BadgerCare Plus enrollment spikes

Wisconsin has seen a spike in BadgerCare Plus enrollment, with the program’s rolls growing by around 65,000 people in two months.

There were 842,260 people enrolled in BadgerCare Plus as of May, according to state data, compared to 777,312 reported in March.

Most of the increase was due to a surge in adults signing up for the program. By May, there were 40,888 more adults enrolled, bringing the total to 370,955.

There were 471,305 children, an increase of 24,060.

Jon Peacock, Kids Forward research director, said that “all or almost all” of the increase can be attributed to the pandemic.

“In light of our state’s huge job losses and our heavy reliance on employer-sponsored insurance, I’m surprised that the BadgerCare enrollment increase hasn’t been larger,” he said in an email.

The growth rate suggests that there’s been a lag in applications, he said. He expects to see program enrollment grow in the next month or so.

How enrollment growth stops and reverses will depend on future COVID-19 cases and the easing of social distancing, he noted.

Peacock added that the size and duration of the caseload increase, which comes as the state is seeing a decline in state tax revenue, means that the enhanced federal matching rate for Medicaid spending should be expanded and increased.

“Having health insurance is more important now than ever, and making sure BadgerCare is well-funded is critical as Wisconsin strives to reopen its economy in the midst of the pandemic,” he wrote.

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