WisPolitics Budget Blog

A motion from Rep. Meyer to provide $210,000 over the biennium to allow parents whose children die while enrolled in MA or BadgerCare to remain enrolled in the programs for up to 90 days after the death of their child passed 16-0.

Labels: DHFS

JFC Health and Family Services MA Omnibus Motion by Rep. Rhoades.
Services MA Omnibus Motion by Sens. Decker and Hansen.

Labels: DHFS, Medical_Assistance

The committee voted 9-7 to adopt alternative 2 on budget paper 373, which modifies Gov. Doyle's recommendation by providing $10 million ($20 million SEG and -$10 million GPR) annually to increase funding for the state's tobacco control program.

The modification creates a continuing approporation from the Health Care Quality Fund. Under the alternative, total state funding for the tobacco control program would increase to $20 million SEG annually during the next biennium.

Labels: DHFS

Dem Sens. Decker and Hansen have produced their own MA motion. It's currently under consideration by the committee.

It sticks pretty closely to the governor's recommendations, and it fails on an 8-8 partisan vote.

With no other motions offered, the governor's position on the papers prevails.

Labels: DHFS, Medical_Assistance

No surprises here - the Republicans omnibus on MA funding was defeated on an 8-8 partisan vote.

Labels: DHFS, Medical_Assistance

The committee is back in session after a half hour lunch break. Now under consideration is an omnibus motion from Rep. Rhoades covering budget papers 371 through 378, 380 through 387, and 455.

Among the provisions in the motion is to delete the hospital assessment in budget paper 371.

The motion also deletes all provisions relating the the increase in the cigarette tax (budget paper 376), and delete the transfer from the Patients Compensation Fund. (budget paper 377)

The overall change to the bill under the motion: +$52.3 million GPR, -$500 million FED, -$497 million SEG, -$11.2 million PR, -$1.2 billion SEG-REV.

Asked by Dem Sen. Jauch what the impact of the motion on Medicaid would be, state budget director Dave Schmiedicke said it would create a $850 million "hole" in the program.

Rep. Kestell said that number was "ironic," because $850 million is also the amount of GPR the LFB has estimated Gov. Doyle's budget removes from MA funding.

Republicans on the committee said there is nothing in the bill that guarantees the money raised from the hospital tax will be used on health care. Rep. Suder said $119 million of the cash "goes to the government."

"I'm not about to roll the dice with patient money in hopes that patients in my area might benefit," he said.

Labels: DHFS, Medical_Assistance

Rep. Rhoades and Sen. Darling have proposed a motion to delete the governor's proposal on the nursing home bed assessment increase. (budget paper 396)

Instead of the governor's proposal, the Rhoades-Darling proposal would provide $13.4 million GPR and $18.2 million FED in 2007-08 and $13 million GPR and $18 million FED in 2008-09 to fund a 4 percent rate increase in nursing home rates beginning in 2007-08.

In addition, the motion proposes the adoption of alternative B1, which would specify that begining with this fiscal year, all revenue from the nursing home bed assessment would be deposited in an MA trust fund.

The motion failed on an 8-8 vote along party lines.

Decker moves alternatives A1 and B1. The motion failed 8-8.

With no other motions offered, the governor's proposal prevails.

Labels: DHFS

Anticipating Friday's action by the Joint Finance Committee, the Wisconsin Medical Society sent a letter to committee members urging them not to approve the governor's plan to transfer $175 million from the Patients Compensation Fund to plug a Medicaid hole. (budget paper 377)

If approved, the transfer could destabilize the fund and, warns WMS senior vice president of government relations Mark Grapentine, could lead to "an expensive, wasteful legal battle."


You can read the letter here.

Labels: DHFS, Patients_Compensation_Fund

The committee adopted a motion from Sen. Hansen to allow Wisconsin Technical College Districts and the UW System to provide preadoption for proposed adoptive parents. Currently, the two systems are not authorized to provide the training.

Adopted 12-4 was a motion to spend $411,600 annually to increase funding for post-adoption centers. Decker, who authored the motion with Rep. Stone, said the centers had not received an increase in four years, and the funding helps save money in the long run as it keeps kids out of the foster care system.

Also adopted was a motion by Hansen to direct DHFS to collaborate with community-based organizations that serve youth and families to promote health and wellness and to reduce childhood obesity.

Labels: DHFS

The committee adopted alternative 4 of budget paper 432 and directed that $531,000 GPR be used to offset the projected $11.3 million deficit in the earned income tax credit. The motion was authored by Sen. Decker and Rep. Rhoades, the co-chairs of the committee.

Labels: DHFS

An attempt by committee Republicans to cut funding for foster care by 2.5 percent beginning in 2009 failed on an 8-8 partisan vote. (budget paper 431)

With the committee deadlocked, the governor's position prevailed.

Labels: DHFS

Budget papers 396, on nursing home rates and bed assessments, and 397, regarding intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded, are held to a later date.

Labels: DHFS

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Caledonia, said the Family Care proposal is a "massive, massive expansion of government," and said it will cost at least $74 million in GPR in 2010-11. And the costs will continue to climb, he said.

He said the expansion is creating a "huge structural deficit in spending," and said once the program is expanded, it won't be reeled back in.

"We will never have the courage to scale it back," he said.

Sen. Jauch answers that the savings of the program and the move away from reliance on institutional care is a savings that doesn't show up on the ledger. He said programs like Family Care allow those with disabilities to "live a richer life."

"We are saving costs over the long run, and we are more productively benefiting society," Jauch said.

UPDATE: The Family Care motion passed 14-1, with Vos voting no and Sen. Decker absent.

-- Decker returns and votes "aye."

Labels: DHFS, Family_Care, Vos

Under the motion, authored by GOP Rep. Rhoades and Dem Sens. Mark Miller, John Lehman and Bob Jauch, the committee will adopt alternative A1 of budget paper 395.

That alternative approves the governor's funding recommendations, as reestimated, to expand Family Care. Funding is reduced in the bill by $1.74 million GPR and $2.32 million FED in 2007-08, and increased by $1.73 million GPR and $220,000 FED in 2008-09 to reflect the reestimate.

In addition, current law provisions would be retained requiring DHFS to seek the approval of the JFC under a 14-day passive review process prior to expanding the program to areas of the state where more than 29 percent of the population would be eligible for the benefit. Under the motion, the expansion would be deemed approved if the JFC fails to act within 45 days. The governor's provision to repeal the current law provision that requires any expansion of the program to areas where more than 50 percent of he population eligible for the benefit must be approved by the full Legislature would also be adopted under the motion.

The motion requires that as of Jan. 1, 2008, all counties participating in the program by offering the services of a CMO to either provide payment to the DHFS, or to authorize DHFS to allocate an portion of the county's basic community aids allocation to fund the operation of the county's resource center CMO.

Further, the motion directs DHFS to provide $190,000 in 2007-08 and $525,000 in 08-09 to contract with an organization to provide ombudsman advocacy services to individuals enrolled in Family Care who are under the age of 60.

Also, the motion directs a reallocation of MA funds -- $2 million GPR and $2.71 million FED in 07-08 and $2 million GPR and $2.77 million FED in 08-09 -- to increase funding available to serve individuals under the children's long-term support program.

Labels: DHFS, Family_Care

Rep. Rhoades, R-Hudson, begins with an apology for the late start, and a discourse on the history of Family Care program. Two years ago, she said, she had an agreement with the Doyle Administration on how to proceed as the program went statewide, only to have the agreement "blown up" when it was submitted for the budget.

"I gotta tell you, I was angry," said Rhoades.

Particularly upsetting to her was the removal of legislative oversight, she said. "When we're going to do something statewide and we're changing the way we do it forever, why would we not want to make sure we do it right?" she said.

Rhoades said the delay this morning was to make sure this budget got it right, including legislative oversight, and more funding for mentally disabled children.

"I'm really concerned this is the population that is going to get left behind," she said.

Labels: DHFS, Family_Care, Rhoa

A motion from Sen. Decker and Rep. Suder to provide an additional $3 million beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 to the DHFS for grants to community health centers passed 14-2.

Labels: Decker, DHFS, Suder

Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, has a motion on the floor to provide $250,000 GPR annually to fund a program to reduce fetal and infant mortality in the City of Racine.

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, said while Racine has problems with infant mortality, those same problems exist in other cities, and there shouldn't be an earmark for one city. He said neither the city of Racine or Racine County officials have come to him and said this is a priority.

Sen. Decker said if the committee doesn't vote for this "kids are going to be dying."

"We just spent 2.6 million on license plates, and some of you are going to turn your back on children," Decker said.

If the committee can't pass this, Decker said, "We oughta walk out, get in our cars and go home."

Labels: DHFS, Lehman, Vos

Dem Sen. Bob Jauch of Poplar's motion to require DHFS to allocate at least $16,100 GPR annually to support the Council on Physical Disabilities was adopted 16-0.

A motion by Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, and Jauch to provide nearly $1.2 million GPR annually for DHFS to distribute to community action agencies to support the skills enhancement program failed on a party-line 10-6 vote. GOP Sens. Luther Olsen, of Ripon, Alberta Darling, of River Hills, joined Dems in voting for the expenditure.

The motion specifies that $750,000 annually would be to replace discontinued federal funding for the program, ad $420,000 would go to expand the program to areas of the state where it does not already operate.

The skills enhancement program provides transportation, childcare, career counseling, job placement assistance and financial support to individuals who are working at least 20 hours per week and whose income is less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level.

Labels: Council on Physical Disabilities, DHFS, Skill Enhancement Program

The committee unanimously voted to delete a provision in the governor's budget to allow DHFS to establish biennial license fees for Adult Family Homes and Community-based Residential Facilities, including CBRF per resident fees.

DHFS was to submit the rules for implementation of the fees to Legislative Council staff by Nov. 1.

Budget paper 437

Labels: Adult Family Homes, CBRF, DHFS

A motion to increase funding for the state supplemental SSI payments by $423,000 over Gov. Jim Doyle's budget was defeated on a party-line vote.

Doyle had put $12.6 million into the budget for the program, but Decker said the additional funding outlined in alternative two of budget paper 435 reflects new estimates. His motion failed.

Labels: DHFS, SSI

With fewer residents at the Central Wisconsin Center for the Developmentally Disabled, funding has been re-estimated for the facility.

Under the recommendation of the LFB, the committee reduced program revenue funding for the facility was reduced by nearly $1.9 million over the biennium, and cut 24.2 positions.

Labels: Central Wisconsin Center, DHFS

The governor's proposal to provide funding by nearly $3.5 million for 91.5 positions at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center was approved. (Budget paper 440)

Rep. Suder said the proposal keeps "the worst of the worst" sex offenders off the streets.

Labels: DHFS, Sand Ridge

Republicans on the committee have balked at Gov. Doyle's proposal to make participation in the FoodShare Employment and Training Program voluntary. Doyle has estimated making the program voluntary will save $709,000 in state GPR over the biennium, as well as the same amount in federal funds. (Budget paper 406)

Co-chair Rep. Rhoades and her GOP colleagues said making the program voluntary retreats from the state's mission with the W-2 program, and is "starting to go back to the traditional welfare program." Rhoades moved to delete the provision.

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, said even though mandating participation in the FoodShare program may cost more, it ensures that those receiving benefits are actively looking for work "so people begin to get off the public dole."

The Dems prevailed as the vote deadlocked at 8-8, and the governor's proposal was adopted.

On the next vote, after an attempt by Republicans to delete the provision and by Democrats to modify it, the governor's proposal to move the FoodShares program from DWD to DHFS was approved by default. (Budget paper 407)

Labels: DHFS, FoodShare, Rhoades, Vos, W-2

Gov. Doyle's proposal to transfer the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities from the Department of Health and Family Services to the Department of Administration was shot down by the committee.

On two party-line 8-8 votes, Republicans were able to thwart Democratic efforts to reinstate Doyle's proposal, outlined in budget paper 111.

The committee is standing informal for five minutes.

Labels: DHFS, DOA

Click here to view the prepared remarks of DHFS Secretary Kevin Hayden to the Joint Finance Committee, delivered earlier today.

Labels: DHFS, Hayden

Sen. Bob Jauch said in the last several budgets the state hasn't provided adequate reimbursement to hospitals who care for poor patients. He said while he believes the state should be picking up more of the medical assistance reimbursement, going after more federal dollars, triggered by assessing a hospital gross revenue tax, as the governor has proposed is the best option.

"It's the only choice we have when we lower taxes as much as we have," he said.

DHFS Secretary Hayden said the sole purpose of the assessment is to pass more money on to the hospitals for medical assistance reimbursement.

Racine Republican Rep. Robin Vos questioned Jauch's assertion about lower taxes. "Spending has gone from $33 billion to $55 billion over the last decade). Even though you think we're being successful, the numbers from the Fiscal Bureau show we've almost doubled spending in the last 10 years."

Labels: DHFS, Hayden, Hospital Assessment, Jauch, Vos

DHFS Secretary Kevin Hayden opened his statement to the JFC with a bit of news; his executive assistant, Jason Helgerson, will become the state's new Medicaid director on Monday.

Labels: DHFS, Hayden, Helgerson, Medicaid

The budget blogger had to step out of today's agency briefings as committee members continue questioning OCI Commissioner Dilweg about the mental health insurance mandates included in the governor's budget. Following Dilweg's testimony is Railroad Commissioner "Uncle" Rodney Kreunen.

The Department of Health and Family Services will be up tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m.

You can follow along with the committee by going to the Joint Finance Committee Web page, scrolling down to the "In Session" heading, and clicking on the link below.

Labels: DHFS, Dilweg, Kreunen