Gov. Walker appears to have made decision regarding expanding BadgerCare

MADISON (WITI) -- Expanding BadgerCare could mean nearly 200,000 of the poor and disabled would get health insurance in Wisconsin. It is the key to President Barack Obama's plan to provide health care coverage to all Americans. However, because the Supreme Court decision upholding the law gave the states the option to decline federal funding, governor's get the final say, and it appears Gov. Scott Walker has made a decision.

Gov. Walker has been weighing the critical decision of whether to expand BadgerCare in Wisconsin -- a decision that could determine the future of the National Health Care Law.

Should Gov. Walker accept federal funding to expand the state's health insurance program for the poor and disabled?

Last week, Gov. Walker Walker said: "We're looking at all our options from expansion to no expansion at all to places in between."

Now, it appears Gov. Walker has decided not to accept the federal money to expand BadgerCare in Wisconsin.

Conservative writer Christian Schneider reported on Tuesday, February 12th: ""Walker has decided not to do that, according to sources in his administration, but he will expand health services in the state."

Robert Kraig leads the health care advocacy group "Citizen Action of Wisconsin." He says the law would provide coverage to an additional 175,000 people.

"If we turn this money down, a lot more people will be uninsured and people will die because of it, so this has very dire consequences. The reason to oppose this is political. The governor has been adamantly opposed to Obamacare, has sided with the Tea Party and sees it in his long-term political interests running for national office to be on their side," Gov. Walker said.

Some Republican governors have chosen to accept the money, while others have not.

'The money for this was all paid for. It's in the health care law, and it's there for 10 years," Kraig said.