The slowdown in state revenue growth has prompted AARP Wisconsin to call for the Walker administration to ask for federal money to help fund Medicaid expansion money. The money was offered to states by the Obama administration as part of Obamacare. To date, Governor Walker has refused taking the money, saying there is no guarantee the money will continue to be there.
But Helen Marks Dicks from AARP Wisconsin says the recent fiscal report saying less tax money than projected will come to Wisconsin's coffers is a good time to take the federal money...
"...there's been some reluctance to accept that money for a variety of reasons. When we saw the revenue shortfall...we thought this was a good opportunity that there are good ways to put more revenue into the state budget without raising taxes...."
She says it would also allow current funds to be shifted elsewhere in the budget...
"....if we accepted Medicaid expansion, the funding would be coming from the federal government rather than state revenues. It would allow some of the (money) that is currently going into Medicaid programs to be moved over and used in other programs in the state...."
. She hopes citizens contact legislators to let their feelings be known about the issue.
