MON AM News: WHA says health care workforce must grow faster to meet rising demand; Evers knocks $210M cuts to health-related federal funding

March 31, 2025

— The Wisconsin Hospital Association says the state’s health care workforce “must grow faster” to meet the needs of an aging population.

In its latest Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Report, the group says hospitals in the state are already seeing some signs of improvement “as vacancies lessen” and turnover stabilizes thanks to efforts to fortify the industry’s labor pool.

The report points to care providers working to retain existing workers, bring new workers into the field and “re-recruit those who left for what they thought might be greener pastures” in other industries. Still, WHA argues industry members, health care professionals and officials in government and education should seek to unlock the potential of health care teams to “sustain this comeback” despite demographic headwinds.

“They need to leverage innovative technologies to achieve greater efficiencies and create better connections with patients while removing regulatory barriers and constraints that inhibit entry into the workforce, impede care delivery and consume precious workforce time, energy and resources,” the group wrote.

WHA notes Medicare and Medicaid already make up nearly two-thirds of hospital revenues, and the growing portion of older Wisconsinites will continue to drive that trend. But the Medicaid program reimbursed Wisconsin hospitals 37% below the cost of providing care in 2023, while Medicare was 26% lower.

And while private health insurance reimbursement has previously helped to “bridge the shortfall,” WHA says insurance reimbursement has been lagging as costs rise for supplies, drugs and labor. The report also notes insurance premiums have been increasing faster than hospital prices — 6.7% versus 2.6% in 2023, respectively.

“This mismatch creates a confusing picture for employers who purchase health insurance for their workforce and for patients paying higher out-of-pocket costs, who attribute rising costs to hospitals, not to rising insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles,” authors wrote.

Based on survey results from the WHA Information Center, hospitals employed about 88,000 workers across 18 patient care professions, which makes up about three-fourths of total hospital employment. This figure has grown by 8% since 2019, with gains across 13 of the professions tracked in the survey.

“The health care workforce continues to stabilize, but significant shortages remain—a status upgrade that could be reported this year as ‘serious, but stable,’” authors wrote.

See the report.

— Gov. Tony Evers is criticizing President Donald Trump’s administration for cutting $210 million in federal funding for public health and emergency medical services in Wisconsin.

“Reckless cuts by President Trump and Elon Musk to help pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires are causing devastating consequences for Wisconsin’s kids, families, and communities and services they depend on every day,” Evers said in a statement Friday. “The Trump Administration is gutting millions of investments for programs that are designed to help make Wisconsinites and our communities healthier and safer.”

Evers said he learned last week the Trump administration intends to cut funding the state expected to receive. The state uses these funds to support mental and behavioral health services, respond to substance abuse and the opioid epidemic, bolster local public health and strengthen local emergency medical services.

WisGOP Rapid Response Director Anika Rickard said in a statement to WisPolitics that cutting this funding will not have a negative impact.

“These funds are COVID-related grants that the state NEVER used,” Rickard said. “They are not necessary to any of the funding items Evers mentioned. Tony Evers is again using his platform to create fear for his own political gain. As a Governor, he should be working for the people and providing the truth, not creating instability.”

In the release, Evers listed areas his administration expects will be negatively impacted by the cuts, including:

The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline;
988 crisis county connection services;
Local substance abuse prevention programs;
Community health workers;
Access to fentanyl test strip kits;
Peer-run respites and recovery centers;
Local public health departments and efforts to improve information infrastructure;
Efforts to strengthen local EMS responses to local public health crises;
Public health laboratories;
Wisconsin Immunization Registry; and
Regional crisis stabilization facilities.

For more of the most relevant health care news, reports on groundbreaking research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics and WisBusiness.com.

Sign up here.

— The Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles is warning Wisconsin consumers to reject scam phishing messages asking for money.

DOT said the most common message warns recipients of a “final reminder” about an “outstanding toll,” purporting to come from DOT. The agency said such messages are fake, noting Wisconsin does not have tolls.

DOT is encouraging Wisconsinites to be wary of requests for money, not to share their personal information in response to unsolicited emails or messages, and not to respond to or click on links in unsolicited texts or emails.

The agency recommends scam victims consider filing a police report, reporting an internet-based crime, speaking to AARP’s Fraud Watch Helpline or Fraud Victim Support Groups, or requesting a free credit report.

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