Agency budget requests for the 2013-15 biennial budget bill have been submitted to the Department of Administration (DOA) for review. Requests approved by the Governor will be included in his budget bill, which is expected to be introduced in January 2013.
While the bulk of the agency requests submitted to date generally relate to standard budget adjustments and cost to continue, a few provide insight into the way agencies believe they can best accomplish Gov. Walker’s goals of job creation, developing the workforce and generally improving education, investing in infrastructure, and reforming government to be more transparent and efficient.
- Contains the largest GPR request submitted by all agencies for 2013-15. Total of $647 GPR increase over the biennium. Increase of 11.5%, from $5.65 billion base year doubled to $6.3 billion requested.
- Bulk of the increase, or $558 million of the $647 million GPR, relates to the Medicaid Base Reestimate. $248 million GPR requested to offset a 1.5% decline in federal matching rate and $410 million to cover estimated enrollment and costs per enrollee.
- Medicaid Base Reestimate includes a request for $121 million GPR for growth in the Family Care program in the 57 counties that have implemented the program. The request assumes zero expansion to the remaining 15 counties that have not yet been authorized to implement Family Care, and therefore includes zero budget request for new expansion.
- Senior Care Reestimate requests $20 million decrease in GPR to reflect increased utilization of federal Medicare Part D drug program by Senior Care enrollees.
- Contains a variety of savings initiatives, including; enhanced third party liability matching ($7 million) electronic residency verification system ($20 million All Funds), $3.5 million in MA payment accuracy savings, and converting 32 contract staff to state positions.
- Secretary’s budget request cover letter notes that there is “still great uncertainty about key federal policies (PPACA implementation) that can have a significant impact on the state budget.” The letter called the agency request a starting point to be refined as uncertainties evolve.
- Overall Program Revenue (PR) budget request of $33.86 million, which represents a decrease of 0.6% compared to base-year-doubled amount of $34.06 million PR.
- Contains a request for $5.9 million to reflect anticipated claim payments to local governments insured through the Local Government Property Insurance Fund.
- Total budget request of $1.106 billion reflects a decrease of $16.8 million, or a 1.5% decrease compared to the base-year-doubled budget of $1.123 billion. Contains no GPR increases.
- Converts 2 FTE positions from federal funding to Environmental SEG funding to support additional staff in the Air Management Bureau for compliance and monitoring relating to the increase in industrial sand mining activity in western Wisconsin.
- Only a partial request was submitted. Request notes that recent federal authorization of MAP 21 and the impacts on state request are still being analyzed. Also notes that the Transportation Finance and Policy Commission may forward recommendations in advance of their March 1, 2013 reporting deadline, which may have an impact on the agency’s request.