Pandemic fuels increase in Rock County BadgerCare Plus enrollments

Aug. 29--The number of Rock County residents enrolled in BadgerCare Plus is at its highest level since the state health insurance program was launched in 1999.

As of July, 29,623 Rock County residents were enrolled in BadgerCare Plus, which provides health insurance for lower-income residents, according to the state Department of Health Services.

That's up 11.5% from 26,205 in February, just before the coronavirus pandemic reached the area.

Total BadgerCare Plus enrollment stayed largely flat in 2019 and early 2020, hovering between 25,874 and 26,205, according to the data.

Enrollments shot up by 1,323 between March and April, the largest increase by far since the beginning of 2019.

BadgerCare Plus is available to children, pregnant women, caretakers, young adults leaving foster care, farmers, self-employed workers and low-income adults without children.

Enrollments increased the most for children and childless adults.

The county saw 513 and 411 more enrollments from March to April for children and childless adults, respectively. Those are the largest two month-to-month increases in a specific demographic in all of 2019 and 2020 so far.

Because of the pandemic, many people have experienced unemployment, loss of income, health issues and trauma, said Maria Delgado, economic support division manager for Rock County.

"We are fortunate to say that in this moment of crises, we have more county residents covered for health care and are able to provide support with their basic needs," Delgado said in an email to The Gazette.

The increases are not solely caused by an influx of people looking for health care.

The state has new policies during the pandemic to allow for health care flexibility, Delgado said.

Many people who normally would be kicked off their state health care plans because of household changes have been allowed to stay on their plans, at least until the state's public health emergency is lifted, Delgado said.

That leads to fewer cases being closed as new cases are brought on, she said.

Health care applications for the state's southern region, including Rock County, have remained consistent at an average of 400 per week, which is not significantly different from last year, said Jennifer Miller, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health Services, in an email to The Gazette.

"Enrollment numbers are comparable to previous years," Miller said. "However, any increases to enrollment into BadgerCare would show that our most vulnerable people in the state are able to get health insurance coverage when they need it. This is especially important during a global pandemic when it is critical that people are able to access needed health care."

There is no limit to the number of people who can enroll in BadgerCare Plus, Miller said.

When asked how increasing enrollments would affect the economy and if that is a concern for state officials, Miller said: "DHS is committed to protecting the health and safety of our BadgerCare Plus members during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond."

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