Monday, April 28, 2003 from 10:00 a.m. to noon
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Waukesha Transportation District 2
2000 Pewaukee Ave., Room 140
Waukesha, WI
The hearing sites are fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Analysis Prepared by the Department of Health and Family Services
The Department must create and amend selected provisions under chs.
HFS 101,
102,
103 and
107, relating to Medical Assistance to implement a waiver of federal regulations that allows the Department to provide family planning coverage for females of child–bearing age. The federal waiver allows for the expansion of Medicaid services for a limited array of services to specific individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Through this expansion of coverage, the Department hopes to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in Wisconsin. Under the waiver, a woman of child–bearing age whose income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty line will be eligible for most of the family planning services currently available under Medicaid, as described in existing s.
HFS 107.21.
Copies of Rule and Contact Person
To find out more about the hearings or to request a copy of the proposed rules, you may also write, phone, or e-mail:
Alfred Matano
Division of Health Care Financing
P.O. Box 309, Room 350
Madison, WI 53701-0309
608-267-6848 or, if you are hearing impaired
608-266-1511 (TTY)
If you are hearing or visually impaired, do not speak English, or have other personal circumstances which might make communication at a hearing difficult and if you, therefore, require an interpreter or a non-English, large-print or taped version of the hearing document, contact the person at the address or phone number above. A person requesting a non-English or sign language interpreter should make that request at least 10 days before the hearing. With less than 10 days notice, an interpreter may not be available.
Written comments on the rules received at the above address no later than May 1, 2003 will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
Fiscal Estimate
The administrative rule will allow the implementation of a Medicaid expansion of family planning services to single women ages 15 to 44 that have annual incomes below 185% of the federal poverty level. As directed by statute, the Department applied and received federal approval for this expansion of MA eligibility.
Currently, Medicaid and BadgerCare cover women below 185% of the federal poverty level who are either pregnant or have children. However, low-income women without children are not eligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare. Low-income women who do not qualify for these programs are unlikely to have either employer-provided insurance coverage, or sufficient personal funds to purchase family planning and reproductive health services in the private sector. They are therefore at a higher risk of unintended pregnancy. If a woman with an income below 185% federal poverty level becomes pregnant, Medicaid or BadgerCare would pay for birth costs, first year costs of the child, and other child cost and the cost for the mother.
The family planning waiver is a five-year demonstration project that will provide family planning services and ancillary family planning services, on a fee-for-service basis, to any woman between the ages of 15 and 44 whose family income does not exceed 185% of the federal poverty level. Funding for the family planning services will be funded 90% FED and 10% GPR. Funding for covered ancillary family planning services will be funded at the Medicaid matching rate.
By preventing unintended pregnancies and therefore preventing low-income women from becoming eligible for Medicaid or BadgerCare, the cost to Medicaid and BadgerCare is reduced. In the first three years years of operation, it is projected that the cost of providing the family planning services will exceed the savings. However, over the five-year a period, allowing low-income women access to family planing services, will save BadgerCare and Medicaid $8,897,500 AF ($1,557,100 GPR). The net cost is $742,100 ($129,900 GPR) in FY03 and $1,638,100 AF ($286,700 GPR) in FY04. The Department estimates that enrollment at the end of the five year demonstration period will reach approximately 47,000 women.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The rules for the FPW program apply to the Department, to families that are applicants or recipients of the health care coverage provided by the family planning waiver and to county social service or human service departments that take applications and determine eligibility for the family planning waiver. The rules will not directly affect small businesses as “small business" is defined in s.
227.114 (1) (a), Stats.
Notice of Hearing
Higher Educational Aids Board
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That pursuant to s.
39.435, Stats, the Higher Educational Aid Board will hold a public hearing to consider amendments to ss.
HEA 5.04 and
5.05 and the emergency rule amending s.
HEA 5.05 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code relating to the administration of the Talent Incentive Program Grant.
The public hearing will be held:
Date, Time and Location
April 25, 2003 - 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
State Capital, Room 201 SE
Madison, Wisconsin
The hearing is fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Analysis Prepared by the Higher Education Aids Board
The
1989 Wisconsin Act 31 created s.
39.435 which provides for grants to Wisconsin residents who meet criteria established by the statute and administrative code. The Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) administers this program under s.
39.435 and under ch.
HEA 5. Current rules contain some criteria that are no longer relevant or contain unclear language that may cause otherwise eligible residents to not be considered eligible. Revising the rules eliminates obsolete language and makes clarifications that will allow fair and equitable administration of the program for all Wisconsin residents.
Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The proposed rules concern a student financial aid program and have no affect upon small business in Wisconsin.
Fiscal Estimate
The proposed revisions cause no alterations in the present allocation of funds so there is no fiscal impact.
Contact Person
To request copies of the revised rules, or for more information, please contact:
John Whitt, Talent Incentive Program Grant Coordinator
Higher Education Aid Board
131 West Wilson St, P.O. Box 7885
(608) 266-1665
Madison, WI 53707-7885
Written Comments on the revised rules received at the above address no later than April 18, 2003 will be given the same consideration as testimony presented at the hearing.
