens of thousands of Americans who cannot get health insurance because of preexisting medical problems will be blocked from a program designed to help them because funding is running low.

Obama administration officials said Friday that the state-based “high-risk pools” set up under the 2010 health-care law will be closed to new applicants as soon as Saturday and no later than March 2, depending on the state.

But they stressed that coverage for about 100,000 people who are now enrolled in the high-risk pools will not be affected."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/h...

Thanks for proving my point 916Wi.

@starmotionracing, I am so sorry to hear about your situation and can completely relate. I would be very interested to hear of them as well. I do not know of any program out there that can help. My greatest fear is losing our insurance, my little 8 year old has type 1.

I would love to know where I could get some Cheap Insurance. I was laid off in Sept. I am also a Diabetic. I tried Badger Care but was told I made too much money. They did give me a couple of places to look into insurance. I found that for my age and be being a diabetic I could get some insurance for 600.00 a month. The problem is my unemployment is only 239. a week and my meds cost me 300. a month. So where is all this cheap Insurance?

I find many of the comments uninformed. I have actually worked as a national advocate for the uninsured & I support Walker's position. Why? There are subsidies so don't assume that just because someone isn't on Medicaid that they have to pay for their insurance. Second, WI has a very generous Badgercare program that goes well beyond the federal floor for Medicaid at present & is way beyond what a lot of states offer. I personally think it's wrong that they have no asset test for family related medical, while the aged, blind & disabled are subject to very low asset tests. Second, if someone is on disability they should be getting Medicaid if they are on SSI or Medicare if on SSDI, which is subject to QMB Part B payments by DHS if the recipients income is low enough. Granted there is a Medicare waiting period for SSDI recipients & they often get large Medicaid spenddowns & are possibly denied coverage due to the asset test in WI for the disabled, but those are policy issues the state could address in terms of coverage for those few affected by that. The fact is that expanding Medicaid poses a huge financial burden on the taxpayers of WI because some of the federal assistance is only temporary. Take a look at IL who has an unsustainable overly generous Medicaid program in my opinion. Many drs won't even take the IL medical card because the state is so broke it doesn't pay claims & when it does the Medicaid reimbursement is so ridiculously low. Many patients are forced into hospital emergency rooms because it's the only place they can get treatment because their card is virtually worthless. Medicaid is typically the #2 budget expense after education in most states. WI simply cannot afford to expand beyond it's current generous program without substantial tax increases. Want expansion? Prepare to pay and don't complain about it, but I say take a look at current policies & consider revising them to kick people off the dole that shouldn't be on it & perhaps look at changing other policies that may help vulnerable members of the population that are currently excluded based on policy.

I guess they just aren't smart like you.

It's so good to see so many lefties have zero compassion for our children and grandchildren. Kind of reminds me of the quotes, "Let them eat cake" and "Those that cannot remember the past will be condemned to repeat it". $16 trillion of national debt and trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, yet they still want the government to provide everything to everyone for "free". Why do they hate our future generations so much to a point where they want to burden them with so much debt??

Walker's plan is Obamacare.
Walker's plan is Obamacare!

It's so good to see so many righties have zero compassion for the poor. Kind of reminds me of the quotes, "Let them eat cake" and "Those that cannot remember the past will be condemned to repeat it".

If you can't afford $19 a month according to article for health care, even on disability, there is something wrong. I know Libbies always think EVERYTHING govt does should be free. We are going down the tubes with that attitude. Whatever happened to the individual spirit and responsibility for ones self and ones family?

Walker was forced into the corner by the left. I do not agree with the whole scenerio. It will cost us more than anyone realizes. Accept money from the Fed for a few years and I stress few. or don't accept it at all. accept it and in a few it will cost the state dearly when the Fed money dries up.

Wasnt there just an article where Walker was deciding if he should accept the money from the Fed? didn't the left chastise him for not doing it immediatally? Why Now that he accepted the money and they see what it will do, do the same people still scream foul. Welcome to Obamanotcare. I hope my company does not force me into this kind of coverage. I have had good health insurance that my company does pay most of but the cost under the new rules will probably cost me that and put me under the worst that could happen. My doctor and I should decide the best treatment for me not The Government based on Obamas insurance based lobbyiers that wrote the thing nobody read.

Carlitosway- this is a shift from Badgercare to Obamacare. If Jim Doyle had done this you would have nothing but praises. Over 224,580 more people will be insured, isn't this what democrats have been wanting?

Thank you Scott Walker, for choosing what is best for the citizens of Wisconsin.

People need a "hand up", not just a handout. There is nothing wrong with able bodied younger people learning some job skills, or applying for jobs, while they get benefits. Is there?

Wislady you would not get it if it was written in crayon for you with pictures. The private insurance lines the pockets of the wealthy again... A civil society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. This includes people living in poverty. To someone making less than $1,000 a month before taxes, even $20 a month for a bare bones health insurance policy, is a burden. And those who would respond that they are getting loads of additional, generous taxpayer funded "welfare benefits" are just wrong. For example, they may qualify for government subsidized housing, but there are long waiting lists. If they live in a rural area, there is likely none available. So rent and utilities likely takes at least 50-60% of their monthly income, and that's even before basic phone service. Food stamps? In WI, they will likely qualify for around $60 a month. I challenge anyone to be able eat a healthy, balanced diet on that. Transportation? They cannot afford a car much less insurance and related costs. In urban areas, they can get a bus pass for around $60 a month, but in rural areas they need a car even just to buy groceries or get to a doctor's appointment. That cost would be gas, insurance, maintenance of vehicle monthly about 100 dollars or more. For those who respond, get a better job, take into consideration that no rational person would choose the life of desperation I described above. You are either woefully or willfully ignorant of the facts of existence for these people. As to Romney, Wislady HE LOST as the 47% of Americas hard working middle class heard his lies as did many more that did not vote for him. OBAMA WON!!!! Haven't you heard?????????

Ooops, I meant to say into a corner, not unto. Just correcting my typo before the grammar nazis get me! lol

That's not going to help one bit! Rather, it's going to hurt! Does Walker care about the poor? NO! Just another example of the rich railroading the poor unto a corner they can't get out of!

WALKER NEVER DID CARE ABOUT THE COMMON PEOPLE

So Walker chooses Obama Care for younger people who are able to work, what is wrong with that? I thought democrats loved Obama Care.

Democratic State Representative Kathleen Vinehout commented in 2011... "The previous administration pursued dramatic Medicaid enrollment expansion seemingly without regard to rising costs or long term stability. Only in the past year were basic cost saving measures considered."

As you can see, the program simply kept expanding. Now, is the time for reform on this program.

BadgerCare became BadgerCare Plus in 2008 and was expanded to families with higher levels of income and included new groups

BadgerCare Plus Core was created in 2009 for childless adults making less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level

BadgerCare Plus Basic was created in 2010 for people waiting to get on to

Getting rid of the fraud will also help provide money for the people the program was intended for.

FRAUD:

State official: Ex-Gov. Doyle's administration may have allowed Medicaid fraud

http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2013/feb/0...

Turns out, Romney was right. There are about 47% of the population who have grown dependent on the government, and no longer want to work.

In other words will go with no insurance because even with good paying job can't afford individual medical at $800 a month and $5000 deductible for a family.

Walker cares not for the poor. Only for the wealthy who pad his criminal defense fund.

And of course the plan won't work. He got kicked out of college; how could he possibly come up with a complex initiative such as this?

Misleading headline as I do not believe this man has any plan--just does what his masters tell him to and in turn his puppets follow.