The Alliance of Health Insurers (AHI) recently urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider deep cuts to the Medicare Advantage program which CMS had proposed. If the cuts take effect, AHI expressed concern that over 608,000 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Wisconsin alone will experience major premium increases and lose many of […]
Gov. Evers 2023-25 Executive Budget Highlights
February 19, 2023
Gov. Tony Evers (D) gave his third biennial budget address on February 15, unveiling his 2023-25 executive budget. He proposes an operating budget of $103.8 billion over the next two fiscal years, adding a net 816.55 FTE positions. For comparison, the 2021-23 state budget spent $87.5 billion with a net reduction of 174.19 FTE positions. The […]
Kirsten Johnson Appointed DHS Secretary as Agency Releases State Health Plan, Equity Report
February 8, 2023
Kirsten Johnson Appointed DHS Secretary On Monday, Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced the appointment of Kirsten Johnson as secretary of the Department of Health Services (DHS). Most recently, Johnson was the Milwaukee Commissioner of Health for two years and previously spent 10 years as the director and health officer of the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department. Previous DHS […]
State Agencies Submit 2023-25 Budget Requests
September 21, 2022
On September 15, Wisconsin state government agencies submitted requests for the next state budget to Gov. Tony Evers (D) and the Department of Administration (DOA). The state budgets on a two-year (biennial) basis, with fiscal years beginning July 1 and ending June 30. The 2023-2025 state budget will cover a two-year period from July 1, 2023, through June 30, […]
U.S. to Extend COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration
May 27, 2022
The federal government’s ongoing public health emergency (PHE) is expected to be extended again. Last month, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the renewal of his department’s PHE determination with respect to COVID-19 in the United States. Wisconsin, like other states, has been working towards a potential July expiration of the […]
Gov. Evers Signs EFDA Bill, Vetoes APRN Bill as 2021-22 Session Ends
April 19, 2022
On April 15, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) issued what are likely to be his final signatures and vetoes of the 2021-22 legislative session. With the Assembly and Senate standing adjourned as of their final floor days in February and March, respectively, any outstanding bills passed by both houses were sent to the governor’s desk […]
Legislature Adjourned After Final Senate Floor Session: March 8
March 11, 2022
The Wisconsin Legislature stands adjourned following the Senate’s final planned floor day on March 8. The Assembly adjourned two weeks earlier after its final votes on February 23 and 24. Barring any unusual circumstances, the Legislature will not convene again until the next legislative session begins in January 2023. Also on March 8, Republican leaders […]
Gov. Evers Signs Telehealth Definition Bill
February 14, 2022
On February 4, Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced his actions on 18 bills recently presented to him by the Legislature. The governor signed 14 bills into law and vetoed four others. Notably, Gov. Evers signed Senate Bill (SB) 309, now 2021 Wisconsin Act 121, which incorporates the definitions of “telehealth” and other related terms from the Medical Assistance program […]
Senate and Assembly Floor Sessions: January 25
February 3, 2022
The Wisconsin Senate met on the morning of January 25 for a floor session to vote on bills and resolutions, while the Assembly met that afternoon to take a series of votes. The Assembly also met on January 20, which we covered in this article. Senate Floor Calendar, January 25 The Senate passed 55 bills […]
Assembly Floor Session: January 20
February 3, 2022
The Wisconsin Assembly met on January 20 for a floor session to vote on bills and resolutions. Both the Assembly and Senate also met on January 25, which we covered in this article. Assembly Floor Calendar, January 20 The Assembly passed 39 bills and three resolutions, mostly via voice votes. Notably, the Assembly voted 95-0 […]