State Rep. Clint Moses Faces Reelection Challenges Over Medicaid Bill

State Rep. Clint Moses co-sponsored a bill that would have snatched Medicaid benefits away from Wisconsin residents. The bill could become a liability in his reelection campaign.

Moses was elected to represent District 29 in the State Assembly in 2020. Due to redistricting, he is now running in District 92. His Democratic opponent is former state Rep. Joe Plouff.

From 2020 to 2023, Wisconsinites who were enrolled in Medicaid, known as BadgerCare in the state, were automatically re-enrolled each year. This process was implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2023, after automatic re-enrollments ended, Moses co-sponsored Assembly Bill 148, which would have made reapplying to the program more difficult. Proposed restrictions included requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to cross-reference applicant data with other state agencies and not notifying applicants when there were errors on their applications. The bill also required Medicaid enrollees to reapply every six months.

The stated purpose of the bill was to cut down on waste and fraud, but experts warned it would be inefficient and lead to Medicaid benefits being denied to eligible individuals.

Multiple advocacy groups, including the American Cancer Society and the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, opposed the legislation. Sarah Sahi, an American Cancer Society spokesperson, submitted written testimony laying out the bill’s potential repercussions.

“Requiring such frequent re-application and re-determinations of Medicaid eligibility is burdensome on enrollees … ” Sahil said. “Frequent re-determinations could result in loss of access to health care coverage due to small — often temporary — fluctuations in income, making it difficult or impossible for those with cancer to continue treatment.”

Barbara Sella, a Wisconsin Catholic Conference spokesperson, submitted testimony about the bill’s potential impact on low-income households and the charities that help them.

“It is important to note the impact this bill will have on private charitable actors,” Sella said. “Depriving the poorest among us of health care will only shift the burden to the hundreds of private charities, Catholic and other, which are already overwhelmed. While as Catholics we stand ready to serve the common good, we cannot be expected to serve more with less.”

According to PBS, the same month Assembly Bill 148 was introduced, Moses and two other Republican lawmakers attended a conference in Nashville, TN hosted by the Foundation for Government Accountability, a conservative think tank.The foundation reportedly covered the lawmakers’ travel expenses.

The Foundation for Government Accountability later submitted testimony and research in support of Assembly Bill 148. The group claimed that safety net programs, like Medicaid, were preventing able-bodied Wisconsinites from rejoining the workforce. There is no conclusive evidence to support this claim.

Assembly Bill 148 passed the State Assembly but stalled in the Wisconsin Senate.

Moses has backed other bills aimed at cutting safety net programs. In 2022, he introduced a bill to deny Medicaid to any Wisconsnite who turned down a job opportunity. In 2021, he sponsored a bill to rescind federal unemployment benefits from workers laid off due to the pandemic.

In 2023, Moses introduced a bill that would have required Wisconsinites to be drug tested in order to qualify for unemployment benefits.

None of these bills became law.

A Moses spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

September 27, 2024

Medicaid Bill Could Impact State Rep. Clint Moses’ Reelection Campaign

State Representative Clint Moses, who co-sponsored a bill aimed at tightening Medicaid eligibility, may face challenges in his reelection campaign due to the controversial nature of the legislation.

Initially elected to represent District 29 in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020, Moses is now contending in District 92 following redistricting. His opponent in the upcoming election is former state Representative Joe Plouff, a Democrat.

During the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023, Wisconsin residents enrolled in Medicaid, referred to as BadgerCare within the state, were automatically re-enrolled each year. This automatic re-enrollment ended in April 2023.

Following the cessation of automatic re-enrollments, Moses co-sponsored Assembly Bill 148, which proposed more stringent reapplication processes for Medicaid. The bill suggested that the Department of Health and Human Services cross-reference applicant data with other state agencies and avoid notifying applicants of errors on their applications. Additionally, it required Medicaid recipients to reapply every six months.

While the bill aimed to reduce waste and fraud, experts cautioned that it could lead to inefficiencies and result in eligible individuals losing their Medicaid benefits.

The bill faced opposition from several advocacy groups, including the American Cancer Society and the Wisconsin Catholic Conference. Sarah Sahi, a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, highlighted the adverse effects in her written testimony.

“Requiring such frequent re-application and re-determinations of Medicaid eligibility is burdensome on enrollees … Frequent re-determinations could result in loss of access to health care coverage due to small — often temporary — fluctuations in income, making it difficult or impossible for those with cancer to continue treatment,” Sahi stated.

Barbara Sella, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, also expressed concerns about the impact on low-income households and the burden on charities.

According to PBS, Moses and two other Republican legislators attended a conference in Nashville, TN, hosted by the Foundation for Government Accountability in the same month Assembly Bill 148 was introduced. The foundation, a conservative think tank, reportedly covered the lawmakers’ travel expenses.

The Foundation for Government Accountability later provided testimony and research supporting Assembly Bill 148, arguing that programs like Medicaid were deterring able-bodied Wisconsinites from re-entering the workforce. This claim lacks conclusive evidence.

Although Assembly Bill 148 passed the State Assembly, it did not progress in the Wisconsin Senate.

Moses has supported other initiatives aimed at reducing safety net programs. In 2022, he introduced a bill to deny Medicaid to any Wisconsinite who refused a job offer. In 2021, he sponsored legislation to withdraw federal unemployment benefits from workers laid off due to the pandemic.

In 2023, Moses introduced a bill mandating drug tests for Wisconsinites seeking unemployment benefits.

None of these bills were enacted into law.

A spokesperson for Moses did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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