Wisconsin has had what they call BadgerCare for at least a decade. It covers uninsured kids, pregnant women, and families with children. It was a literal lifesaver when my then 19 year-old sister (who had undiagnosed lupus) developed a number of complications with her pregnancy. As a result, my nephew was delivered 3 months early, at 1 lb, 13 oz. He spent the next 2 months in hospital, and spent the majority of the first year of his life needing a heart monitor, etc. Because of Badger Care, he was covered 100%, and got excellent care at the state's best children's hospital.
If my sister had been married, and the pregnancy and birth had been covered under my brother-in-law's employer-provided coverage, my nephew would have 'maxed-out' his lifetime coverage limit before he ever left the hospital.
Recently, they started offering Badger Care to uninsured adults (without kids) as well. Even with some tough restrictions (not available unless you've been without *access* to an employer health plan for at least a year), they've had so many enrollments that they've had to suspend new enrollment. They've started a waiting list for coverage, and there's no real estimate as to when those on the list will actually get covered.
