Badger Care Plus
The goal of Badger Care Plus is to "ensure that 98 percent of
Wisconsin residents have access to quality, affordable health
care" (Badger Care Plus, 2008). To attain this goal, Badger Care
Plus (BCP) is open to any child under 19 regardless of income,
pregnant women, and families. Enrollment in BadgerCare Plus, and
all state health programs it covers, currently exceeds 500,000
people (Associated Press, 2008). BCP has developed from the
federal concept of the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP). Wisconsin has taken great strides in not only ensuring
that all children have access to health care coverage, but also
expecting mothers and families. Aside from children, parents with children in foster care, farmers,
and self-employed
families are also eligible for BCP. The only other criteria for BCP is that you must be a Wisconsin resident and have proof of
citizenship and identity.
Badger Care Plus has two programs that are based on income level, the Standard Plan and the Benchmark Plan. The Standard Plan covers families with incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), currently $35,199.96. The Benchmark plan, on the other hand, covers families above this mark. Wisconsin residents who already have Medicaid, Healthy Start, or BadgerCare are automatically enrolled in BCP.
BCP covers services such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, hospital/emergency room use, and other preventative services. There have been guidelines put in place under the BCP program to curb emergency room use. Limits have been set on emergency room use not only keep costs down, but to "provide the best service in the best place, provide services to more people...to avoid using the emergency room or ambulance rides unnecessarily" (Badger Care Plus, 2008). Emergencies are defined as situations/conditions that may cause serious bodily harm or even death.