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Backers today argued allowing new mothers to stay on Medicaid for the first 12 months after their baby is born rather than the current 60-day limit is good for the state’s finances as well as being the ethical and moral thing to do.
The state Senate today again overwhelmingly approved legislation to allow that, with an identical 32-1 roll call as last session when it cleared the chamber.
But like last session, it continues to face opposition from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The Rochester Republican said today that while he hasn’t discussed the bill with his caucus yet, his position has been “fairly clear from the beginning.”
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“I’ve never supported an expansion of welfare,” Vos said. “I can’t imagine that I would ever support one, but we have to talk about it as a caucus.”
Senate President Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, said the state currently faces a $1.6 billion price tag to continue providing Medicaid coverage that’s already on the books. She said the expansion actually saves the state money in the long run by providing new mothers care that prevents issues they experience from spiraling into something more serious.
“If we can do small things like this with a high return on investment to start to slow that down, it makes sense for this state,” she said. “It makes sense for our taxpayers, and that’s not even considering the moral and ethical reason we’re doing this.”
Felzkowski ahead of the vote vowed, “We’ll get there in the Assembly, I promise,” saying sometimes it takes more than one session to pass a bill.
Under SB 23, the Department of Health Services would be directed to seek a waiver from the federal government to allow the longer period of service. This session’s bill has 21 co-sponsors in the Senate and 66 in the Assembly.
Sen. Jodi Habush Sinykin, D-Whitefish Bay, noted Wisconsin and Arkansas are the only two states that haven’t expanded coverage.
“Why is Wisconsin fighting for last place when we have the opportunity to make the health care system work better for moms, babies and families here in Wisconsin?” she said.
Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, was the only member to vote against the legislation. He didn’t speak on the bill during the floor debate.
