Walker’s Refusal to Expand Medicaid leaves Up to 35,000 without Coverage.

The numbers were late, and for good reason; Scott Walker ran out of ways to hide the disaster he created for so many Wisconsin families, by not expanding Medicaid.

The administration again repeated the excuse they floated a few months ago:

DHS: “Selecting a qualified health plan through the Federal marketplace isn't the only option that the transitioning BadgerCare Plus members had for securing private health insurance coverage,” said Secretary Kitty Rhoades. 

The phony baloney idea anyone would buy health care from the private sector, without getting a subsidy, is by itself insulting. Or that a spouse didn't include family members by choice on their employer provided plan.

Here's the sad breakdown of numbers:

Of the 62,776 transitioning BadgerCare Plus members;

34,915 had incomes above 133% FPL and would have had to transition to the Marketplace regardless of whether or not Wisconsin had accepted the Medicaid expansion.

But nearly 35,000 didn't make it into the exchanges.

35,000 are left to fend for themselves!!! That’s a big big number. It’s just what we predicted would happen. Walker’s excuses may appeal to the more gullible low information “stand with Walker” voters, but shouldn't pass muster with family members trying to make ends meet. Check out this twisted numbers spin:

24,660 selected a qualified health plan through the Marketplace as of June 13, 2014 or are now eligible for BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid.

Even the 24,660 number is a likely over-estimate, because in reality, only...

18,801 selected a qualified health plan through the Marketplace.

4,867 are on BadgerCare Plus or Medicaid.

992 were flagged as being on BadgerCare Plus/Medicaid and selecting a qualified health plan.

Walker's "100%" coverage scheme is a monumental failure, and the numbers prove it. No spin can change the facts. That's why the state is now running a Medicaid deficit:

jsonline: The federal government is paying roughly 60% of the cost of covering the additional 97,509 people who gained coverage through BadgerCare Plus under the Walker administration's plan.

Walker rejected the additional federal dollars ... that would have paid the full cost of their coverage for the first three years, eventually dropping to 90% of the cost.

The decision to reject the additional federal money is estimated to cost the state more than $100 million in the current two-year budget and hundreds of millions of additional dollars in subsequent years.

The Mary Burke campaign noted:

In the wake of news reports from the Associated Press and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel showing that 61% of Wisconsinites kicked off of Medicaid did not buy insurance through the federal healthcare exchange.