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Home My WebLink AboutResolution 2014 (25) Resolution No. 25 (2014) RESOLUTION PLACING HEALTH CARE ADVISORY REFERENDUM ON THE NOVEMBER 4, 2014 ST. CROIX COUNTY BALLOT 1 WHEREAS, the State of Wisconsin has yet to take advantage of billions of new federal 2 Medicaid dollars which would have improved the state's BadgerCare program, and that these 3 federal funds are available at any time, and upon acceptance would provide access to 4 BadgerCare to 84,000 people as estimated by the State's Legislative Fiscal Bureau; and 5 6 WHEREAS, 20+ counties have passed resolutions urging Wisconsin to utilize these 7 federal funds, a position that has been reiterated by the Wisconsin Counties Association, and that 8 these federal funds would bring in an estimated $24,470,000 into the local economy by 2021 and 9 would help an additional 848 parents and childless adults in St. Croix County access 10 BadgerCare; and 11 12 WHEREAS, being underinsured and uninsured impacts County Human Services 13 Departments because it can lead to untreated mental health or substance abuse and lack of 14 preventive health care that can lead to loss of jobs, the inability to function and loss of self- 15 sufficiency. 16 17 THEREFORE, be it resolved that the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors hereby 18 directs the County Clerk to place the following advisory referendum question on the countywide 19 ballot at the election to be held on November 4, 2014: 20 21 "Shall the next State Legislature accept available federal funds for BadgerCare to ensure 22 that thousands of Wisconsin citizens have access to quality and affordable health 23 coverage?" 24 25 FURTHER, be it resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to the St. Croix County 26 legislative delegation, Governor Scott Walker, and the Wisconsin Counties Association. Sponsored By: Health and Human Services Board on July 8, 2014 Le-gal- Fiscal- Administrative Approvals: Legal Note: Fiscal Impact: Estimate of Referendum Costs Type A Notice of Referendum Election - published in all county newspapers $ 400.00 Coding $ 700.00 Type C Notice (part of the election notice insert) requires explanation of the effect of vote $ 400.00 Estimated Total $ 1,500.00 x, on 12!2014 inane Direr 7 14 Iwo P tar 7/2!2014 St. Croix County Board of Supervisors Action: Roll Call - Vote Requirement - RESULT: ADOPTED [14 TO 2] MOVER: Christopher Babbitt, Supervisor SECONDER: Travis Schachtner, Supervisor AYES: Travis Schachtner, Agnes Ring, Christopher Babbitt, Howard Novotny, Roy Sjoberg, Scott Nelson, Jill Ann Berke, Dave Ostness, Roger Larson, Daniel Hansen, Ron Kiesler, Paulette Anderson, Judy Achterhof, Shaela Leibfried NAYS: Stephen Nielsen, Andy Brinkman ABSENT: Chris Kilber, David Peterson, William Peavey This Resolution was Adopted by the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors on August 5, 2014 Cindy Campbell, County Clerk Enrolled No. R158-016 RESOLUTION File No. 14-15/032 -DIRECTING THE COUNTY CLERK TO PLACE THE REFERENDUM QUESTION CONTAINED IN THIS RESOLUTION ON THE NOVEMBER 2014 BALLOT REGARDING EXPANSION OF MEDICAID/BADGERCARE- WHEREAS, the federal government, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has made fielding available annually for the expansion of the current Medicaid/BadgerCare program to include persons with incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty level, providing 100% of the costs for four years and 90% of costs thereafter, to assist Wisconsin in covering 235,000 adults currently not covered (181,000 newly eligible; 53,000 eligible but under current rules not enrolled); and WHEREAS, Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin State Legislature have turned down the federal funds and turned those 235,000 persons toward the federally run Wisconsin State Healthcare Exchange, for which most of those 235,000 persons do not qualify; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin will spend about $973 million more on Medicaid/BadgerCare to cover currently eligible children and parents through 2022, with or without expansion, and expansion would reduce state spending in that period by $248 million; and WHEREAS, the state of Wisconsin would realize $495 million in savings from Medicaid/BadgerCare expansion over the next eight years by permitting the state to shift some state-level programs onto the federal government; and WHEREAS, Wisconsin, as an opt-out state, will experience between 139 and 671 preventable deaths due to lack of health care coverage which would have been provided by Medicaid/BadgerCare; and WHEREAS, the reduction in disproportionate share funding (DSH) to hospitals serving low-income persons (safety-net hospitals) will lead to closure of some hospitals in Wisconsin which serve large numbers of low-income persons who would be covered by the expanded Medicaid/BadgerCare program; and WHEREAS, the costs for the expanded Medicaid/BadgerCare program have already been paid by citizens of Wisconsin through their federal taxes, which means that federal tax money from Wisconsin will go elsewhere, not benefitting Wisconsin citizens; and WHEREAS, the following advisory referendum question is an effective way to determine whether the citizens of Eau Claire County support the expansion of Medicaid/BadgerCare. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors directs the county clerk to place the following referendum question on the November 4, 2014 county ballot and that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor Scott Walker, the Speaker of the Assembly, the President of the Senate, Senators Kathleen Vinehout and Terry Moulton, Representatives Dana Wachs, Warren Petryk and Kathy Bernier and the Wisconsin Counties Association. Question for the referendum: Shall the governor accept federal funding for the expansion of Medicaid/BadgerCare in Wisconsin to cover persons up to 138% of the federal poverty level? ADOPTED: May 20, 2014 Janet K. Loomis County Clerk RFIS®LUTION NO. DIRECTING THE COUNTY CLERK TO PLACE THE REFERENDUM QUESTION CONTAINED IN THIS RESOLUTION ON THE NOVEMBER 2014 BALLOT REGARDING EXPANSION OF MEDICAID/BADGERCARE NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Dunn County Board of Supervisors directs the county clerk to place the following referendum question, "Shall the Governor and Legislature accept federal funding for the expansion of Medicaid/BadgerCare in Wisconsin to cover persons up to 138% of the federal poverty level to ensure that additional thousands of Wisconsin Citizens have access to quality and affordable health coverage?" Yes No on the November 4, 2014 county ballot and that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor Scott Walker, the Speaker of the Assembly, the President of the Senate, Senators Sheila Harsdorf, Robert Jauch, Kathleen Vinehout and Terry Moulton, Representatives John Murtha, Tom Larson, Stephen Smith, Warren Petryk, and the Wisconsin Counties Association. Dated the 181 day of June 2014, at Menomonie, Wisconsin. OFFERED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Steven Rasmussen, Chair ADOPTED ON: ATTEST: Approved as to Form and Execution: Julie A. Wathke, County Clerk Nicholas P. Lange, Corporation Counsel Budget Impact: Adoption of this resolution does not change the 2014 budget adopted by the Board of Supervisors.. There is no impact upon the 2015 budget anticipated. Adoption of this resolution has no impact upon the current year tax levy. Background Information: The federal government, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has made funding available annually for the expansion of the current Medicaid/BadgerCare program to include persons with incomes less than 138% of the federal poverty level, providing 100% of the costs for four years and 90% of costs thereafter, to assist Page 1 of 2 Wisconsin in covering 235,000 adults currently not covered (181,000 newly eligible; 53,000 eligible but under current rules not enrolled). Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin State Legislature have turned down the federal funds and turned those 235,000 persons toward the federally run Wisconsin State Healthcare Exchange, for which most of those 235,000 persons do not qualify. Wisconsin will spend about $973 million more on Medicaid/BadgerCare to cover currently eligible children and parents through 2022, with or without expansion, and expansion would reduce state spending in that period by $248 million. The State of Wisconsin would realize $495 million in savings from Medicaid/BadgerCare expansion over the next eight years by permitting the state to shift some state-level programs onto the federal government Wisconsin, as an opt-out state, will experience between 139 and 671 preventable deaths due to lack of health care coverage which would have been provided by Medicaid/BadgerCare. The reduction in disproportionate share funding (DSH) to hospitals serving low-income persons (safety-net hospitals) will lead to closure of some hospitals in Wisconsin which serve large numbers of low-income persons who would be covered bythe expanded Medicaid/BadgerCare program. The costs for the expanded Medicaid/BadgerCare program have already been paid by citizens of Wisconsin through their federal taxes, which means that federal tax money from Wisconsin will go elsewhere, not benefitting Wisconsin citizens. This advisory referendum question is an effective way to determine whether the citizens of Dunn County support the expansion of Medicaid/BadgerCare. Page 2 of 2