Fitzgerald Co-Leads Legislation to Protect Wisconsinites and the Most Vulnerable from Obamacare’s Medicaid Discrimination

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) co-introduced the Ending Medicaid Discrimination Against the Most Vulnerable Act, to allow Medicaid to work best for those who need it most by:

• Stopping Obamacare’s discrimination of the most vulnerable by phasing out enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for able-bodied adults.
• Making it easier for states to adopt a healthcare model like Wisconsin’s BadgerCare Plus by reducing Medicaid expansion eligibility from 138% to 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL).
• Protecting taxpayers from footing the bill for a program they do not use.
• Ending the additional 5-percentage-point FMAP bonus for late expansion states.

“For too long, taxpayers in Wisconsin and other states that made a conservative choice to not fully expand Medicaid under Obamacare have been forced to subsidize a program they do not use. It’s time to address this unfair funding structure,” said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. “We must also address waste, fraud, and abuse within the program and ensure its long-term sustainability for those who need it most.”

“Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion perpetuates a scam in which states get seven times as much money from the federal government for able-bodied adults than the traditional Medicaid population including, pregnant women, children, disabled people, and the elderly,” said Congressman Chip Roy.

BACKGROUND: In 2010, Obamacare mandated states expand Medicaid coverage to childless, able-bodied adults with incomes up to 133% of the FPL. Following a 2012 Supreme Court decision, states were rightfully allowed to choose whether to expand Medicaid. Wisconsin, along with nine other states, made a principled choice not to expand, curbing welfare dependency, preventing government overreach, and saving taxpayer money. Despite this, hardworking taxpayers in Wisconsin and other non-expansion states are being taken advantage of by being forced to subsidize a program they do not use while other states reap in billions of federal funding.

Wisconsin uniquely uses BadgerCare Plus to provide health insurance to certain populations below 100% of the FPL. BadgerCare Plus is a highly regarded state-level program that saves federal tax dollars and provides low-income individuals with a safety net.

Obamacare’s Federal Medicaid expansion is also harming the most vulnerable among us. Traditional Medicaid populations – the disabled, children, pregnant women, and seniors – are being kicked to the back of the line for care because states are incentivized to prioritize able-bodied adults compared to the traditional populations. This occurs because Obamacare’s enhanced FMAP results in states needing to pay 10% of care for able-bodied adults compared to 23-50% for the most vulnerable. The FMAP disparity has come at the expense of those who rely on critical Medicaid benefits, specifically disabled individuals and children.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.