Healthcare

This bill modifies Wisconsin's optometry laws to strengthen penalties for optometrists who fail to provide patients with their eyeglass or contact lens prescriptions at no cost. It creates a new provision requiring that all prescriptions include a measurement of the patient's pupillary distance and allows the optometry examining board to impose fines of up to $1,000 for each violation. The changes directly affect optometrists and their patients by ensuring prescription access and establishing clearer standards for disciplinary actions.

This bill establishes a state-based health insurance exchange that will operate on the federal platform by 2029 and transition to a standalone state-run exchange by 2030. It authorizes the state insurance commissioner to collect user fees from insurers offering plans through the exchange, starting at 0.5 percent of monthly premiums for the federal platform phase and adjusting rates for the standalone phase. The legislation also creates a specific appropriation account for exchange operations, with any unspent funds exceeding 10 percent of annual expenditures returning to the state's general fund at the end of each fiscal year.

This bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios across various hospital units, requiring hospitals to submit annual staffing plans that specify the maximum number of patients each registered nurse can care for during a shift. It also grants registered nurses the right to refuse work assignments that violate these staffing standards and prohibits mandatory overtime for nurses. Hospitals must create staffing committees with a majority of frontline nurses, post their staffing plans publicly, and maintain detailed records of actual staffing levels for at least three years. The bill includes penalties for non-compliance, including fines for failing to submit plans or follow corrective actions after violations are confirmed.

This bill requires health insurance policies and self-insured plans in Wisconsin to cover speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering, including both services that help maintain or improve skills and those that restore lost abilities. The law applies to disability insurance policies and health plans offered by the state, counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts, ensuring coverage regardless of whether the stuttering is developmental or caused by other factors. Key provisions mandate that covered plans cannot impose annual visit limits, deny coverage based on the cause of stuttering, or require prior authorization for speech therapy services. The bill also includes telehealth options and establishes a process for the state insurance commissioner to seek federal waivers if the new requirements would trigger additional state costs under federal healthcare laws.

This bill requires school districts to include education about fentanyl and the use of opioid antagonists as part of their drug abuse prevention goals. The law specifically amends state statutes to mandate that awareness of these topics be integrated into school curricula starting in the 2026-27 school year. It affects all public school districts by adding fentanyl and opioid antagonist information to their required educational objectives on drug abuse prevention. The measure does not prescribe specific teaching methods or content beyond requiring this awareness to be included in district educational goals.

This bill allows private individuals, families, and private employers to choose health care coverage through plans offered by the Group Insurance Board, expanding options beyond traditional state employee plans. It creates new statutory provisions for health savings accounts for both state employees and private sector participants who select high-deductible health plans, with separate accounts established to track funds from each group. The legislation grants the Group Insurance Board rule-making authority to manage enrollment, premium collection, and coverage procedures for these expanded options. Additionally, the bill authorizes the collection of administrative fees from state agencies, individuals, and private employers to fund the operation of these health savings account programs.

This bill restores the ability for private individuals to file qui tam lawsuits against those who knowingly submit false claims for medical assistance, such as Medicaid fraud. It establishes penalties requiring violators to pay three times the damages caused to the state, while also allowing for reduced penalties if the violator cooperates with the attorney general and reports the fraud promptly. The law outlines procedures for filing complaints, including a 60-day sealing period and the attorney general's option to intervene or take over the case, while also granting the state authority to settle cases with approval from the governor.

This bill establishes a state premium assistance tax credit for Wisconsin residents who pay monthly premiums for qualified health plans during the 2026 tax year. The credit allows eligible individuals to claim a refund equal to the federal premium assistance amount they would have qualified for between 2021 and 2025, but only if they are not already eligible for similar federal tax credits. The legislation applies only to full-year residents who file claims within the standard tax filing deadline and requires state funding to cover any credit amounts exceeding the taxpayer's tax liability.

This bill creates new criminal penalties for intentionally obstructing access to reproductive health service facilities or places of religious worship. It defines prohibited actions as using force, threats, or physical obstruction to injure, intimidate, or interfere with people seeking or providing reproductive health services, or to damage property at these locations. Violations are classified as a Class A misdemeanor for first offenses and a Class I felony for repeat offenses. The law also establishes civil remedies allowing affected individuals or entities to sue for damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees, with the option to receive statutory damages of up to $25,000 per violation. Additionally, the bill modifies existing tort claim limitations to exclude cases covered under this new statute.

This bill establishes new funding and administrative provisions for Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program, including grants for community primary care and outreach services. It allocates $41.75 million for 2025-26 and $66.75 million for 2026-27 to support community health centers in hiring health workers, nurses, and social workers to provide care coordination services, particularly for individuals facing barriers like mental illness or homelessness. The legislation also creates a stabilization fund of $20 million for the BadgerCare Direct program, which pays providers directly for services rather than through insurance intermediaries. Additionally, the bill adds requirements for the state to maintain a 24/7 nurse consultation helpline, improve provider recruitment, and explore ways to reduce healthcare costs while ensuring timely access to medically necessary services.