Wisconsin Begins To Enroll Seniors in Medicaid Prescription Drug Assistance Program

Wisconsin on July 1 opened enrollment for its SeniorCare program, which helps the state's lowest-income seniors with the cost of prescription drugs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/1). To qualify for the program, a couple must have an annual household income of $28,656 or less, and depending on income level, some seniors will be required to pay a $500 annual deductible. All participants will pay a $20 enrollment fee and $5 for each generic drug and $15 for each brand-name drug (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/17). State officials expect approximately 177,000 of the estimated 325,000 eligible seniors to enroll in the program. An enrollment drive sponsored by AARP Wisconsin signed up approximately 1,700 seniors. SeniorCare is expected to cost $100 million the first year and $149 million in its second year. During a July 1 news conference in Milwaukee with Gov. Scott McCallum (R), HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, who was governor of Wisconsin until February 2001, signed a waiver to allow federal Medicaid funds to cover approximately half of the program's costs (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/1). Wisconsin is one of the first states to take advantage of the federal Pharmacy Plus program, which allows states to extend Medicaid prescription drug coverage to seniors (HHS release, 7/1).