We’re very excited that the new Health Insurance Marketplace for Wisconsin will begin taking applications Tuesday, October 1. The federal subsidies for most people buying coverage through the new Marketplace will do a lot to improve access to health insurance in Wisconsin. Subsidies are available for adults with income between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.
However, many health care advocates and providers have been concerned that the Marketplace coverage won’t work very well for adults who aren’t much above the poverty level. Some of those adults will have difficulty affording the cost sharing for the private insurance plans offered through the Marketplace, and others who don’t have checking accounts or credit cards are likely to struggle with the logistics of paying premiums.
An exciting new program in Dane County will alleviate those problems by providing financial assistance in purchasing coverage for an estimated 6,100 individuals in Dane County whose income is between 100% and 133% of the federal poverty level. The new program, called HealthConnect, is made possible through a special $2 million contribution from UW Health to the United Way of Dane County.
Kudos to those organizations for getting this going and enabling the new Marketplace to work for low-income Dane County families. Other health plans might join the effort later. With luck, this effort can be a model for other communities in our state.
Read more in this State Journal article by David Wahlberg.
Jon Peacock
