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2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE
January 31, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Penterman, August, Vorpagel,
Allen, Brandtjen, Cabral-Guevara, Callahan, Dittrich, Edming, James,
Knodl, Kuglitsch, Loudenbeck, Macco, Magnafici, Moses, Petersen,
Plumer, Schraa, Snyder, Sortwell, Steffen, Tittl, Tusler, Wichgers,
Zimmerman and Born, cosponsored by Senators Stafsholt, Jacque, Bernier,
Feyen and Nass. Referred to Committee on Public Benefit Reform.
AB934,1,5 1An Act to renumber and amend 49.823; and to create 49.45 (2) (a) 3m., 49.45
2(4d) and (4j) and 49.823 (2) of the statutes; relating to: disenrollment of
3ineligible individuals from and redeterminations of eligibility for the Medical
4Assistance program and database confirmation for public assistance program
5eligibility.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes various changes to eligibility determinations for public
assistance programs and, specifically, the Medical Assistance program. The Medical
Assistance program is a joint federal and state program that provides health services
to individuals who have limited financial resources.
The bill prohibits the Department of Health Services from automatically
renewing the eligibility of a recipient for Medical Assistance program benefits. DHS
must determine an individual's eligibility every six months under the bill. DHS is
also prohibited from using prepopulated forms or otherwise supplying information,
except for name and address, to a recipient of or an applicant for Medical Assistance
that has been supplied to DHS. Additionally, any recipient of Medical Assistance
benefits that fails to timely report to DHS or its designee any change that may affect
eligibility is ineligible for benefits for six months from the date DHS discovers the
failure to report the change. Under current law, knowingly concealing or failing to
disclose any event that an individual knows affects the initial or continued right to
a Medical Assistance benefit is subject to a forfeiture of not less than $100 nor more
than $15,000 for each concealment or failure.

The bill requires DHS to enter data sharing agreements with any agency that
maintains a database of financial or personal information about residents of this
state. DHS must confirm the information of an applicant for a public assistance
program against the information contained in those databases. The bill also requires
DHS to share data for this purpose of confirming eligibility for public assistance
programs. Current law requires DHS and the Department of Children and Families
to compare each department's respective databases against the databases of death
records to identify deceased participants.
The bill requires DHS to promptly remove from eligibility for the Medical
Assistance program any individual who has been determined to be ineligible for the
program. Under the federal Families First Coronavirus Act, during a federally
declared public health emergency, a state may receive an enhanced amount of federal
financial participation in its Medical Assistance program if the state complies with
certain criteria, including refraining from disenrolling individuals from the
program. Under the bill, if the disenrollment or any other part of the bill would cause
the state not to comply, that portion of the bill that does not comply may not be
implemented until the period of enhanced federal financial participation ends.
During the period before it ends, DHS must audit Medical Assistance eligibility and
report quarterly to the legislature the number of individuals who are ineligible for
Medical Assistance but who are receiving benefits.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB934,1 1Section 1. 49.45 (2) (a) 3m. of the statutes is created to read:
AB934,2,42 49.45 (2) (a) 3m. Remove promptly from eligibility for the Medical Assistance
3program under this subchapter any individual who has been determined to be
4ineligible.
AB934,2 5Section 2. 49.45 (4d) and (4j) of the statutes are created to read:
AB934,3,36 49.45 (4d) Redetermination of eligibility. The department may not
7automatically renew the eligibility of a recipient of Medical Assistance benefits
8under this subchapter. The department shall redetermine eligibility for the Medical
9Assistance program under this subchapter for each individual every 6 months. In
10collecting information from a recipient of Medical Assistance benefits or an

1applicant, the department may not use any form that is prepopulated or otherwise
2provide to the recipient or applicant with information that has been supplied to the
3department except for the recipient's or applicant's name and address.
AB934,3,8 4(4j) Failure to report. Any recipient of Medical Assistance benefits under this
5subchapter who fails to timely report to the department or an entity designated by
6the department any change that may affect the recipient's eligibility for benefits
7shall be ineligible for benefits under this subchapter for 6 months following the date
8that the department discovers the failure to report the change.
AB934,3 9Section 3. 49.823 of the statutes is renumbered 49.823 (1) and amended to
10read:
AB934,3,2011 49.823 (1) The department of health services and the department of children
12and families shall, at least once every 3 months, perform a comparison of each
13department's respective public benefit database information against nationally
14recognized databases that contain information on death records, including the
15federal social security administration's Death Master File, to identify participants
16in public benefit programs that are deceased. If a department determines during a
17review under this section subsection that a participant is deceased, the department
18shall designate that individual as ineligible for benefits in any applicable database.
19The requirements under this section subsection do not apply to the department of
20children and families with regard to child care subsidies under s. 49.155.
AB934,4 21Section 4. 49.823 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
AB934,4,522 49.823 (2) The department of health services shall enter a data sharing
23agreement with the department of children and families, the department of
24workforce development, and any other agency that maintains a database of financial
25or personal information about residents of this state. The department of health

1services, through the data sharing agreement, shall confirm the information
2submitted by the applicant for a public assistance program with the information
3contained in other databases held by other agencies. The department of health
4services shall share data with other agencies for the purposes of confirming
5eligibility for public assistance programs.
AB934,5 6Section 5. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB934,4,207 (1) Effective date of disenrollment; report on ineligibility. If
8implementation of s. 49.45 (2) (a) 3m. or any other part of this act does not comply
9with section 6008 (b) of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act, P.L.
10116-127, to receive the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage, the
11department of health services shall implement any part of the act that does not
12comply beginning no sooner than the first day of the month beginning after the
13month in which the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage described in
14section 6008 (a) of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act ends. During
15the period before the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage described in
16section 6008 (a) of the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act ends, the
17department of health services shall perform an audit of Medical Assistance eligibility
18and report quarterly to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) the number of individuals
19who are ineligible for Medical Assistance under subch. IV of ch. 49 but who are still
20receiving benefits.
AB934,4,2121 (End)
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