From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Gov. Tony Evers today signed legislation extending coverage for new mothers to 12 months under Medicaid rather than the previous 60 days.
With the signing, Wisconsin becomes the 49th state to offer a full year of coverage under the program.
SB 23 cleared the Senate 32-1 and the Assembly 95-1. It had been previously blocked by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who dismissed it as an expansion of welfare. But the Rochester Republican backed the bill during the final week the Assembly was in session, clearing the way for it to become law.
In a statement today, Evers noted he first proposed the change nearly seven years ago and knew it would be “an uphill battle” to get it passed into law.
“Expanding postpartum coverage is the right move for Wisconsin families, it’s the right move for our state, and it’s a privilege to be able to sign this bill into law today,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming, but I’m darn proud we got it done.”
See more in the release below.
— The state Senate has approved legislation to allow a “patient’s representative” to consent to an incapacitated person being moved from a hospital to a nursing home, with certain exceptions.
Sen. André Jacque, R-New Franken, and Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, joined three Dems in opposition to AB 598, which was approved yesterday 28-5.
The Wisconsin Hospital Association is applauding the passage of the “next of kin” bill, with President and CEO Kyle O’Brien calling it a “significant step forward” for patients and their families.
“By creating a clear and practical pathway to identify a patient’s next-of-kin for care transition decisions, this legislation will help ensure patients can move more quickly to the most appropriate setting for their recovery, while also improving hospital capacity for those who need hospital care,” he said in a statement.
The bill cleared the Assembly earlier this year and can now be signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers.
See the release below.
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