Oneida and Lincoln county are two of twenty counties asking the state to help run a pilot program supporting health care for poor people.
The state of Wisconsin refused to accept additional dollars from the federal government to cover the cost of a portion of BadgerCare, or Medicaid.
Following the lead from Ohio, the 20 counties would like the state to allow the money to flow directly to the counties.
Kevin Kane Wisconsin Citizen Action says Wisconsin has a long history of this type of funding...
"...BadgerCare is a Medicaid program thats beyond and better. Family Care is a county-by-county Medicaid program except it's for long-term care.....this proposal...the money would come through the state to the counties that want to do it...."
Cuyahoga county near Cleveland has been allowed by Ohio to accept the money. Like Wisconsin, Ohio refused the additional federal Medicaid dollars.
Kane says he's uncertain just what will happen....
"....we're not sure this is something the state would agree to do but we can now point to another county in another state and say it is possible and the federal government has allowed it. So hypothetically, the state would allow the counties to access these federal dollars....."
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At a meeting earlier this summer the Oneida county board asked the state to accept the extra money, thinking the cost of maintaining health services for the poor would place a greater burden on local taxpayers.
