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Rep. Nygren Says Medicaid Drug Testing Could Be Helpful

Nygren Has Spearheaded Several Law Changes To Address Drug Epidemic

By
Darling and Nygren
Republican State Senator Alberta Darling of River Hills and Republican Representative John Nygren of Marinette, co-chairs of the state legislature’s budget committee. Shamane Mills/WPR

A key lawmaker who has spearheaded laws to address opioid addiction said he supports Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to drug test those on Medicaid.

But Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, said how it would be done is important.

“So this is a new concept, drug testing. There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” Nygren, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, said. “So for us to feel comfortable that we’re moving in the right direction we believe the proposal should come back to Joint Finance, and we have an opportunity to vote it up or down.”

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Nygren said drug testing those on Medicaid has the potential to be helpful in addressing widespread addiction in the state. Wisconsin would have to get approval from the federal government to enact the change.

Lawmakers are not only seeking more input on possible Medicaid changes. They will vote on whether the state moves to a self-insurance model where the state pays medical claims directly instead of having health maintenance organizations assume the financial risk.

The Group Insurance Board could consolidate insurers through regionalization, which would not require legislative oversight.

During a Wisconsin Health News forum Monday, Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, said she and other lawmakers are worried about lack of consumer choice if there are fewer insurers.

“I have a concern that (consumers) need more choices in their areas and if you cut off choices, you’re going to raise costs and it’s not going to be as beneficial for better healthy outcomes. So I think regionalization is something we are going to seriously look at and I hope the (Group Insurance Board) doesn’t go that way, although they seem to want to go that way because we need to have competition all over the state,” said Darling, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee.

Nygren repeatedly noted the move toward self-insurance and the buildup of the insurance board’s reserves have been unilateral on the part of the Group Insurance Board.

“We haven’t been involved in these conversations and all the information has not been shared with us,” Nygren said.

Nygren said lawmakers will have to come up with a way to find $60 million in savings from the state worker health plan because it’s in Walker’s budget.

Nygren said one possibility is by dipping into the Group Insurance Board reserves, which exceed the recommended amount. Another possibility, he said, is raising the amount of deductible workers pay for their health insurance.

“The ending balance in the governor’s budget is $11 million. So there isn’t a lot of wiggle room in a $76 billion budget. So we’re kind of in the position, if we’re going to say ‘no’ to self-insurance, we do have to find the savings,” Nygren said.