Month: March 2011

Marquette University plans to start offering domestic partner benefits to its employees in 2012, a move that comes about a year after the university's decision to rescind a job offer to a lesbian candidate caused the campus to erupt in debate. In a statement sent to the campus Thursday afternoon, Marquette President Robert A. Wild said he's been wrestling with an idea of offering the benefits that would provide services for gay and lesbian employees for years. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/25)

Next month, the Wisconsin Medical Society will hold its annual meeting, and one of the major topics will be concussions and student athletes. Dr. Tim Bartholow, a top medical society official, said society members want to raise awareness of the issue of concussions. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/25)

A year ago Wednesday, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. Wisconsin supporters want Governor Walker to implement the law so it improves health and insurance access, while opponents want to stop the law. When the Affordable Care Act was passed, a Democrat who favored it was in the governor's office. Now it's a Republican who doesn't. (WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO, 3/24)

Gov. Scott Walker is expected Thursday to roll out the unpassed pieces of his budget repair bill, including a plan to refinance about $165 million in bonds. The move comes a month after Walker held a press conference and said layoffs would result if his bill wasn't passed by the end of February. (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 3/24)

It took less than a year for a no-frills public health plan for poor Wisconsin adults that was supposed to pay for itself to die. BadgerCare Basic hasn't come to a complete stop yet, but it's on life support. On Friday, Secretary Dennis Smith froze enrollment in the program and increased the monthly premiums its 5,900 members pay from $130 to $200, a hike many observers predict will ultimately do the program in. (CAPITAL TIMES, 3/24)

Dane County's black infant mortality rate, which dropped for several years and became a national success story, shot up again to four times the rate for whites over the past three years, leaving health officials stumped. (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 3/24)