Wisconsin Governor Announces HHS Waiver To Extend SeniorCare Rx Program

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) on Tuesday announced an HHS waiver that will allow SeniorCare, a state program that provides prescription drug coverage for seniors, to continue to operate after Jan. 1, 2006, when the new Medicare prescription drug benefit will take effect, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Walters/Boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/11). Under the waiver, the almost 90,000 state residents enrolled in SeniorCare can remain in the program until at least June 30, 2007 (Foley, AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press, 10/12). The waiver also will allow SeniorCare participants to enroll later in the Medicare prescription drug benefit without penalty (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/11). SeniorCare has no monthly premiums, smaller copayments than Medicare and no gaps in prescription drug coverage (AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press, 10/12). SeniorCare participants pay a $30 annual fee and copayments of $5 for generic drugs or $15 for brand-name drugs. Participants with higher incomes also pay an annual deductible of $500 or $850. Wisconsin officials said that 94% of SeniorCare participants will benefit more under the program than under the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/11). "Instead of being forced into Medicare, people on SeniorCare will be able to make their own choice about which program is best for them," Doyle said. CMS administrator Mark McClellan called the waiver a "win-win for everyone." In the future, Doyle hopes to extend SeniorCare beyond June 2007 and establish a "wraparound program" with the federal government that would improve coverage for Wisconsin residents who enroll in the Medicare prescription drug benefit (AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press, 10/12).

Editorial
"Although lots of folks in Wisconsin seem to almost enjoy deriding this state as a tax hell, they often overlook the fact that Wisconsin is a pioneer when it comes to health care, and many people are better off as a result," a Journal Sentinel editorial states. The editorial praises SeniorCare, which allows "about 90,000 Wisconsin seniors with modest incomes" to "pay substantially less for their prescription drugs." According to the editorial, under the HHS waiver, state residents "who qualify for SeniorCare can avoid paying more for their drugs and having to choose from roughly 45 complicated new enrollment options under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/12).