Evidence In A Sea of Speculation

Television news has fallen in love with the angry white male again, flooding the airwaves with clips of men shouting angrily at town hall meetings about health care reform across the country.

Those images and soundbites are drowning out much of the detailed, substantial debate about our health care system. And though many Americans are shouting, and politicians are arguing, that they don’t want government involved in any part of their health care, Wisconsin has seen strong evidence to the contrary this summer.

In the two months since it was launched June 15, the new BadgerCare Plus Core health insurance plan for uninsured, single adults has garnered over 40,000 applications through Aug. 14 in Wisconsin. The response has flooded the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) with an unprecedented workload and demonstrated just how desperate so many Americans are for insurance – and they don’t seem to care who’s providing it.

“We have 1,500 people who usually handle about 15,000 applications for all of the programs we administer,” said WDHS spokesperson Stephanie Smiley. “In the first month of BadgerCare Plus Core, 25,000 applications came in.”

The surge has caused delays in processing applications, and just 6,300 people have been approved and enrolled in the program so far. Smiley said 40 percent of applications are on hold because the $60 application fee was not included.

“I don’t think the number is a surprise, but it is a surprise that we’re getting this many applications so quickly,” Smiley said. She said they expected to enroll about 40,000 people in the program, but over a year’s time.

The program is designed for childless adults age 19 – 64 who have not had access to health insurance in the last 12 months. Enrollment is limited to those with an income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level  ($1,805 per month or $21,660 per year for single adults, $2,428.33 per month or $29,133 per year for married couples).

The Community Clinic of Door County, which provides free (the clinic does accept payment from those who offer) primary health and mental health care for those without insurance, is working to enroll as many county residents in the plan as possible, said Executive Director Laura Moeller.

“Social services knew they would not have the personnel to enroll people, so we offered to help,” Moeller said. “We take the applicants in and sit down with them one-on-one and take them through the process.”

The clinic also helps cover the $60 application fee, and though they are essentially handing their clients over to BadgerCare, Moeller said providing health insurance isn’t about protecting territory.

“We are playing a true advocacy role,” she said. “This is what our mission is. In an ideal world, there would be no gaps and we would cease to exist.”

Just 110 Door County applications have been filed, with seven approved thus far, though Moeller has witnessed a surge of new applications as more people have become aware of the opportunity. She said the extension of BadgerCare is only one small step in covering all those desperate for coverage.

“There’s still a huge gap in the $22,000 to $42,000 income bracket, so we’re not going out of business anytime soon,” she said. “People can’t afford the premiums. We’re going to evolve and see a different portion of the population.”

To date, just 600 applications have been denied, while thousands await verification of residency, income, and other requirements. Of those denied, 35 percent were refused because they had some form of insurance, and another 26 percent exceeded income limits.

The state has not set a formal cap on enrollment, though budget constraints will likely limit the program to between 40 – 50,000 people, Smiley said. Over 60 percent of applicants are unemployed, “a sign of our economic times,” Smiley said. “If the economy picks up, hopefully more people would have access to health insurance,” and ease the burden on the program.

The American debate on health care reform has been sidetracked by misinformation, the media’s addiction to soundbites, and sensationalism. But Congress need only look to the swift reaction to BadgerCare Plus Core for a case study on the reality of health care in America. Smiley and Moeller point out that there’s a tremendous portion of the population that doesn’t have the luxury of parsing the details, that don’t care who’s providing coverage, just that it’s provided at all.

“Everybody’s saying they don’t want standardized medicine,” Moeller said. “But what we’re doing right here proves that people are desperate for something.”

Smiley agreed.

“People with health insurance, that’s great for them,” she said. “But for the people who are left out in the cold the system isn’t working.”

BadgerCare Plus Core Plan

The BadgerCare Plus Core plan provides access to basic health care services, including primary and preventative care, and some medication assistance. Childless adults age 19 through 64 who have not had access to health insurance in the last 12 months may be eligible. Enrollment is limited to those with an income of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($1,805 per month or $21,660 per year for single adults, $2,428.33 per month or $29,133 per year for married couples).

Once enrolled the eligible patient can select their HMO and provider of choice, and typical visits to a participating provider require nominal co-pays with each visit. Enrollment is $60.

To learn more about the Badger Care Plus Core Plan for childless adults visit http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/badgercareplus/core. Individuals can apply online or call 800.291.2002. The Community Clinic of Door County offers application assistance by appointment only. Call 920.746.8989 or visit http://www.communityclinicofdoorcounty.org for information.