Highlights Archives
Wisconsin Works — Reforming Health Care
April 25, 2006, marked the 10th anniversary of Wisconsin Works, or W-2, a pioneering piece of welfare legislation that became a national model for welfare reform. Signed into law in 1996 by Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, W-2 replaced Wisconsin's benefits-based system with one that required individuals to find work while providing them money for both school and child care. W-2 was the first in a series of ground-breaking acts initiated by the Thompson administration to provide state-supported aid to working families and individuals in Wisconsin — echoes of which can be seen in a recent plan to extend health care to all working citizens in Massachusetts.
Following Wisconsin's experiment in welfare reform, Governor Thompson proposed a plan to provide health care benefits to low-income and disabled people, one of the weaknesses of W-2. His BadgerCare program, formally launched in 1999, provides health insurance to uninsured working families. More than 77,000 people had enrolled in BadgerCare by 2000. Another program, Pathways to Independence, became the nation's first program to ensure the continuance of health benefits for disabled individuals who entered the workforce. For elderly and disabled citizens, Family Care allows them to receive in-home care as long as possible.
Wisconsin's experiment in offering public insurance coverage to uninsured low-income individuals and families has drawn the interest of both state and federal policy-makers. The President's Council of Economic Advisors noted in 2000 that "direct provision of health insurance through public programs is the most efficient way of targeting low-income families." Policy-makers have also been impressed with the comprehensive benefit package offered to its enrollees.
As with the recent health care legislation passed in Massachusetts, BadgerCare and its associated programs were truly collaborative efforts between Republicans and Democrats. While they may have differed on the structure, all agreed on the programs' importance. Following Wisconsin's lead in providing aid to working people by changing the way health care is provided, Massachusetts has recognized that state programs may offer the best and most cost-effective solution for extending health care to its uninsured citizens.
:: Posted April 26, 2006
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