Wisconsin’s 1115 Medicaid Demonstration: What Will Policymakers Learn?
<p>Many states are using Section 1115 waivers to expand eligibility for Medicaid. A new <em>To the Point</em> by George Washington University's Sara Rosenbaum focuses on Wisconsin’s 2014 BadgerCare demonstration, which is testing the effect of reducing, rather than expanding, eligibility.</p><p>Wisconsin’s waiver, approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), lowers Medicaid income cutoffs and moves some beneficiaries into the marketplace, where premiums equaling 2 percent of family income and higher cost-sharing are the norm. It also requires some Medicaid beneficiaries to contribute toward premium costs.</p>
<p>CMS requires states with 1115 waivers to examine the effects of their programs. But, as Rosenbaum points out, several vital questions will not be addressed by Wisconsin’s evaluation.</p>