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PolitiFact Wisconsin: Sen. Baldwin on health care

Posted at 6:28 PM, Jun 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-28 19:28:36-04

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin's says President Donald Trump wants to cut health care for kids. PolitiFact Wisconsin puts that claim to the Truth-O-Meter. 

Baldwin and her Senate Democratic colleagues are in a pitched partisan fight with Republicans over the future of health care.

In June, Baldwin called out Trump—who won Wisconsin last year—on BadgerCare.

"She says that President Trump wants to kick thousands of children in Wisconsin off of BadgerCare," said Tom Kertscher with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Medicaid funds BadgerCare, which provides health insurance coverage to low income state residents including pregnant women, childless adults and 412,000 children.

PolitiFact Wisconsin says Badgercare could take a financial hit under Trump's proposed budget cuts and the current GOP health care plan.

"What we found is that according to experts that have looked at both the budget and the GOP health care plan they would pare back spending on Medicaid," Kertscher said, "which is what funds BadgerCare."

But PolitiFact Wisconsin points out both proposed plans don't dictate children will lose or be kicked off of BadgerCare and it's not clear how Wisconsin would respond to any changes in funding.

"It's possible that the state, even if Medicaid funding were cut, could restore enough money to keep those kids eligible for Badgercare," Kertscher said.

PolitiFact Wisconsin rated Baldwin's claim Half True.

PolitFact Wisconsin says the most recent enrollment numbers show nearly 800,000 residents rely on BadgerCare, with more than half being children.