Future uncertain for thousands who would be affected by proposed Medicaid cuts

For most of their lives, Tom and JoAnn Schulz considered themselves comfortably middle class. But now, Tom says, “We’re the new poor.” His wife, JoAnn, made about $80,000 a year as a nurse until being diagnosed in July 2010 with an advanced stage of ovarian cancer. She stopped working. He stayed home from his job at a hardware store to take care of her. Their bills kept rising. They worry costs will continue to climb — or the state-funded medical plan he’s on, BadgerCare Basic, will collapse or be cut altogether. (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 10/24)