Gov. Walker offers alternative to expanding BadgerCare program

MADISON (WITI) -- Gov. Scott Walker has offered an alternative to expanding BadgerCare. This, after Gov. Walker rejected federal funding to expand the insurance program for the poor and disabled. However, Gov. Walker's new idea has been met with resistance from the uninsured.

One day after Gov. Walker rejected billions in federal funding to expand BadgerCare, various faith and community groups held a rally outside a downtown Milwaukee hospital trying to change his mind.

"Even though Gov. Walker said, 'no,' the Wisconsin Legislature should just say, 'yes,'" Rep. Jon Richards (D - Milwaukee) said.

Richards supports a bill that would reverse the decision.

"Let's be clear: what he's doing here is knocking 90,000 people off of BadgerCare," Richards said.

The goal of President Obama's signature national health care law is to provide insurance to all Americans. The key provision of the law is expanding Medicaid coverage to the currently uninsured.

Gov. Walker is proposing an alternative idea that he says would provide coverage to 224,000 people. Gov. Walker says the plan he is proposing is a better deal for taxpayers and the budget.

24-year-old Troy Veasley is without health care, and currently sits at number 150 out of 750 on the BadgerCare waiting list.

"What if I were to break a leg or come down with some illness, what would happen? It makes me question how his thinking is, you know?  It makes me question that a lot and it angers me," Veasley said.

A major part of Gov. Walker's plan is selling the idea that low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for the ACA's Medicaid expansion would want to sign up for subsidized exchange coverage.