Seemeyer won’t promise SeniorCare will continue

Gov. Scott Walker’s head of the state Department of Health Services won’t guarantee that the popular SeniorCare prescription drug program will continue beyond 2019.

Linda Seemeyer was asked about the future of SeniorCare during her testimony Wednesday before the Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. She refused to say whether the program would continue beyond the current two-year budget, which runs through the end of June 2019.

Seemeyer says “I would be irresponsible if I gave you a guarantee about something I don’t know is going to happen in the future.”

SeniorCare is one of the most protected programs in state government because of its popularity. Past attempts by Walker to require participants to first enroll for less generous benefits through Medicare Part D have been rejected.

Seemeyer says Wisconsin should be rewarded

Seemeyer says the state should be rewarded for rejecting federal money to expand Medicaid.

Walker rejected the Medicaid expansion money and instead took a hybrid approach to make sure everyone at poverty level or below was covered.

Democrats have repeatedly called on Walker to accept the expansion money, but he’s said that’s too risky.

Seemeyer says the state has been a model and “Wisconsin should be rewarded for its behavior and we will continue to pound the drum.”

Walker has focused efforts on forcing some Medicaid recipients to be looking for work and be tested for drugs or face losing benefits.

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