Wisconsin HMOs Rally Against Proposed Medicaid Tax

HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care industry intelligence, finds that Wisconsin health plans worked feverishly to prevent a proposed tax on the gross revenues of HMOs serving Medicaid patients from becoming law. According to the latest issue of the Wisconsin Health Plan Analysis from HealthLeaders-InterStudy, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle had included the tax in his proposed state budget. The lobbying efforts paid off, though, as the tax was later defeated.

"A variety of factors tipped the scales against Doyle's plan," said Ric Gross, HealthLeaders-InterStudy analyst. "In addition to leading Republican lawmakers coming out against the idea, the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans called it unworkable. And several plans asserted that it would lead to a mass exodus of plans from the Medicaid managed care landscape."

  Other Health Plan News in Wisconsin:   * Wisconsin officials are seeking federal approval to expand mandatory HMO     enrollment for Medicaid and BadgerCare recipients.   * The future of the state's popular SeniorCare drug program still hangs in     the balance as the new Medicare prescription drug plan gets closer to     implementation   * Humana Inc. is making dental coverage available to its individual     members.    About HealthLeaders-InterStudy 

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  For more information, contact:    Elizabeth Marshall    Decision Resources    781-296-2563    emarshall@dresources.com 

SOURCE: Decision Resources, Inc.