SEIU Local 1199WI

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Because of Medicaid programs, tens of thousands of working families in Wisconsin receive basic health care, and seniors and disabled citizens have access to home care and, when appropriate, nursing home care.

Unlike other States that are cutting people off programs, Governor Doyle’s budget:

Preserves Eligibility and Benefits for Wisconsin Citizens who depend on the state for health care. The Governor made tough choices in his budget to protect the hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin citizens who depend on BadgerCare for health care, and SeniorCare for affordable prescription drugs.
The Governor Protected Medicaid by transferring $180 million from the over-funded Patients Compensation Fund. The fund currently has a balance of $700 million. It’s indefensible to say that we have three quarters of a billion dollars sitting in a fund that’s totally off limits—including the interest—and that’s why we’re going to take people’s health care away.

If the Legislature cuts Medicaid, many of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable population will be harmed:

In Other States Where Medicaid was cut, tens of thousands lost their Health Insurance. Tennessee cut more than 320,000 people off its state Medicaid program, and Oregon cut 50,000 people off theirs.
Medicaid Cuts would reduce the quality and availability of home care for everyone. Many home care workers will be forced to leave the industry making it more difficult for families to secure in-home care. Clients will receive fewer visits per week resulting in more hours waiting for help with daily activities like bathing, eating and toileting.

The one major problem in the budget is the Department of Correction’s plan to privatize prison health services.

SEIU members oppose the privatization of correction’s health care services due to serious quality care concerns based on past problems with private contractors.
A 2001 audit of prison health care services was sharply critical of private health care vendors who were under contract to Corrections to provide care at Wisconsin Correctional Facilities. Auditors estimated that the vendors had failed to provide the health care staffing coverage that was in their contract.
The 2001 audit resulted in broad bi-partisan support for moving away from less accountable private contractors and increasing state health care positions to improve the quality of care. We must not repeat the privatization mistakes of the past.
Why would we want to return to 2000 when the state’s largest newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, ran an investigative story called the “Wisconsin Death Penalty”?
A recent N.Y. Times series on private prison health care re-confirmed that these private prison health care contractors continue to provide appallingly bad care.
This will not save the state money. There is only evidence that it will increase costs.
Past experiences with privatization at Supermax, Prairie du Chien, and Red Granite proved more expensive not less.
In 2002, DOC hired more state workers because they determined it would cost less .
Potential lawsuits for poor care open the state up to additional costs.
Privatizing health care does nothing to treat the real illness – Health care Inflation. The health care crisis is driving up health care costs for everybody. In spite of this DOC provides health care to inmates at a cost significantly lower than the general public pays.
According to DOC and CMS (Center for Medicaid Services) statistics the current corrections health care system provides comprehensive health coverage for all inmates at a rate that is about 61% less than the general public. This in spite of the fact that we treat a population that has a disproportionate number of chronically ill patients and rapidly aging.
Nothing in the DOC privatization plan that moves the state closer to meeting national accreditation standards.