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Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin voters don't want to lose health coverage. Yet 96,000 will under Trump
Each election season, Wisconsin draws reporters from around the world eager to dissect the views of voters in a state that is increasingly seen as not only a bellwether for national trends, but a political battleground on which the fate of the nation depends. Yet despite our reputation as a battleground state, there is a surprising amount of agreement among Wisconsinites on a key issue of our day: health insurance. Over two-thirds of voters in our state support expanding eligibility for BadgerCare, the federal-state program that covers nearly 1.3 million low-income and disabled Wisconsinites, including 3 in 8 children. Polling from last fall suggests that seven in ten Wisconsinites favor lowering the costs of what residents pay in healthcare costs and ensuring that all Wisconsin residents have access to affordable, comprehensive health-insurance coverage. That includes majorities of voters who identify as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Understandably, Wisconsinites ––who in 2023 alone racked up more than $731 million in medical debt –– generally prefer policies which will reduce their skyrocketing healthcare costs. But one could be forgiven for not noticing just how much agreement there is among Wisconsinites. After all, Republican members of the Badger State's congressional delegation have tethered themselves to the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' a nickname whose absurdity only serves to distract from its contents. Opinion: Sen. Joni Ernst said we're all going to die. Can we get decent health care in the meantime? To pay for extensions to tax cuts whose beneficiaries are primarily the wealthiest Americans, the legislation would cause roughly 16 million people across the country to lose health coverage by 2034. What does that mean for Wisconsin? Within ten years, roughly 96,000 fewer people in our state will have health insurance coverage for two reasons. First, the end of premium tax credits and changes to the Affordable Care Act's marketplace rules will cause at least 59,000 enrollees to lose coverage. For those that remain in the marketplace, premiums will skyrocket. In Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District –– currently represented by U.S. Rep. Derek Van Orden –– premiums for a 60-year-old couple with a combined annual income of $82,000 will increase by over 300%. Second, due to changes in Medicaid policy –– namely the introduction of paperwork requirements that demand monthly recertification of employment status –– at least 37,000 Wisconsinites will also lose coverage. In fact, the real number could be far higher according to recent reports from the state. The vast majority of these coverage losses will occur not because those people aren't working: 73% of adults on Medicaid in Wisconsin are employed. Rather, as shown in states like Arkansas which briefly implemented Medicaid work requirements several years ago, over 18,000 people lost coverage in less than a year due to administrative hurdles deliberately designed to be difficult to clear. These are not work requirements, strictly speaking. Nor, as the Congressional Budget Office has shown, do they have any meaningful impact on the number of people in the workforce. They are simply more red tape. Their supporters in Congress often claim that work requirements are meant only to eliminate 'waste, fraud, and abuse' from the program, not to disenroll eligible people. But this is an artful dodge. They are counting on the new Medicaid provisions to result in massive disenrollment; as the legislative math works out, massive dis-enrollments are necessary to generate the level of spending cuts needed to pay for tax cuts that primarily advantage the wealthy. Republican congressional leaders will also cite public support for work requirements in a recent statewide advisory referendum. This too is a dodge. Unlike many other states, Wisconsin does not require that legislative referenda be accompanied by information on the effects of proposed policy changes. Opinion: Trump gives off strongman pageantry with military parade we're paying for Vague wording on advisory ballot measures thus allows legislators to elicit their preferred response from voters without forcing them to confront the tradeoffs. Voters are shown only one side of the deal, promises of personal responsibility and cost savings, while the real consequences, like loss of coverage and increased red tape, remain hidden. If this assault on Wisconsin's health care succeeds, it will not represent the preferences of our closely divided electorate. The deeper one digs into the data, and into conversations in diners, clinics, and union halls across this state, the more it becomes clear: People want health care that's there when they need it, that doesn't bankrupt them, and that doesn't force them to navigate a labyrinth of paperwork. They're asking not for miracles but to be treated with dignity. That's worth fighting for, and something our elected leaders should not only respect, but champion. Philip Rocco is an associate professor of political science at Marquette University and the author of "Obamacare Wars: Federalism, State Politics, and the Affordable Care Act." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: House Republicans support bill their WI constituents oppose | Opinion
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin health insurance enrollment under the ACA again sets a record
is operated by the Wisconsin Office of Insurance (OCI) to inform consumers seeking health insurance about their options, including BadgerCare and the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplace (Screenshot | For the second year in a row, a record number of Wisconsinites signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, state officials announced Friday. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which tracks enrollment in health plans through the ACA, reported that 313,579 Wisconsin residents enrolled in insurance through the federal insurance marketplace during the open enrollment period from Nov. 1, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025. This year's enrollment includes 47,250 more people than the 2024 open enrollment period, which set the previous record — an 18% increase, according to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI). The marketplace, was created under the ACA for people to purchase individual or family health insurance policies if they don't have health insurance coverage through an employer or other group and don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. Marketplace plans are sold by private insurance companies and must meet standards set under the ACA for comprehensive coverage. One of those is that people with a preexisting health condition cannot be denied coverage, charged higher rates or have their insurance coverage canceled. For people who are currently enrolled, health insurance premium costs for ACA plans have been offset by federal subsidies, tied to a person's income. The subsidies were expanded under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The increased subsidies will expire after this year unless Congress agrees to extend them. A majority of Wisconsinites signing up for ACA plans have qualified for the subsidies and saved an average of $573 on their monthly insurance premiums, according to the office of Gov. Tony Evers. Before Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, both Democrats, took office in 2019, Wisconsin had been part of a multi-state lawsuit that sought to overturn the ACA. The health care law was enacted in 2010 under then-President Barack Obama. Evers and Kaul withdrew Wisconsin from the lawsuit fighting the ACA, and the Evers administration has instead heavily promoted the program, including the creation of a health coverage information program and website, WisCovered, a joint project of the state's insurance and health departments. With President Donald Trump returning to the White House, however, the ACA's future has been uncertain. Trump tried unsuccessfully to abolish the program in his first term in office, and during the 2024 campaign said he would replace it, but has never offered a clear alternative plan. In a statement, Evers cited the increased popularity of the ACA as a reason to ensure it remains intact. 'Health care should not be a privilege only afforded to the healthy and the wealthy, and the Affordable Care Act has been transformational for millions, including Wisconsinites who have pre-existing conditions,' Evers said. 'This record enrollment proves just how important it is that we continue to defend and protect access to healthcare, close our uninsured gap, and support programs that help make a real difference in the lives of folks and families across our state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
