Covering Wisconsin in the News

Covering Wisconsin 10/26/23 Covering Wisconsin 10/26/23

Pandemic brings telehealth boom to rural Wisconsin, but barriers linger

Marshfield Medical Center family nurse practitioner Brianna Czaikowski says telehealth appointments are a game-changer for some patients. But in serving a mostly rural community, Czaikowski often fights spotty connections and miscommunication when providing virtual care.

"They feel a lot that I’m talking over them, which sometimes I probably am because (of) the delay," said Czaikowski, a doctor of nursing practice and pediatric urology specialist who sees patients as far away as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. "You’re not getting that full connection."

Fresh off a COVID-19 pandemic boom, telehealth is increasingly connecting Wisconsinites living in remote areas to a web of health resources. Telehealth claims in 2020 swelled to a 6.3 percent share of total claims in Wisconsin — an increase of more than 2,400 percent from the previous year, according to a report from the Wisconsin Health Information Organization. Some northern counties reported high gains compared with the rest of the state….

Covering Wisconsin 10/26/23 Covering Wisconsin 10/26/23

Health coverage experts: Sidestep intimidation, prepare to enroll

The fall season is here, meaning many Wisconsinites will soon make decisions about their health coverage. Experts say early preparation with trusted voices can help overcome any fears.

The enrollment period starts November 1 for Wisconsin's health insurance marketplace tied to the Affordable Care Act.

For employer-sponsored coverage, it's typically between September and December. And for Medicare, annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7.

Allison Espeseth is the director of Covering Wisconsin, which has navigators who provide unbiased information for free on a lot of these topics. They can also calm nerves about assumptions that all insurance is too expensive…

Covering Wisconsin 8/7/23 Covering Wisconsin 8/7/23

Bill Kaplan: Governor Evers has common sense and a heart

The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

Wisconsin is fortunate that Governor Tony Evers and his health care team are in charge with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). They are newly required by federal law to end continuous Medicaid enrollment. Medicaid enrollees must now apply for renewal to see if they are still eligible. The Medicaid ‘unwinding’, as required by the end of the PHE, is proceeding across the nation…

Covering Wisconsin 7/17/23 Covering Wisconsin 7/17/23

States’ varying approaches complicate effort to determine impact of Medicaid redeterminations

States are taking differing approaches to Medicaid redeterminations, making it difficult to make apples-to-apples comparisons of disenrollment data or determine if the process is widening health inequities, experts say.

After years of continuous enrollment during the pandemic, states have begun the complex and unprecedented process of figuring out which beneficiaries are still eligible for coverage under the public insurance program for low-income Americans.

States could begin disenrolling beneficiaries from Medicaid beginning in April. Since then, nearly two million people have been removed across 29 states and Washington, D.C., according to KFF.

Covering Wisconsin 7/17/23 Covering Wisconsin 7/17/23

Cap Times' Evjue Foundation announces over $900,000 in grants

The Evjue Foundation, The Capital Times' charitable arm, today announced its board has approved $911,200 in grants to support area nonprofits and educational institutions.

Included in the gifts is $322,500 for 31 projects at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and $588,700 for 64 organizations to support the work they do to better communities in the Madison area.

Among today's major recipients is the UW's longtime Odyssey Project, which received $35,400 for the college classes it offers in south Madison to adults who never had a chance to attend college and $50,000 to Access Community Health's efforts to bring dental care to people without insurance coverage.

Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23 Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23

Wisconsin DHS urges timely Medicaid renewals to avoid coverage gap

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is urging residents enrolled in BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid to submit their renewals in a timely manner.

DHS says they sent renewal packets to nearly 53,000 households with renewals scheduled for June on May 15.

To avoid coverage gaps, these members are advised to submit their renewals by Friday, June 16.

In a Wednesday, June 14 press release, State Medicaid Director Jamie Kuhn emphasized the importance of submitting renewals. "If a member is still eligible, we want them to keep their state coverage. If they’re not, we want to help connect them to resources to help them find other options," said Kuhn.

Renewals can be completed online at ACCESS.wi.gov, through the mail or over the phone. Members should refer to the DHS renewal status webpage to find the "just right" renewal period for each month…

Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23 Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23

DHS Reminds Medicaid Members to Submit Renewals on Time

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reminds residents who are BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid members that renewals are underway, and there is a "just right" time to renew to avoid delays or gaps in coverage. For example, on May 15, DHS sent renewal packets to approximately 53,000 Wisconsin households scheduled to renew in June. DHS encourages these members to submit their renewals by June 16 to avoid any gaps in coverage. Packets are in the mail to members with a July renewal date and they should send in updated information by July 18 to avoid coverage gaps. The new DHS renewal status webpage shows the "just right" renewal period for each month. Members are encouraged to renew online at ACCESS.wi.gov or by mail.

"If a member is still eligible, we want them to keep their state coverage. If they’re not, we want to help connect them to resources to help them find other options. Either way, the process starts with submitting their renewal," said State Medicaid Director Jamie Kuhn. "It’s been more than three years since any of our members have done one and for many, it’s the first time. That’s why we’re working hard to get the word out and why we’re sharing information with more than 100 partner organizations from all over the state to help raise awareness and provide assistance."

Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23 Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23

DHS reminds Medicaid members to submit renewals on time

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reminds residents who are BadgerCare Plus or Wisconsin Medicaid members that renewals are underway, and there is a “just right” time to renew to avoid delays or gaps in coverage.

For example, on May 15, DHS sent renewal packets to approximately 53,000 Wisconsin households scheduled to renew in June. DHS encourages these members to submit their renewals by June 16 to avoid any gaps in coverage. Packets are in the mail to members with a July renewal date and they should send in updated information by July 18 to avoid coverage gaps. The new DHS renewal status webpage shows the “just right” renewal period for each month. Members are encouraged to renew online at ACCESS.wi.gov or by mail…

Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23 Covering Wisconsin 6/19/23

Navigating Post-COVID Medicaid Healthcare Coverage

With the end of the “Families First Coronovirus Response Act”, there exists a lot of confusion in who is covered by Medicaid, how to renew coverage, and how to check eligibility, according to Joan Alker, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. Medicaid covers half of the children in the U. S., and many parents don’t know their children are eligible, and with the coronavirus program ending, checking the eligibility of 90 million individuals is likely to be fraught with mistakes. Covering Wisconsin is a state program as a part of the University of Wisconsin Extension which can help navigate Medicaid questions and renewal.

Covering Wisconsin 5/26/23 Covering Wisconsin 5/26/23

Wisconsin is checking if you still qualify for BadgerCare Plus. Here's how to keep your health coverage

Over the next year, Wisconsin residents enrolled in BadgerCare Plus or another Medicaid program will have to renew their coverage for the first time in over three years.

It is a massive undertaking — known as Medicaid "unwinding" — that could result in an estimated 300,000 Wisconsinites losing Medicaid coverage. Many of those people will have health coverage through their employer, but others could lose coverage simply because they didn't renew in time, even though they still qualify for BadgerCare Plus or another Medicaid program.

A December report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute estimated that about 49,000 Wisconsinites who lose Medicaid coverage will become uninsured over the next year….

Covering Wisconsin 3/24/23 Covering Wisconsin 3/24/23

What to know about medical costs in Wisconsin as federal public health emergency ends

The nationwide public health emergency is scheduled to end on May 11, bringing with it several changes to state and federal resources.

The health emergency provided a key resource specific to fighting COVID-19 known as “medical countermeasures.” This included tests, vaccines and treatments.

When and how changes take place to the accessibility of these depends largely on one’s insurance status, the state they live in and their age.

Here are some things to keep in mind.

Covering Wisconsin 2/10/23 Covering Wisconsin 2/10/23

Here’s what BadgerCare Plus recipients need to know to keep their benefits

After March 31, those who receive BadgerCare Plus will have to return to the pre-pandemic process of reapplying and being re-evaluated for coverage.

Local health care professionals want them to be prepared. BadgerCare Plus serves people who need health care coverage but who may not qualify for Medicaid.

Because of federal legislation that went into effect in March 2020, those who have received BadgerCare Plus benefits have been able to keep those benefits without having to go through the renewal process as was required every 12 months before that time, said Caroline Gómez-Tom, enrollment network and accessibility manager for Covering Wisconsin.

Covering Wisconsin 2/10/23 Covering Wisconsin 2/10/23

As COVID-19 emergencies end, Wisconsin prepares for Medicaid upheaval

With federal COVID-19 emergencies ending in May, Wisconsin health officials and advocates are preparing for upheaval in the state’s main Medicaid program, which has grown 49% since the pandemic started but is expected to lose more than 300,000 people after extended coverage ends.

Many of the people likely to be kicked off Medicaid over the coming year should be able to get insurance through their jobs, on the federal marketplace or by aging into Medicare, experts say. But the end of boosted Medicaid coverage nationwide, starting in April, could mean 49,000 newly uninsured people in the state by June 2024, a report says.

“It’s going to be difficult,” said Brynne McBride, chief operating officer for ABC for Health, a Madison-based nonprofit law firm that helps people obtain health care. “How successful are states going to be at actually doing this transition?”

Covering Wisconsin 2/7/23 Covering Wisconsin 2/7/23

Healthcare.gov enrollment breaks record in U.S., increases in Wisconsin

For all of her adult life, the federal Affordable Care Act has made a big difference for Katerina Klawes.

“I have never had a traditional job that has offered health care benefits,” says Klawes, who lives in Milwaukee. She’s mostly been self-employed as an independent contractor for small nonprofit and education organizations.

She also has multiple disabilities, including being hard of hearing, that once would have subjected her to a lifetime limit on her insurance coverage — if she could get insurance at all instead of being denied coverage or charged exorbitant premiums because of her preexisting health conditions.

Thanks to the ACA, she was covered by her parents’ health insurance until she turned 26 five years ago. Since then, she’s been able to buy health insurance on Healthcare.gov, the federal health insurance exchange that the ACA created.