__________________
Pursuant to Senate Rule 17 (5), Representative Steineke added as a cosponsor of
Senate Bill
93
.
Pursuant to Senate Rule 17 (5), Senator Wanggaard added as a coauthor of
Senate Bill
75
.
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of Senator Mark Miller
May 2, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
Pursuant to Section
15.205(4), I am reappointing Senator Julie Lassa to the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
mark miller
Senator, 16th Senate District
__________________
WHA Information Center
May 5, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
Please find enclosed a hard copy of the Guide to Wisconsin Hospitals, FY 2009 produced by WHA Information Center pursuant to s.
153.22, Wis Stats. The report was posted on our Website in March 2011. Please feel free to download and print additional copies.
S277
If you have any questions regarding the report you may contact me at 608-274-1820, 800-231-8340 or
drickelman@wha.org.
Sincerely,
debbie rickelman
Senior Director
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
May 9, 2011
The Honorable, The Legislature:
As required by
2009 Wisconsin Act 219, we have completed an evaluation of the BadgerCare Plus Basic Plan administered by the Department of Health Services (DHS). The Basic Plan was established to provide temporary, unsubsidized health insurance for childless adults on a waiting list for the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan, a Medical Assistance program that imposed enrollment caps in October 2009. A total of 5,143 individuals were enrolled in the Basic Plan at some point during the six-month period we reviewed.
Statutes require the Basic Plan's insured benefits and administrative costs to be funded by premiums, although program costs may be subsidized by federal grant funding if it is available. Through December 2010, expenditures exceeded revenues by $140,300, and the deficit would have been larger without $1.1 million in federal State Health Access Program grant funding that may not be available in the future.
We identified numerous concerns that are affecting the Basic Plan's sustainability. Most notably, monthly premiums have been insufficient to cover services and administrative costs, services have been provided to individuals who were not enrolled in the plan, and enrollees have received services that are not covered under the plan. In addition, until recently DHS did little to verify the eligibility of applicants and enrollees. We also found that DHS had charged a total of $878,800 in plan expenditures to two general purpose revenue appropriations, contrary to state law. DHS reversed these transactions when we raised concerns about them during our fieldwork.
DHS has taken recent steps to address the Basic Plan's deficit, including transferring 438 high-cost enrollees with diagnoses of cancer and cardiac conditions to the Core Plan. In addition, DHS suspended enrollment in the Basic Plan in March 2011 and increased the monthly premium from $130 to $200 beginning with June coverage. Despite these recent changes, concerns remain regarding the Basic Plan's sustainability. Therefore, DHS and the Legislature will need to consider how best to address the future of the plan, which is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2014.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by DHS in completing this evaluation.
Sincerely,
janice mueller
State Auditor
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Department of Transportation
May 9, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
The Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP) was established in 1991 to assist local communities in improving seriously deteriorating county highways, town roads, and municipal streets. Since then, $371.3 million has been distributed to local units of government through this program. The 2009-11 State Biennial Budget provided non-discretionary funds of $16.2 million in FY 2010 and $16.2 in FY 2011, with separate discretionary funds of $6.8 million in FY 2010 and $6.8 million in FY 2011. Including funding carryover from the previous program cycle, $46.6 million was available for 900 LRIP projects during the FY 2010 and FY 2011 program cycle.
Administrative Rule Trans 206.03(15)(f) directs WisDOT to publish a summary of program activity by June 30th of each odd-numbered year. The latest edition, Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP) Biennial Summary Report: State Fiscal Years 2010-2011 is available exclusively electronically on the LRIP Web site at
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/localgov/highways/docs/lrip-biennial2010.pdf.
Information in the report is current as of March 10, 2011. Since not all projects from the 2010-2011 program cycle were completed as of this date, data in this report may not agree with the most current information available.
If you have questions regarding the program, please visit the LRIP Web site at:
You may also contact LRIP Program Manager:
Phone - (608) 266-9497
Sincerely,
Lori Richter
Local State Programs Unit Leader
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Government Accountability Board
May 10, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
The following lobbyists have been authorized to act on behalf of the organizations set opposite their names.
For more detailed information about these lobbyists and organizations and a complete list of organizations and people authorized to lobby the 2011-2012 session of the legislature, visit the Government Accountability Board's web site at
http://gab.wi.gov/S278
Bauer, Kurt Wisconsin Manufacturers &
Commerce
Berlinski, Heather American Council of
Engineering Companies of
Boyer, Amy Manitoba Hydro
Boyer, Amy Wisconsin Organization for
Responsible Consumerism,
Cook, Andrew Manitoba Hydro
Cullen, Lee RENEW Wisconsin
Cullen, Lee Wind on the Wires
Disch, Andrew Madison Area Builders
Association
Edwards, Torrean SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin
Engel, Andrew Wisconsin Organization for
Responsible Consumerism,
Fassbender, Robert I Manitoba Hydro
Fifield, Matt Gogebic Taconite LLC
Fitzgerald, Moira E Wisconsin Credit Union
League
Fonfara, Thomas United HealthCare Services
Inc.
Garvin, Robert Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Goyke, Gary R. Wisconsin Game Preserve
Association
Hoven, Timothy Wisconsin Organization for
Responsible Consumerism,
Johns, Jason E ATI
Kammer, Peter Wisconsin Ready Mixed
Concrete Association
Klaetsch, George Altria Client Services Inc
Klaetsch, George MAXIMUS Inc
Kuehn, Ronald W American Chemistry Council
Kunicki, Walter Wisconsin Energy
Corporation
Martinko, Jayne American Council of
Engineering Companies of
Neis, John Venture Investors LLC
Panzer, Mary Smart Government, Inc.
Petersen, Eric J Lighthouse on the Lake, Inc.
Petersen, Eric J Radtke Contractors Inc
Pyper, Thomas M. Gogebic Taconite LLC
Rogowski, Michael Satellite Broadcasting &
Communications Association (SBCA)
Seitz, Robert United HealthCare Services
Inc.
Springer, Thomas J Gogebic Taconite LLC
Springer, Thomas J Satellite Broadcasting &
Communications Association (SBCA)
Stenger, Scott Wisconsin Organization for Responsible Consumerism,
Walker, Mindy Wisconsin Organization for
Responsible Consumerism,
Welsh, Michael Wisconsin Organization for
Responsible Consumerism,
Also available from the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board are reports identifying the amount and value of time state agencies have spent to affect legislative action and reports of expenditures for lobbying activities filed by organizations that employ lobbyists.
Sincerely,
Kevin Kennedy
Director and General Counsel
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 10, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Braden
, Mark,
of Lake Geneva, as a member of the Dentistry Examining Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2014.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 10, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Brown
, Gary,
of Kenosha, as a member of the Podiatrists Affiliated Credentialing Board, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2014.
Respectfully submitted,
SCOTT WALKER
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Health.
State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
May 10, 2011
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Diercks, Andrew,
of Coloma, as a member of the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2017.
Respectfully submitted,
