2009 Wisconsin State Budget

Budget Proposals Related to Women's Health

• Prevention First Package that includes Contraceptive Equity, Prescription Protection and Expansion of the Family Planning Waiver.
• Increase the state cigarette tax by 75-cents a pack – from $1.77 to $2.52 a pack. With the new implemented federal tax, Wisconsin smokers would pay $3.53 in taxes per pack.
• Authorize the UW Board of Regents to create a school of public health at UW–Milwaukee.
• Expand the Family Planning Waiver program to men
• Maintain eligibility standards and benefits for Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus and SeniorCare recipients.
• Require insurers, at the policy holder’s request, to offer health insurance coverage to dependents through the age of 26.
• Continue the expansion of Medicaid coverage to childless adults, using federal funding captured by the new hospital tax assessment.
• Continue the statewide expansion of the Family Care program, although on a slower timeline than previously planned.
• Provide researches access to Wisconsin’s Cancer Registry to advance cancer research.
• Increase funding for the Disease Aids Program to meet increased caseload and costs.
• Increase funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and AIDS Health Insurance Subsidy Program to meet increased caseload and costs.