Wisconsin Governor Takes First Step to Expand Medicaid Program (1)

Wisconsin’s new governor, Gov. Tony Evers (D), has signed an executive order directing the state’s Department of Health Services to begin planning an expansion of eligibility for its Medicaid program.

Evers campaigned on increasing access to health care for Wisconsin residents, and his executive order marks a 180-degree turn from his predecessor, Scott Walker (R). The order instructs the state’s health department to “develop a plan to ensure that more Wisconsinites have access to affordable, quality healthcare, while saving Wisconsin taxpayer dollars, by expanding Medicaid eligibility in the State of Wisconsin.”

An additional 75,000 people would be covered if the ...