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FACT BRIEF

Would 126,000 more people receive BadgerCare coverage in Wisconsin with Medicaid expansion?

By Hope Karnopp
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NO

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services estimates that about 90,000 people would become eligible for BadgerCare Plus coverage through Medicaid expansion. 

In its 2023-25 biennial budget request, the department projected that "adopting the full expansion eligibility limits" would enroll an additional 61,100 parents and 28,600 adults without children.

Previous estimates projected about 120,000 more Wisconsinites would be enrolled, including a 2020 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report.

Wisconsin is among 11 states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage to 138% of the federal poverty level, which brings in additional federal matching funding. 

Gov. Tony Evers and Democrats have tried expanding Medicaid multiple times, including through the last budget and a special legislative session. Republicans have blocked the effort. 

A 2021 estimate by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau found that Wisconsin would have saved over $1 billion in 2021-23 by expanding Medicaid, when the federal government temporarily increased the matching rate.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
DocumentCloud State Agency Major Request Items: Full Medicaid Expansion
DocumentCloud Table 2 Medicaid Enrollment in Non-expansion States, Assuming No Pandemic, 2020
thewheelerreport.com Estimate of Medicaid Expansion Incentive Funding Under American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Commonwealth Fund Where Do the States Stand on Medicaid Expansion?
AP News Gov. Evers calls special session on Medicaid expansion
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.