Seniorcare Is Job 1
Doyle: Getting Federal Renewal A Priority

February 28, 2006
The Capital Times

WASHINGTON (AP) - Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday he has made renewing SeniorCare, Wisconsin's popular prescription drug program for low-income seniors, a top priority in dealing with the federal government this year.

The program expires in June 2007 and faces an uncertain future because of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Doyle, in town for the National Governors Association meeting, made the comments to reporters after the governors met with President Bush.

Last year, the federal government had threatened to eliminate funding for SeniorCare, which uses a mix of state and federal money, arguing that the Medicare benefit would make the program unnecessary. But Doyle reached an agreement last fall with U.S. Health and Human Services

Secretary Mike Leavitt to extend the program to at least June 30, 2007, when a federal waiver expires.

"At the top of our priority list this year will be for the reapplication and the request for the extension of the SeniorCare waiver," Doyle said. "It's going to be enormously important to well over 100,000 Wisconsin seniors to see that waiver renewed."

Doyle said enrollment in SeniorCare has increased even as Medicare offered its prescription drug benefit, known as Part D, which has been hampered by confusion among seniors.

"A lot of people in the face of Medicare Part D have come to SeniorCare, because it's so much easier to deal with," he said. "It's just a basic couple-of-page forms that you fill out, and you're not picking all of these different plans."

Officials with the Department of Health and Human Services could not immediately be reached for comment.

Doyle said he's also seeking to extend another federal waiver for the state's Family Care program, which provides long-term, in-home care to low-income seniors and the disabled. The program currently runs in five counties. Doyle wants to extend it statewide.

"I was encouraged in discussions I've had with the secretary (Leavitt) and in remarks that he made today, about his understanding of the need to reform long-term care, finding cheaper ways to do it, and better ways," Doyle said.