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reimbursement rates are too low, and that Medicaid patients are often difficult to treat due to their chaotic lives. A key theme among the group was the need for patients to have a primary care physician. A second theme was the need to help patients understand the importance of getting and staying healthy, and using incentives as one strategy for achieving this goal. The lack of access to dental care and mental health services was a third theme of the discussion.

Findings from the participant groups indicated a preference for submitting applications by mail or over the telephone; some individuals expressed appreciation for face-to-face appointments because it allows them an opportunity to ask questions and get immediate answers. As expected, key reasons for the lack of health insurance were high premiums and/or employers not offering insurance. When asked about their willingness to participate in smoking cessation or weight management programs, the majority of participants expressed an interest and suggested that State health programs partner with local gyms, the YWCA, or fitness centers to encourage individuals to use these benefits.

As noted earlier, each group acknowledged the importance of dental coverage and the continuing difficulty of finding a dentist who would accept their Medicaid card. One participant noted that in her community, individuals were placed on waiting lists for up to two years for routine dental care. Many participants said that access to dental care would not be an issue if they had private insurance.

Finally, several participants in each group felt that they were treated differently in health care settings than individuals with private insurance. Other findings include: satisfaction with Wisconsin’s existing programs, concern that single adults would not be included in BadgerCare Plus, and concern that increased co- payments would have a negative impact on their family. See Appendix E for specific focus group questions.

Wisconsin Executive Order #39, issued in February 2004, affirms the government-to-government relationship between the State of Wisconsin and the eleven American Indian tribal governments located within the State of Wisconsin. The “Department of Health and Family Services Policy on Consultation with Wisconsin’s Indian Tribes,” developed by consensus with the Wisconsin tribes, formalizes the tribal-state relationship. Wisconsin has sent an invitation to all Wisconsin tribes to participate on the BadgerCare Plus Advisors Group and two tribal representatives are participating.

Governor Doyle, Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton, and Secretary Helene Nelson hosted twenty town hall meetings across the state throughout the planning

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Effective Date:

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