Department of Health Services Secretary Karen Timberlake says there are several pieces of federal legislation pending that could alleviate the potential $150 million GPR shortfall for the BadgerCare Plus and Childless Adults Core programs. But she said they are not counting on the federal government to bail the programs out.

"We can't sit back and wait," she told the Joint Finance Committee.

Timberlake is before the JFC to detail the agency's plan to cut more than $600 million in spending over this biennium. See details of the plan here.

See Timberlake's prepared remarks here.

The cut plan was devised before news of the shortfall in the state health coverage programs, which are experiencing higher than expected enrollment due to the downturn in the economy. Timberlake said many other states are facing the same difficulties, and that's why Congress may get involved.

Timberlake said the working groups that worked on the plan to cut the agency budget will be reconvened to come up with a plan to balance the budget in case the federal legislation fails.

"There are additional savings that can be achieved," she said.

Enrollment in BadgerCare Plus has averaged 687,000 individuals per month this fiscal year, above estimates included in the budget that assumed enrollment averages of 638,000 in 2009-10 and 648,000 in 2010-11. As of Nov. 30, about 700,000 individuals were enrolled in BadgerCare Plus, according to an LFB analysis.

GPR cost overruns from the higher than expected enrollment could range from $100 million to $125 million, according to the LFB.

Enrollment in the Childless Adults Core Plan was closed on Oct. 9 due to demand. The program was budgeted for 24,900 enrollees in FY 2010 and 39,500 in FY 2011. As of Nov. 30, 55,000 individuals were enrolled in the program, and a cost overrun for the biennium is estimated at $20 million to $25 million.

-- By Greg Bump