On Thursday, February 11, the Senate and Assembly health committees passed AB 7/SB 3, companion versions of a bill authorizing the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) to license and regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The Assembly committee passed the bill unanimously, while Senator Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) was the only one to vote no on […]
Governor Vetoes AB 1 and Orders a New Health Emergency and Mask Mandate
February 12, 2021
After a contentious first month of the new legislative session, Governor Tony Evers vetoed Assembly Bill 1 (AB 1), the first bill to reach his desk this year. AB 1, a comprehensive proposal to address COVID-19 in Wisconsin, included broad protections from COVID-19 liability claims for businesses, non-profits, and other entities, Unemployment Insurance reforms sought by the […]
Wisconsin Has Administered 800,000 Vaccine Doses; State Announces First Community Vaccine Clinic
February 12, 2021
As of Tuesday, February 9, Wisconsin had been allocated about 1,150,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from the federal government. Vaccinating providers in the state had ordered about 900,000 doses, while the remaining doses were set aside specifically for the residents and staff of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Nearly 800,000 vaccine doses have been administered, […]
Assembly Adds Contested Provisions Back to AB 1; Senate Makes a Minor Addition and Passes the Assembly’s Updated Version
January 29, 2021
Earlier this week, the Assembly and Senate again considered Assembly Bill 1 (AB 1), a comprehensive COVID-19 response package that was introduced at the start of the session by Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and quickly passed by the Assembly along partisan lines. AB 1 was then amended by the Senate via Senate Substitute Amendment 1 […]
DHS Announces Next Priority Groups for COVID-19 Vaccination
January 29, 2021
On Tuesday, January 26, the Department of Health Services (DHS) announced which groups of Wisconsinites will be eligible for the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations. As we reported a few weeks ago, the vaccine subcommittee of the State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (SDMAC) was soliciting public comments and formulating recommendations to the administration on who […]
Senate Votes to Terminate Governor Evers’ Latest Public Health Emergency and Related Mask Mandate; Assembly Defers for Now
January 29, 2021
On Tuesday, January 19, Gov. Evers issued Executive Order #104, declaring a new statewide public health emergency related to COVID-19. Pursuant to this order, the governor also issued Emergency Order #1, requiring individuals to wear face coverings while indoors or in an enclosed space (other than a private residence), if other individuals not from the […]
Assembly and Senate Pass Differing COVID-19 Plans; Gov. Evers Endorses Senate Version
January 15, 2021
The 2021-22 legislative session is officially underway here in Wisconsin. Right out of the gate, both the Legislature and Governor Evers have focused on passing another COVID-19 response package. Back in April, the Legislature passed and the governor signed Wisconsin Act 185. Many of the provisions included in Act 185 have since expired. Late last year, Governor Evers and […]
SDMAC Vaccine Subcommittee Considers Next Vaccination Phase Framework
January 15, 2021
This week, the State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (SDMAC) vaccine subcommittee met twice to discuss the groups covered in the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination (Phase 1B). Similar to the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Wisconsin’s SDMAC provides recommendations to the Department of Health Services (DHS) for vaccine prioritization and distribution. Currently, Wisconsin […]
Round 2 Federal COVID-19 Relief Legislation: What It Means for Wisconsin
January 15, 2021
In December 2020, Congress passed a 5,600-page spending bill totaling roughly $2.3 trillion. In addition to funding the federal government for nine months to the tune of $1.4 trillion, the bill featured a $900 billion economic stimulus and COVID-19 relief package. The House approved the package by a 359-53 margin, while the Senate passed it […]
State’s Medicaid Program Projected to End Fiscal Year with Surplus
January 15, 2021
Despite an unexpected pandemic, Wisconsin is projected to end the current fiscal year on June 30 with a $614.8 million general fund surplus. On January 4, 2021, the state Department of Health Services (DHS) sent the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee the latest update on the overall condition of the state’s Medicaid program. In September, DHS projected the […]