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AB1236 • 2025

expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program

expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program

Healthcare
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representatives Stubbs, Arney, Goodwin, Joers, Johnson, Moore Omokunde, Sinicki, Subeck and Taylor, cosponsored by Senators L. Johnson, Hesselbein, Larson, Ratcliff, Roys and Spreitzer
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program

expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program Status: A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

What This Bill Does

  • expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program Status: A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Asm.

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

  2. 2026-03-19 Asm.

    Introduced by Representatives Stubbs , Arney , Goodwin , Joers , Johnson , Moore Omokunde , Sinicki , Subeck and Taylor ; cosponsored by Senators L. Johnson , Hesselbein , Larson , Ratcliff , Roys and Spreitzer

  3. 2026-03-19 Asm.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

Official Summary Text

expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program
Status: A - Health, Aging and Long-Term Care

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: AB1236: Bill Text

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AB1236: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-6521/1
KMS:cdc
2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 1236
March 19, 2026 - Introduced by Representatives
Stubbs
,
Arney
,
Goodwin
,
Joers
,
Johnson
,
Moore Omokunde
,
Sinicki
,
Subeck
and
Taylor
, cosponsored by Senators
L. Johnson
,
Hesselbein
,
Larson
,
Ratcliff
,
Roys
and
Spreitzer
. Referred to Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.
AB1236,1,3
1
An Act

to renumber
49.471 (2);
to amend
49.471 (4) (a) 4. b.;
to create
49.471
2
(2) (b), 49.471 (4) (a) 4m. and 49.471 (4) (a) 8. of the statutes;
relating to:

3
expanding eligibility for the Medical Assistance program.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
BadgerCare Plus and the childless adults demonstration project, known as BadgerCare Plus Core, are programs under the state’s Medical Assistance program, which provides health services to individuals who have limited financial resources. Under current law, certain parents and caretaker relatives with incomes of not more than 100 percent of the federal poverty line, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied, are eligible for BadgerCare Plus benefits. In addition, under current law, childless adults who 1) are under age 65; 2) have family incomes that do not exceed 100 percent of the federal poverty line, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied; and 3) are not otherwise eligible for Medical Assistance, including BadgerCare Plus, are eligible for benefits under BadgerCare Plus Core.
Subject to any necessary federal approval, beginning January 1, 2029, this bill changes the family income eligibility level to up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line for parents and caretaker relatives under BadgerCare Plus. The bill also expands eligibility under BadgerCare Plus to include childless adults with an income of 101 percent, before a 5 percent income disregard is applied, to 133 percent of the federal poverty line who would otherwise be covered under BadgerCare Plus Core.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB1236,1
1
Section

1
.
49.471 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 49.471 (2) (a).
AB1236,2
2
Section

2
.
49.471 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB1236,2,7
3
49.471
(2)
(b) The commissioner of insurance shall seek any necessary federal
4
approval for eligibility for individuals described under sub. (4) (a) 4m. and 8. for the
5
benefits described in s. 49.46 (2) (a) and (b). If the federal government does not
6
grant the necessary approval, an individual described under sub. (4) (a) 4m. or 8. is
7
not eligible for the benefits described in s. 49.46 (2) (a) and (b).
AB1236,3
8
Section

3
.
49.471 (4) (a) 4. b. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1236,2,11
9
49.471
(4)
(a) 4. b. The individual’s family income does not exceed 100 percent
10
of the poverty line
before application of the 5 percent income disregard under
42
11
CFR 435.603 (d)
.
AB1236,4
12
Section

4
.
49.471 (4) (a) 4m. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1236,2,14
13
49.471
(4)
(a) 4m. Subject to any necessary federal approval under sub. (2) (b),
14
an individual who satisfies all of the following criteria:
AB1236,3,4
15
a. The individual is a parent or caretaker relative of a dependent child who is
16
living in the home with the parent or caretaker relative or who is temporarily
17
absent from the home for not more than 6 months or, if the dependent child has
18
been removed from the home for more than 6 months, the parent or caretaker
19
relative is working toward unifying the family by complying with a permanency
20
plan under s. 48.38 or 938.38. For purposes of this subdivision, a “dependent child”
1
means an individual who is under the age of 18 or an individual who is age 18 and
2
a full-time student in secondary school or equivalent vocational or technical
3
training if before attaining the age of 19 the individual is reasonably expected to
4
complete the school or training.
AB1236,3,6
5
b. The individual’s family income is between 101 percent and 133 percent of
6
the poverty line.
AB1236,5
7
Section
5
.
49.471 (4) (a) 8. of the statutes is created to read:
AB1236,3,9
8
49.471
(4)
(a) 8. Subject to any necessary federal approval under sub. (2) (b),
9
an individual who meets all of the following criteria:
AB1236,3,10
10
a. The individual is an adult under the age of 65.
AB1236,3,13
11
b. The adult’s family income is between 101 percent, before application of the
12
5 percent income disregard under
42 CFR 435.603 (d)
, and
133
percent of the
13
poverty line.
AB1236,3,15
14
c. The adult is not otherwise eligible for the Medical Assistance program
15
under this subchapter or the Medicare program under
42 USC 1395
et seq.
AB1236,6
16
Section

6
. Effective dates.
This act takes effect on the day after
17
publication, except as follows:
AB1236,3,20
18
(
1
)
Medical assistance eligibility expansion.
The treatment of s. 49.471
19
(4) (a) 4m. and 8., the renumbering of s. 49.471 (2) (a), and the creation of s. 49.471
20
(2) (b) take effect on January 1, 2029.
AB1236,3,21
21
(end)

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