Numbers Weren't (Aren't?) In His Favor

This move seems to show that a veto override of Doyle wasn't just likely - it was eminent.

In an apparent move to avoid having some of his health care vetoes overridden tomorrow, Gov. Jim Doyle's administration today ordered a four-month delay in cuts to fees paid to Wisconsin pharmacists who participate in the state's Medicaid program.

State Administration Secretary Marc Marotta ordered that cuts in reimbursement rates for pharmacists be delayed from Oct. 1 until Feb. 1, 2006.

Marotta in a letter said that the delay would allow the governor and legislators to consider recommendations of the new Governor's Pharmacy Reimbursement Commission, which was appointed to study the issue of how pharmacists are paid for dispensings drugs needed by Medicaid, SeniorCare and BadgerCare participants.

Politically, the order by Doyle's top aide pushes the cuts off until early next year, after new tax collections estimates are made in January - estimates that may show state government can afford higher reimbursement rates for pharmacists.

As a result of Doyle's vetoes of the budget passed by Republicans, who control the Legislature, Wisconsin pharmacists would have been paid $13.14 million less in state tax dollars to dispense drugs needed by the elderly, poor and disabled. Some pharmacists have said they would stop filling Medicaid prescriptions unless the Legislature overrode Doyle's vetoes.

The Assembly is scheduled Tuesday to try and override two Doyle vetoes regarding reimbursements for pharmacists and two other vetoes, which cut nursing home reimbursements by $15.2 million and hospitals reimbursements for outpatient services by $5 million.

Creating a commission to make Medicaid reforms is simply a last-minute attempt to say, "Don't override me, let's do this," said Tom Engels, spokesman for the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. "That's the only message this is sending."

Engels said that pharmacists don't believe the state's actions today will provide a solution to low reimbursement rates, which would drop in February after the delay.

This action, added to letter of State Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) to his fellow senators, show that the numbers weren't in Doyle's favor. This delay only proves that enough State Dems weren't willing to bet on Diamond Jim in the "Their Governor vs Grandma" debate.

Jauch is a Whip in the Democratic Senatorial Caucus I've been told by some. If he's worried, then Doyle's really worried. This "commission" proves Doyle's worried he's just made the first Gubernatorial override in Wisconsin in twenty years a reality.

The State GOP should go right full speed ahead with the override vote tomorrow.